The Zlín City Theatre will begin its 78th season with a renovated auditorium of the Grand Hall

Zlín - The Zlín City Theatre (MDZ) will kick off its 78th season with a renovated auditorium in the Grand Hall. The first audience will be welcomed this upcoming weekend. On Saturday, it will feature a gala evening with the announcement of the results of the annual audience survey Aplaus, in which people can vote for their favorite actress, actor, and production. On Sunday, interested individuals will get a glimpse behind the scenes during an open house. This season, the theatre is planning 11 premieres, including a project with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic in Zlín. This was announced to journalists today by the theatre's spokesperson, Hana Vondrášková.

After the renovations that began in June, the Grand Hall will accommodate 556 spectators compared to the original 687. "The comfortable seats are in shades of blue, while the special carpet covering is in a gray tone. The reconstruction also affected the lighting, new aisles were created on the sides of the upper tier, and the boxes have also been newly equipped. Honored seats in the auditorium are dedicated to the project's architect Miroslav Řepa and traveler Miroslav Zikmund, a long-time subscriber to the theatre," the spokesperson said. While Řepa passed away this June, Zikmund died in December two years ago.

The first premiere of the new season will be the play Špína by contemporary Hungarian playwright and director Béla Pintér. The audience will see it on the stage of the Grand Hall for the first time on September 23. Following this will be premieres in October. In the Grand Hall, it will be the Fairytale of Creation, and in Studio Z, the intimate drama Musica for the second time. Other planned titles include Scapino, Kytice, Master Class, UTÁNKÉPZÉS ITTAS VEZETŐKNEK or Reconditioning Therapy for Drunk Drivers, The Three Musketeers, Oak, and Women Under the Tone. In spring, the theatre will present a joint project with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, specifically the play EGBDF by Zlín-born Tom Stoppard.

In August, two stone plaques fell from the façade of the theatre's main building. For safety reasons, it is therefore fenced off. However, according to representatives of the Zlín scene, this should not affect its operation. The city of Zlín, as the founder of the MDZ, plans to develop a project for a complete reconstruction of the building's façade and to secure the costs associated with the restoration.