site.btaLIK Magazine's December Issue Dedicated to Ivan Vazov National Theatre's 120th Anniversary

2024 marks the 120th anniversary of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. Bulgarian News Agency's (BTA) LIK magazine has dedicated its December issue to the occasion. It will be presented on December 27 in the MaxiM Hall at BTA. The event will also be held jointly via video link in the other BTA national press clubs in the country.

The release is entitled "120 Years of Ivan Vazov National Theatre".

"Recently, on the occasion of the theatrical performances given in Greek in our city, the public and the press are warming up to the idea of a Bulgarian national theatre, a matter which has not been raised by anyone, but with which it is now time to occupy public attention in our homeland," renowned Bulgarian writer Ivan Vazov wrote in 1881. The publication begins with the words of the poet, who in two articles from the 19th century periodical press reflected on the need for a national theatre. 

Among the authors in the issue is the theatre scholar Nikolay Yordanov. "Today, international cultural dialogue is crucial if we want Bulgarian theatre to become part of the European, why not world, theatrical exchange of new plays and performances, as well as of production teams and individual artists," he wrote.

In an interview for LIK magazine, the Theatre's current Director Vasil Vasilev said that the stage of the National Theatre is a mirror of society, reflecting the joys, pains, conflicts and hopes that fill the lives of Bulgarians.

LIK magazine's thematic chronology collects highlights from news stories about the National Theatre published over the years in BTA newsletters and feeds. 

The reactions following the election of the director of the Ivan Vazov National Theatre, as well as the reactions to the premiere of George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man, directed by John Malkovich, are also presented through BTA publications.