"The Beach Wedding" in 1874, the first documented theatrical performance in Albania  

On the occasion of World Theater Day, the National Historical Museum commemorated the artistic beginnings of theater in Albania. MHK published on its website yesterday a material for the first theatrical performance "Dasma e Lunxheria". "The first documented theater show in Albania is "Dasma e Lunxërija" in 1874, written by Koto Hoxhi, which was staged by the students of the "Zografia" normal school in the village of Qestorat in Gjirokastër. The first creations and the first theatrical performance coincide with the period of the National Renaissance. The first Albanian drama with a genuine artistic structure is "Emira" by Fran?esk Anton Santori (1814-1894) from Arbër, written in 1885, which was published by De Rada in the newspaper "Fjamuri i Arbri", says the MHK material. -'s. Albanian drama reached higher levels with other authors such as: Andon Zako Çajupi, with the comedy "Fourteen Years Old Bridegroom" (1902), Gjergj Fishta with the melodrama "Saint Francis of Assisi" (1909), Fan. S. Noli, with the drama "Israelites and Philistines" (1907), Mihal Grameno, with the comedy in three acts "The Curse of the Albanian Language" (1905) and the verse tragedy "The Death of Pyrrhus" (1906), etc. The material follows that the first professional theater in Albania is the People's Theatre, which was inaugurated on May 17, 1945 in Tirana. The People's Theater and later after the 90s, known as the National Theatre, has a history with a wide repertoire of premieres from national and international dramaturgy. The first performance of the People's Theater is the comedy "Topazi" by Marcel Pagnol, directed by Sokrat Mios. Sokrat Mio started his artistic activity in the amateur movement in Korça and Tirana in 1932. He came to Tirana in 1945, where he worked as a director. Until 1953, he staged about 15 plays such as "Topuzi", "Deputeti", "Marriage", "Tartufi", "Motori", etc. In 1950, he returned to Korçë, where he made his valuable contribution to the establishment and consolidation of the theater.