The theatre of the University of Sofia - the national Bulgarian university - was initially founded in 1968. Due to ideology considerations it was later shut down. After more than 30 years, in year 2000 it is re-established as "Alma Alter" Theatre-laboratory by its founder - the director Nikolay Georgiev, who has always been in the avant-garde of the Bulgarian experimental theatre.
"Alma Alter" penetrates into and researches the primary, essential theatre means of expression in the context of the present day. "Alma Alter" is syncretic, creative, strongly unconventional, open, daring and is also known as "The alive theatre". The philosophy and the methodology of “Alma Alter” is based on the aesthetics, theory and practice of the Bulgarian theatre reformer Geo Milev and probably is closest to the Grotowski’s "Poor theatre" principles. The art of "Alma Alter" is highly interactive - the audience is an active participant in all the performances. Each performance of "Alma Alter" should be different from the previous ones, because it is set on the principle of "happening here, now, with these people". "Alma Alter" has won recognition in the cultural life of the country as a unique place, where theatre is not "produced", but "born", where "Things happen" – categorical alternative to the (conventional) theatre in Bulgaria.

The first performance of "Alma Alter" Theatre-laboratory is "Either-Or" and takes place on 06.01.2001

 

Awards:

  • Award for best male role – rejected, "Either - Or" or After Saturday Not Always Follows Sunday – International Theatre Festival “BUF”, Blagoevgrad - Bulgaria, 2001
  • Two special awards best directing and best female role, "Game of Murder” - International Theatre Festival “Hyperion”, Bucharest - Romania, 2005
  • 1st Award and the Award of the Audience at the National Competition for Contemporary Choreography, initiated by Humarts Foundation, 2006
  • Award of the Audience at the National Competition for Contemporary Choreography, initiated by Humarts Foundation, 2008
  • Award for best performance, “Orpheus” - International Theatre Festival “TheatreFest”, Sarajevo - Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2009
  • Best actress-performer award, “Orpheus” - International Theatre Festival “SATKANI/ENCOUNTER”, Brno - Czech republic, 2010
  • Best Performance Award, Best Choreography Award and the special SOFIA AMENDOLEA Award, “Orpheus” - International Theatre Festival "ROMATEATRO FESTIVAL", Rome - Italy, 2010
  • Nomination for Best Performance, Nomination for Best Ensemble Work “Hamlet or three boys and one girl” - Cairo International Festival for Experimental Theatre, Cairo - Egypt, 2010