The Krumlov Theater Revolves has been spinning for 50 years despite protests

Prague - In the romantic setting of the dimly lit castle garden in Český Krumlov, theater has been performed since 1947. Eleven years later, they experimentally tried out a rotating auditorium for the first time. The first manually operated turntable accommodated 60 spectators. Today, the auditorium holds ten times that and is operated by electric motors, but the project has been a concern for heritage officials from the very beginning. They claim it disrupts the character of the castle park. This Monday, June 9, marks exactly half a century since the first rotation of the auditorium.
    The idea itself was born in the mind of playwright Joana Brehmse, who worked as an artist at the theater in České Budějovice after 1945. The first improvised version of the turntable according to his design rotated on June 9, 1958, when astonished spectators watched a production of Jirásek's The Lantern. At that time, very few of them knew that the auditorium was moved by human power. However, the unconventional experience captivated the audience, and there was great interest in the attraction.
    Just one year after its opening, the capacity of the auditorium increased to 400 people. About 40 people had to fit inside the turntable to power it back and forth. For the 1960 season, a new auditorium was built, increasing the number of seats to 550, and electric motors replaced human arms.
    The current form of the auditorium was achieved through a complete reconstruction from 1989 to 1993, which increased capacity to 658 spectators. The movement of the auditorium along tracks in two rows is ensured by four electric motors. The control center for all the technology is a cabin above the auditorium. The South Bohemian Theater from Budějovice performs here.
    The repertoire that has proven most suitable for this space has primarily included Czech classics (The Lantern, Radúz and Mahulena) and Shakespeare's comedic legacy A Midsummer Night's Dream. Specifically for the turntable, plays were written by František Kožík (Tristan and Isolde) and František Hrubín (Beauty and the Beast). Since the 1960s, opera (Rusalka, Rigoletto, The Magic Flute) and ballet (Swan Lake, Giselle, Carmen, and more) have also been performed here.
    Performances are often sold out, and the turntable is highly popular. The stumbling block is that everything takes place in front of the Bellarie summerhouse, which is the most valuable structure of garden architecture in the Czech Republic. Therefore, heritage officials have been drawing attention for years to the authentic historical space of the baroque garden, which is disrupted by this "commercial attraction". Many argue that its character is exacerbated by the appealing tone of the theatrical productions, which are chosen and staged with foreign tourists in mind.
    After Český Krumlov was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992, the state agreed with this organization to remove the turntable by spring 1999. However, the Ministry of Culture decided to extend its lifespan - first by five years, later the deadline was pushed to the end of 2006, and the Minister of Culture Vítězslav Jandák postponed the end of the current auditorium by two years in January 2006.
    Why? Theater artists and representatives of Český Krumlov support the preservation of the turntable in the castle garden. They argue that the stage is not in any way "socialist ugly", it is unique of its kind in the Czech Republic and not many similar ones exist worldwide. Many tourists admire it more than the garden itself. Its location in the landscape is not particularly disruptive and is situated in a relatively secluded part of the garden and the entire Krumlov. Its relocation would also not be the best idea, as the theater is quite dependent on the poetic atmosphere of the dimly lit garden.
    At one time, a project attempted to resolve the dispute, proposing that the structure of the auditorium be smaller and lighter, folding down after performances and completely disappearing during the off-season. However, no such considerations are currently being made, and the turntable continues to spin happily.