ЋирилицаThe ŠABAC CITY THEATRE is the cultural institution which preserves the strong tradition of theatre life in the city of Šabac, where the first theatre performance was staged in 1840. The director of this production was grammar school teacher, Damnjan Marinković, while the cast was composed of his students. This is the reason that this institution still operates under the motto: Young since 1840. Thereby we wish to put an emphasis on the union between drama tradition and modern, innovative theatrical expression, which is the main characteristic of the Šabac City Theatre repertoire.
Annually, the Šabac City Theatre stages five to eight new productions and gives approximately two hundred performances, both in-house and touring other theatres. Similarly, the Šabac City Theatre is hosting different productions and theatres, trying to provide their audience the best possible insight into contemporary theatre production. The theatre gives evening performances, as well as matinee performances for children and youth. This clearly demonstrates the theatre’s goal and mission, i.e. to spread and develop theatre culture in Šabac, as well as in other cities, where we give guest performances regularly.
The Šabac City Theatre is located in the very centre of Šabac, in the building of the Artisans’ Club, which was built in 1933 and is protected as immovable public good and cultural heritage. In this building, the Šabac City Theatre hosts two stages: the Main Stage “Ljubiša Jovanović” and the Small Stage “Dr Branivoj Đorđević”, both named after giants of the theatre life in Šabac. Furthermore, the theatre building comprises “Vladislav Lalicki” Gallery, named after the famous Šabac painter and the creator of the theatre’s logo, a spacious foyer ideal for public gatherings and events and the Theatre Club, the favourite meeting place before and after performances.
Since 1906, the Šabac City Theatre has had its resident professional ensemble, as well as décor and costumes’ workshop. The theatre ceased with its operation during wars, only to be re-established immediately after the Second World War. Apart from the professionals employed in the artistic and technical departments, the Šabac City Theatre also hosts its Youth Club, i.e. a group of volunteers who get the chance to learn about art, culture and organisation of theatrical programmes under the auspices of this institution.
Each year, in April, the Šabac City Theatre organises the Theatre Spring festival, where the most successful new productions of Serbian institutional theatres are presented.
The artists who have left a significant mark on the work of the Šabac City Theatre include: Jurij Rakitin, Teja Tadić, Aleksandar Ognjanović, Mira Stupica, Anka Majcenović, Branislav Drda Đorđević, Blaženka Katalinić, Boža Matić, Mihajlo Nikolić Zelenko, Aleksandar Radovanović, Rejhan Demirdžić, Boris Kovač, Ružica Todić, Dobrila i Milutin Džimić, Đorđe Vukotić, Sima Krstović, Đorđe Jelisić, Branko Milenković, Tomanija Đuričko, Radoje Gojkić, Cane Firaunović, Jelica Vojinović and many others. Among the theatre directors of younger generation who have created their shows here, two names figure prominently: Nikita Milivojević and Kokan Mladenović, as the authors of the most successful and long lived productions in the Šabac City Theatre’s repertoire.