For this year’s World Theater Day, Helen Mirren, one of the most famous and respected actresses with an international career in theater, film and television, wrote the message. She underlines the difficulty of the current times for the performing arts, as well as the adaptability of artists, technicians, and craftsmen in the face of the crisis. “The creative urge of writers, designers, dancers, singers, actors, musicians and directors will never be stifled and in the very near future with new energy and a new understanding of the world that we all share are flourishing again. “ Due to the current situation, World Theater Day 2021 will take place online again this year. The general secretariat of the ITI has called on theater artists and groups to submit a creative production in the form of a performance video. The performance videos will be streamed throughout March 27th and will be made available on the ITI Worldwide and World Theater Day websites after the event.
“This has been such a very difficult time for live performance and many artists, technicians and craftsmen and women have struggled in a profession that is already fraught with insecurity.
Maybe that always present insecurity has made them more able to survive this pandemic with wit and courage. Their imagination has already translated itself, in these new circumstances, into inventive, entertaining and moving ways to communicate, thanks of course in large part to the internet. Human beings have told each other stories for as long as they have been on the planet. The beautiful culture of theatre will live for as long as we stay here. The creative urge of writers, designers, dancers, singers, actors, musicians, directors, will never be suffocated and in the very near future will flourish again with a new energy and a new understanding of the world we all share.
I can’t wait!”
