Actors from New York, Osijek and Vienna will stage an attractive play in Bale, meant to introduce the audience to the history and culture of this charming Istrian town
The town of Bale in Istria is about to get a spectacular open-air theatre, Glas Istre reports on May 8, 2018. Several parties had joined forces and managed to secure a million kuna for an impressive new cultural initiative: they founded Fort Forno, a company for organisation of cultural and artistic events, concerts and other public manifestations.
To be more precise, they secured a million kuna to open the first theatre in Bale. According to the Mayor of Bale Municipality Edi Pastrovicchio, the theatre will host the first events as early as this summer. They see the new theatre as a counterpart to the nearby Ulysses Theatre on Brijuni islands – the programme has been planned in full, participating actors and directors have been confirmed, and plays lined up for the summer.
Bale will host the Youth Theatre Festival from May 19 to 27, and the new theatre will simply take over the rest of the summer cultural programme. Some sixty student actors from New York, Osijek and Vienna will participate in acting workshops that will result in three plays the audience will get to watch at various points in the Old Town of Bale. The project was organised by the University of Osijek, with director Rober Raponja at the helm.
The first play to open the season in the new theatre is called ‘Bale, from Dinosaurs to Today’, an entertaining production devised to introduce the audience to Bale’s culture, history, and traditional customs. The play will open in July, kicking off the Fort Forno theatre season.
“In a way, the play will start in Bale, where the audience will be greeted by costumed hosts who will take them on a tour of the Renaissance old town. They’ll go on to drive along the Alley of the Greats (Aleja velikana), feast on homemade delicacies, and then go on a train ride to Fort Forno where they will enjoy the play and hang out with participating actors afterwards”, said the director of the local tourist board Sandi Vranić.
