National Theater Celebrates 110 Years

Festivities commemorating the National Theater’s 110th anniversary kick off this month with two ballet productions, commemorative stamps and a photo exhibition, theater director Samuel Rovinski announced in a press conference last week.

A ballet based on Oscar Wilde’s short story “The Birthday of the Infanta” debuts tonight at 8 p.m., followed by performances tomorrow at the same time and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets are priced at ¢4,000 to ¢6,000 (about $8-12).

The following week, the American Ballet Theater Studio Company and its international cast return to Costa Rica for shows Oct. 18 and 19, starting at 8 p.m. Tickets range from ¢8,000 to ¢35,000 ($15-67).

In addition, Correos de Costa Rica will distribute stamps Rovinski described as “collectors’ items,” and the National Theater’s José Luis López Escarré Gallery will be exhibiting photos of the theater throughout the years until Nov. 8.

The theater opened Oct. 19, 1897, and its first show was a French opera.