The Ostrava Puppet Theatre will open an extension with an alternative hall

Ostrava - The Puppet Theatre Ostrava will open a new five-story extension on May 20th, which features an alternative hall with a variable auditorium. The hall is connected to an outdoor amphitheater and a cafe with a puppet gallery. The building also includes a storage area, facilities for actors, and administrative offices for the theatre. Representatives of the theatre and city officials informed about this at a press conference today.
      The theatre director Jarmila Hájková said that a beautiful performance space has been created, which is appreciated by architects and theatre professionals. Unlike traditional performances, in the new hall, the audience will be in direct contact with the actors and puppets. "Since the space is connected to the amphitheater, it offers additional opportunities, for example for organizing concerts or other smaller scale performances," Hájková said. The outdoor space can also be covered, creating a sort of tent. People can watch the clock on the facade of the building every two hours.
      The extension was designed by a team of architects Petra Hájka, Gabriela Minářová, and Bronislav Stratil. The first two are also responsible for the original building of the theatre, which was completed in 1999. Stratil said that the construction of the theatre hall is an exceptional matter and that they aimed to create a hall with an expansive character. "We are opening a view into the backstage of the theatrical spaces for the visitors. I am not surprised that the set designers are excited about the new hall; it offers them unforeseen possibilities," said Stratil.
      In the extension, the theatre plans to organize workshops, a children's studio, and projects for children with disabilities. "For years we have been dedicated to working with disabled children. We have a proven project called Puppet Therapy, which is viewed very positively by professionals and those it concerns," said the theatre director.
      The construction took seven months. It began in July of last year and was completed in January of this year. "It went very quickly. Nearly three months of trial operation have already passed. The construction was done during full operation; at times the theatre functioned under difficult conditions, but we tried to ensure that the audience wouldn't notice," Hájková said.
      She stated that the alternative hall was already planned during the construction of the original theatre. "The alternative hall was incorporated into the plan, but then there was no money. It took nearly 11 years for us to return to the idea," the director added.
      Ostrava spokeswoman Andrea Vojkovská said that the construction cost nearly 70 million crowns. "The expansion of the theatre was mainly financed by the European Union - approximately 67 million crowns were allocated from the Regional Operational Program Moravian-Silesian for this project. The city of Ostrava, as the founder of the theatre, contributed to the rest of the costs," Vojkovská stated.
      The opening of the new stage will be associated with a rich all-day program mainly for children on May 20th. The theatre will also present its first premiere in the extension: an interactive fairy tale for small and the smallest viewers titled A Fairy Smaller than a Grain of Poppy. People will be able to take a guided tour of the extension, and a range of attractions will be prepared for children. At 19:30, the Rock & Roll Band of Marcel Woodman will perform in the amphitheater. Then the audience will see a light presentation, followed by street fire theatre to conclude the event.