NIS THEATRE FESTIVAL OPENED

March 12^th

The first theater festival entitled “Theater at the Crossroads” began last night at the National Theater in Nis. “Theater at the Crossroads” is a competitive festival of drama and the theater of the Balkan cultural space organized by the Nis National Theater. By March 19^th, eight contestants and one guest performance from Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia will be shown. In addition to eight competition performances from the country and the region and performances in honor of the winners, whose premiere performances were played during the preceding calendar year a number of accompanying programmes would be organized: a round table of critics, a panel “Theater at the Crossroads”, as well as the promotion of books and theater journals. The festival will include prizes for: best performance, directing, four acting awards, costume design and stage design, for original stage music, for stage movement, and special festival award. Until March 19^th Nis will be, in the true sense of the word, the theater capital of culture that will gather actors, directors, journalists, critics from the Balkans. “As the only theater festival that, in one place, wants to gather the theater art of the Balkan cultural space the festival aims to affirm the similarities and differences of the cultural identity of the states and peoples sharing the same space strengthening international cultural exchange, the promotion of theater arts and creators, the exchange of ideas and theatrical practices, and it is dedicated to the challenges and perspectives of contemporary theater“ as Spasoje Z. Milovanovic, the director of Nis National Theatre, said. “All this would not be possible if it were not for the citizens of Nis who had this need for such important cultural content and such a significant festival”, said Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, who added that “this festival was significant for the wider Balkan cultural space. It is so important for us as well, for the people of Nis, who have the opportunity to show their creative and artistic work and achievements, and to show our hospitality. I would like to warmly welcome all the people, guests, actors, directors who came to our city.”