Slovenian Permanent Theater

Informazioni Generali

Slovenian Repertory Theatre in Triest is the most prominent cultural institution of the Slovenian national minority in Italy and the only professional public theatre in Italy that performs in a minority language. Main importance was always held on Interaction between Italian and Slovene culture in performing arts.
The 2006/2007 season is the 63rd season of continuous activity, but the begginings of the theatre date back to the mid-nineteen century. At the time, multi-national Triest, the greatest port of the Austro-Hunagarian Empire the surroundings of wich were populated exclusively by Slovenes, was the center of intense theatrical activity. Slovenian Theatre, the second professional Slovenian theatre after Drama SNG in Ljubljana, was founded in 1902.
After The First World War, Triest and its numerous Slovenian inhabitants were annexed to Italy. It was in Triest that the most important play by Ivan Cankar “Hlapci” was staged for the first time. In 1920, Triest experienced the violence of the emerging fascism, when the National Hall housing the theatre was burnt down. Soon afterwards all the Slovenian societies and organizations were dismissed, and all cultural economic and sports activities banned.
The Slovenian Theatre was thus reborn only after the Second World War, in 1945, in the British-American zone of the Free Teritory of Triest, wich Triest belonged to until 1954 when it again became part of Italy.
Thanks to its rich tradition and high artistic quality, in 1977 the Roman authorities granted the Theatre the status of “repertory theatre” with a permantent seat and public administration. This was great honour, considering that only few theatres in Italy had this status, first of them being Piccolo Teatro from Milan.
The founders of the Slovenian Repertory Theatre were the representative of the Slovenian national comunity in Italy, the Municipality of Triest, the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The repertoire of the Theatre is varied and covers the most important plays all over the world, but the main emphasis is on its role of a bridge between two cultural world- The Salvic and the Romanic. Since beginning the Theatre has staged at least one play by an Italian author a year.
In past two years Slovenian Repertory Theatre had a change of management and started working with a new energy. The theatre produces more than 6 performances a year (contemporary and classic Slovenian, Italian and international play-writers), with international casts, performing them in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. From the season 2000/2001 all the productions are subtitled in Italian to promote the Slovenian theatrical tradition among Italian audience.