In 1962, French poet, screenwriter, actor and director Jean Cocteau sent a message on the occasion of World Theatre Day - March 27. The initiative for a special day dedicated to one of the most ancient arts, spread in all cultures around the world, belongs the International Theatre Institute (ITI). A special message from some of the world’s most renowned actors comes every year on the occasion of the day.

Theatrical art has its own universal language, creates direct and communication with the viewer and invariably has a place in the life of modern people.

In Bulgaria, the beginning of theatrical art is associated with the name of teacher, playwright, public figure and journalist Dobri Voynikov (1833 - 1878). He is also the first Bulgarian director and author of plays and his most famous work, staged to this day, is "The Phoney Civilization" from 1871.

The first professional theater in Bulgaria was established in 1881 in Plovdiv. Two Frenchmen  turned a beautiful old house into a hotel. To compete with two other hotels in the city, they decided to build a new building in their yard specifically for theatrical performances. This is how the first theater hall in Bulgaria emerged. It was called the International Theater "Luxembourg" and became a fact almost 20 years after the first theatrical plays were performed in Bulgaria.

Art is eternal and theater always has its enthusiastic audience. This is the message of an exhibition dedicated to the scenography of the 60's to the 80's of the past century. It will be opened on March 28 in the gallery of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Berlin. By using documentary footage, the exhibition will bring the audience back to theatrical life from the time when artistic expression was limited by state ideology and propaganda in Bulgaria.

Compiled by: Gergana Mancheva
English: Alexander Markov