Ogre Theater has been granted the status of a city theater / Article / LSM.lv

On October 23, at the sitting of Ogre municipality, the Ogre Theater was granted the status of a city theater by a unanimous decision of the deputies, the representatives of the theater informed. To mark the occasion, on October 25, the theater invites to the premiere of Jean-Della and Gerald Sibleir’s Europhars “Long Live Bushon!” production directed by Jānis Kaijak.

Ogre Theater is a long-term winner of the final of the Latvian National Cultural Center (LNKC) state-level performance show “Show of the Year”, winning the title of the “Show of the Year” three times (in 2015, 2016 and 2018). An important proof of professionalism is also the LNKC awards given several times to director Jānis Kaijak and actors. In 2019, the theater received the first Livija Akurātere Award for outstanding performance and contribution to the Latvian cultural environment, which confirmed the theatre’s purposeful growth to the status of a city theater.

Egils Helmanis, the chairman of Ogre municipality, welcomes the future goals of the theater, pointing out that Ogre theater has reached the ceiling as an amateur theater: “Actors who are residents of Ogre, Ikšķile and Lielvārde municipalities give real satisfaction to the spectators and visitors of Ogre municipality. If we do not take this next step, we will turn the wings of the theater, but we cannot fly without wings.

It takes growth and a long flight of spirit to set and achieve further goals, and we will give the theater such an opportunity. ”

“Acquiring the status of a city theater is a natural result of purposeful work. The new status of the theater opens new opportunities for development, ”admitted Elīna Aupe, acting director of the Ogre Region Culture Center, adding that industry specialists and critics have also responded positively to the activities of the Ogre theater:“ This was another confirmation that the theater needs a new status to continue to develop. “

Maija Svarinska, an expert in the theater industry and a theater scientist, emphasized that under the direction of director Jānis Kaijak, the theater has reached a high artistic level: “First of all, it refers to directing and, consequently, acting. The theater’s repertoire includes excellent drama. I’ve seen a number of shows, and some of them were really thrilled, which is not often a pleasure for a professional critic. “

“Ogre Theater has reached such creative and organizational maturity to gain a new status in its city – to become an executive-supported and stimulated city theater. I am convinced that this would be not only an unprecedented precedent in our cultural life, but also a huge stimulus for the development of the theater, ”summed up the theater scientist, Gundega Saulīte, a representative of the jury of the Players’ Night 2020/2021.

The status of the city theater allows the Ogre Theater to continue the work started during the pandemic, inviting to the premiere of “Long live Bushon!” In the Great Hall of the Ogre Region Culture Center on October 25 at 6 pm.