Editing Brno (section)

===Theatres===
[[File:Reduta Theatre - Brno.jpg|thumb|Reduta Theatre, the oldest theatre in Central Europe]]
Brno has a long theatre tradition. Brno has the oldest theatre building in Central Europe, the [[Reduta Theatre]] on [[Zelný trh]].<ref name="redutatheatre">{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/historie-divadla-reduta|title=Historie divadla Reduta, Národní divadlo Brno|access-date=21 September 2011|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|language=cs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306160447/http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/historie-divadla-reduta|archive-date=6 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first theatre plays in Brno probably took place in the 1660s in the ''City Tavern'', today's Reduta Theatre; however, the first theatre with [[Box (theatre)|boxes]] was built in this complex in 1733.<ref name="redutatheatre"/> The first documented professional Czech performance took place in 1767, again in the Reduta Theatre; the play was called ''Zamilovaný ponocný'' ({{langx|en|Watchman in Love}}) and was performed by the [[Venice Theatre Company]]. The same year, [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] performed in the theatre with his elder sister Anna Maria (Nannerl).<ref name="redutatheatre"/> In that year the Mozart family spent Christmas in Brno,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brno.cz/sprava-mesta/magistrat-mesta-brna/usek-organizacni/odbor-zahranicnich-vztahu/mezinarodni-vztahy/mezinarodni-site-mest/evropske-mozartovy-cesty/evropske-mozartovy-cesty/mozart-v-brne/|title=Brno – Mozart v Brně|publisher=The Statutory City of Brno|access-date=22 September 2011|language=cs|archive-date=15 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015143405/http://www.brno.cz/sprava-mesta/magistrat-mesta-brna/usek-organizacni/odbor-zahranicnich-vztahu/mezinarodni-vztahy/mezinarodni-site-mest/evropske-mozartovy-cesty/evropske-mozartovy-cesty/mozart-v-brne/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and their visit is commemorated by a statue of Mozart as a child in front of the Reduta Theatre. The theatre's ''Mozart Hall'' was also named after him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/photo_full/divadlo-reduta-mozartuv-sal|title=Divadlo Reduta, Mozartův sál, Národní divadlo Brno|access-date=22 September 2011|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|language=cs|archive-date=22 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322134259/http://www.ndbrno.cz/photo_full/divadlo-reduta-mozartuv-sal|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Mesto Brno - Mahenovo divadlo 2.jpg|thumb|Mahen Theatre]]

The [[National Theatre (Brno)|National Theatre of Brno]] is the leading producer of [[opera]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/opera?lang=2|title=Opera, Národní divadlo Brno|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|access-date=22 September 2011}}</ref> [[drama]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/drama?lang=2|title=Drama, Národní divadlo Brno|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|access-date=22 September 2011}}</ref> and [[ballet]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/ballet?lang=2|title=Ballet, Národní divadlo Brno|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|access-date=22 September 2011}}</ref> in the city of Brno. The first permanent seat of NdB was established in 1884, and today this institution owns the [[Mahen Theatre]], built in 1882, [[Janáček Theatre]], built in 1965, and the [[Reduta Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/about-us/buildings|title=Buildings, Národní divadlo Brno|access-date=21 September 2011|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|language=cs}}</ref> The composer [[Leoš Janáček]] is also connected with the National Theatre of Brno.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/leos-janacek-a-narodni-divadlo-v-brne-1884-1928|title=Leoš Janáček a Národní divadlo v Brně 1884–1928, Národní divadlo Brno|access-date=21 September 2011|publisher=The National Theatre Brno|language=cs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310202753/http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/leos-janacek-a-narodni-divadlo-v-brne-1884-1928|archive-date=10 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Mahen Theatre was the first theatre building in Europe to be illuminated by [[Thomas Edison]]'s [[electric light bulb]]s; at that time it was a completely new invention and there were no power plants built in the city, so a small steam power plant was built nearby just to power the theatre, and Edison came to Brno in 1911 to see it.<ref name="mahentheatre">{{cite web|url=http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/historie-mahenova-divadla |title=Historie Mahenova divadla, Národní divadlo Brno |access-date=21 September 2011 |publisher=The National Theatre Brno |language=cs|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118155119/http://www.ndbrno.cz/o-divadle/historie-mahenova-divadla |archive-date=18 November 2011 }}</ref>

The most commercially successful theatre in Brno is the [[Brno City Theatre]], founded in 1945;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdb.cz/history-of-brno-city-theatre-71/|title=Městské divadlo Brno – Theatre / History|access-date=22 September 2011|publisher=The Brno City Theatre|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804030838/http://www.mdb.cz/history-of-brno-city-theatre-71/|archive-date=4 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> its performances are usually sold out. They also stage about 150 performances abroad every year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdb.cz/brno-city-theatre-today-70/|title=Městské divadlo Brno – Theatre / Today|access-date=22 September 2011|publisher=The Brno City Theatre|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120903213412/http://www.mdb.cz/brno-city-theatre-today-70/|archive-date=3 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The theatre's repertoire consists primarily of musical and dramatic shows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdb.cz/performances-61/|title=Městské divadlo Brno – Performances|access-date=22 September 2011|publisher=The Brno City Theatre|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804053653/http://www.mdb.cz/performances-61/|archive-date=4 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There are a variety of smaller theatres in Brno, including the [[Bolek Polivka]] Theatre, the Goose on a String Theatre ("Divadlo Husa na provázku"), HaDivadlo, Radost Puppet Theatre ("loutkové divadlo Radost"), and Polárka Theatre.

The Mahen Theatre was originally called the City Theatre, and until 1918 it performed exclusively in German and was not part of the National Theatre of Brno. Between 1971 and 1978, some plays were performed at the [[Brno Exhibition Centre]] due to reconstruction of the Mahen Theatre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://is.muni.cz/th/75405/ff_m/DP_Fenomen_Mestskeho_divadla_Brno.pdf|title=Fenomén Městského divadla v Brno v brněnské kultuře|publisher=Masarykova univerzita, Filozofická fakulta, Ústav hudební vědy|access-date=22 September 2011|language=cs}}</ref>