The city leadership of Plzeň wants to build a new theater

Plzeň - Plzeň wants to build a new theater. This brings an end to the long debates about whether to renovate the Chamber Theater or to build a new building. The city council leadership preliminarily agreed in their meeting that they want a new facility for approximately 600 million crowns. The money should come from the EU through the Regional Operational Program. Mladá fronta Dnes reports this in the regional supplement.
    “However, we do not yet have the consent of the council or the committee. We would like to present it to them in January,” said Deputy Mayor Marcela Krejsová.
    The future of the theater has been under discussion for nearly ten years. The new building was advocated by Mayor Jiří Šneberger, while his successor Miroslav Kalous supported the renovation of the old complex. The current head of the Plzeň city council, Pavel Rödl, stated shortly after his election that renovating the Chamber Theater is not worth it. “The new one wouldn’t cost that much more. Perhaps by a hundred million crowns. But we will gain a new building,” he added.
    According to the director of the investment department, Evžen Kaucký, the construction of new facilities for actors should also be faster than the reconstruction of the building from 1937.
    Currently, a location on Jízdecká Street in the center is being considered. “The city has purchased land there, and there would be no problem with the construction,” Krejsová stated. A timeline for construction has already been devised. How much the city would contribute to the overall investment is something Krejsová does not yet dare to estimate.
    The condition of the Chamber Theater is poor. It primarily lacks the required fire safety measures. The stage crew must transport the sets through a private property, the facilities are inadequate, and the rehearsal spaces are insufficient. The building on Prokopova Street served as a cinema and lecture hall until 1965. It has been a theater since December 1965. In 1980, it was expanded with a temporary extension.
    This extension was originally built for ten years and has now stood for three times that long. “Since the 1970s, not a single crown has been invested in it. Even the simplest renovation, which would not bring any improvement, could be more expensive than building a new theater, which would also not disrupt operations,” said theater director Jan Burian.