Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan, which has more than 125 years of theatre history, is set to start its theatre season in Baku.

The Azerbaijani State Youth Theatre will open its 88th season on September 19.

Popular plays, including “The Ugly Duckling” by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen at 12:00 and “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare at 19:00, will be performed for Baku’s theatregoers.

The director of The Ugly Duckling performance is Azerbaijan’s Honored Artist Nijat Kazimov, the production designer is Elshan Sarkhanoglu, music - Zaur Rashidov, and the choreography - Naila Mammadzade.

The director of Romeo and Juliet is People’s Artist Jannat Selimova, the production designer is the primary artist of Tbilisi State Drama Theatre named after Tumanashvili, Shota Glurzhidze, the composer is Firuddin Allahverdiyev, and choreography is done by Honored Artist of Russia Sergei Gritsay.

The Russian Drama Theatre in Baku will open its 95th theatre season on September 18 at 19:00 with the play entitled “Another Night of Scheherazade.” The play will be directed by Azerbaijan People's Artist Irana Tagizade.

The Azerbaijani Academic National Drama Theatre will also open its doors for the guests on September 18.

The 143rd theatre season will start with the play entitled “Karabakhame” by national writer and playwright Ilyas Efendiyev, narrating the historical events that took place in the XVIII century in Shusha -- the heart of the Karabakh khanate. Tickets for the play, scheduled for 20:00 costs from 6 to 10 manats.

The history and development of the national theatre require a separate narrative, as the first theatre in the whole Muslim East and the first opera were staged right here in Azerbaijan.

The national theatre has always been characterized by realistic features and associated with the working population of the city. The national theatre has played an important role in the formation of professional theatre in Azerbaijan.

The history of Azerbaijani theatre began with the plays "Vizier of Lankaran Khan" and “Haji Gara,” by Mirza Fatali Akhundov, staged in Baku in 1873.

These first amateur performances, staged by students under an initiative by Hasan bey Zardabi, the national publicist and founder of the first Azerbaijani language newspaper “Akinchi” (“The Ploughman",) have become a powerful driver for the establishment of the national theatre.

In 1883, the famous oil magnate and philanthropist Zeynalabdin Tagiyev built the theatre building, in the European style, with beautiful architecture and a spacious hall. The Azerbaijani Academic National Drama Theatre still exists today.

After some time, theatre appeared in the cities of Shusha, Nakhchivan, Ganja and others. In 1919, the Azerbaijan State Theatre was built.

Azerbaijan’s professional Musical Theatre was established on January 12 in 1908 and exactly on this day the first national opera "Leyli and Majnun" by the greatest composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli, was staged. “Leyli and Majnun” was the first Muslim opera in the Islamic world.

Currently the capital has about 11 theatres and there are a couple dozen in the country’s regions. The national stage puts on plays by both domestic and many foreign playwrights.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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