The Dramatic Society in Ljubljana (founded in 1867) is the pioneer of Slovenian theatre in the modern era. In its development from 1867 to 1920, it traversed a fifty-year journey through the era of institutionalisation and professionalisation of Slovenian theatre, concluding in 1920, when a new stage of development began, the era of Europeanisation (1920–1945). The exhibition focuses on the first fifty years of the Dramatic Society's operation, attempting to shed light on important and decisive milestones in its development. The first milestone was the general conviction that emerged among Slovenian intellectuals at the beginning of the second half of the 19th century that Slovenians needed their own Slovenian theatre. But even earlier, all previous theatre history was of a groundbreaking nature, from Trubar's dialogue between father and son in Alphabet through the Jesuit and Capuchin theatres to Linhart and after him Drabosnjak and in parallel: from the visiting Innsbruck comedians and Laško opera singers to the century-old precedent of the German theatre (founded in 1765). The example of Anton Tomaž Linhart is powerful as a pioneer of Slovenian theatre in the modern era and an early predecessor of the Dramatic Society. All these elements, together with the general theatre examples and influences of the time (observed in larger nations) and the Spring of Nations (1848), gave rise to a widespread awareness of the necessity of establishing a national theatre among Slovenians. The exhibition records and substantiates twelve landmark phenomena in the development of the Dramatic Society – from the beginnings of the Society during the absolutism of Metternich and Bach (1848 to 1851) to the emergence of Slovenian theatre as a public social institution or the beginning of its Europeanisation (1920).
The illustrative material includes handwritten documents, portraits of distinguished creators of the Dramatic Society and theatre professionals of the time, theatre reviews, posters and leaflets, old photographs and postcards, important books of the time, models of the two most important theatres, etc. Exhibition exhibits whose ownership and custody are not specifically mentioned are from the collection of the Slovenian Theatre Institute.
Exhibition marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Dramatic Society in Ljubljana, 23 March 2017–10 January 2018
Author: Stefan Vevar
Graphic design and layout: Maja Gspan
Digitization: Dušan Nelec
Translation: Melita Silić
Language review: Andraž Polončič Ruparčič and Melita Silič
Professional collaborators in the preparation of the exhibition: Mojca Jan Zoran, Sandra Jenko, Katarina Kocijančič and Tea Rogelj
Exhibition production: Slovenian Theatre Institute
Organization: Mojca Jan Zoran
The following helped in preparing the exhibition: Archives of the Republic of Slovenia, Ljubljana City Theatre, National and University Library, Mihael Čepeljnik, Manja Gatalo, Amadea Karin Ilic and Branko Radulovič
The exhibition was created with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.