National Theatre (Prague)

The National Theatre (Czech: Národní divadlo) is a historic opera house in Prague, Czech Republic. It is known as the alma mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.

The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition, which helped to preserve and develop the most important features of the nation–the Czech language and a sense for a Czech musical and dramatic way of thinking.

Today the National Theatre consists of three artistic ensembles: opera, ballet and drama. They alternate in their performances in the historic building of the National Theatre, in the State Opera, in the Estates Theatre and in the Kolowrat Theatre. All three artistic ensembles select their repertoire both from classical heritage, and modern authors.

Initial design and construction, 1844 to 1881

The idea for building the National Theatre in Prague began in 1844, when local leaders wanted a special place for Czech plays and music. In 1868, the first stone was placed to start building it. The land for the theatre was bought in 1851, but plans slowed down for many years.

The first smaller theatre, called the Provisional Theatre, opened in 1862. Famous operas like The Bartered Bride were performed there. In 1865, new leaders wanted a bigger, more beautiful theatre. They asked architect Josef Zítek to design it, and he won a competition. Building began in 1867.

By 1881, the theatre was almost finished. It opened with a special performance of Libuše by Bedřich Smetana. But just after opening, a fire destroyed part of the building. People across the nation worked together to raise money, and the theatre was rebuilt and made even better.

Reconstruction and reopening, 1883 to 1977

The National Theatre in Prague was built with beautiful artwork by Mikoláš Aleš and František Ženíšek. It opened its doors on November 18, 1883, and for nearly a hundred years, it worked perfectly with its special lighting and strong stage. The theatre stayed open and unchanged until April 1, 1977, when it closed for six years after a show called Lantern by Jirásek.

Additional reconstruction, 1977 to 1983 and after

Architect Karel Prager led a big project to fix up the National Theatre. This work finished just in time for a special celebration on November 18, 1983, marking 100 years since the theatre first opened. That day, the theatre reopened with a performance of Smetana’s Libuše.

The beautiful old building now has a modern annex with offices and a main box office. Today, it serves as the main stage for three groups: drama, opera, and ballet. In 1989, the theatre's director, composer Jiří Pauer, was replaced after supporting old government policies. After a three-week strike, he was succeeded by Ivo Žídek.

Management

The National Theatre started with help from a private group of people who chose a director to manage it. Later, in 1900, the theatre changed to a new company because people were unhappy with how things were run.

A composer named Karel Kovařovic became the opera director and helped improve the orchestra and singers. After he passed away in 1920, Otakar Ostrčil took over and kept making new and exciting shows.

Today, the theatre is led by a director and a group of advisors called the Council of the National Theatre. In 2019, some artists and staff were upset about how a new director was chosen.

Komerční banka Award

On May 4, 2005, Komerční banka made an agreement with the National Theatre in Prague. They decided to give special awards each year to the best shows at the theatre. There are three kinds of awards: for ballet, drama, and opera. The winners of the KOBANADI Award get a special statue made by artist Jaroslav Róna and 100,000 Czech koruna, which is about €4,000. The first award ceremony happened on October 26, 2006, right at the National Theatre.