Thalia Theatre (Paramaribo)
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 Thalia Theatre in the 1850s | |
 | |
| Address | Dr. J. F. Nassylaan Paramaribo  Suriname |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 5°49′49″N 55°09′36″W / 5.83037°N 55.16002°W |
| Capacity | 500 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 20 January 1840 |
| Renovated | 2011 |
| Architect | Johan August Voigt |
Thalia Theatre is a theatre in Paramaribo, Suriname. The theatre opened on 20 January 1840.
The Thalia Theatre Company was founded on 27 April 1837.[1] In December 1837, a terrain on the Dr. J. F. Nassylaan was acquired.[2] The theatre was built by architect Johan August Voigt with a capacity of 700 seats,[3] and opened on 20 January 1840.[4] Slaves and people on barefoot were initially not allowed in the theatre.[5]
In the late 19th century, there was disagreement about the future direction of the theatre. On 4 February 1894, former chairman Wessels postulated that there were two kinds of members: anarchists and conservatives.[6] The staging of a play dedicated to the governor van Wijck culminated in a public fistfight and the hospitalisation of one member of the theatre.[7]
In the 1950s, the theatre started to focus on producing their own plays and started to perform some plays in Sranan Tongo, the Creole spoken in Suriname.[8] The theatre company Pohama performed at Thalia as well, and was known for their 1 July event dedicated to the emancipation of slavery in Suriname.[9]
In the late 20th century, the building was in poor shape, and even demolition was considered.[10] In 2011, Thalia Theatre was restored, and reopened with reduced capacity of 500 seats.[11]
