The political transition and the alternative independent theatre in Bulgaria after 1989
The political transition and the alternative independent theatre in Bulgaria after 1989

Summary/Abstract: The most roaring and creative period in the recent history of Bulgarian theatre was the first decade following the 1989 political upheaval. The 1990s were marked in the first place by euphoria from a new, unknown and unrestricted freedom. This freedom, newly gained by the theatre professionals with the lifting of the ideological restrictions and the norms of the socialist aesthetical canon, was channelled into catching up with and experiencing what had been unfamiliar and banned under the communist regime. The striving for reverting to diversity was the most substantial manifestation of the disposition to freedom and renewal. It permeated every aspect of the theatrical life – from the choices of dramatic works, which had been impossible to present on stage before 1989, through the aim to cover more genres, forms and aesthetics such as physical theatre, contemporary dance, multimedia performance, postmodern text based theatre, theatre installation and performance to the intensive appearance of independent companies and individual artists. In fact, this explosive and pronounced movement of alternative independent stages was the emblem of the 1990s Bulgarian theatre. The paper analyses the cultural context and steps of its appearance, the main personalities, companies and trends in its development as well as raising the question of the transformations experienced by the independent theatre and the challenges it faces today.

• Details
• Contents