The play The Dragon by the Soviet writer Evgeny Lvovich Schwartz was written in 1943 in the form of a fairy tale for adults, but with a clear allegorical subtext about dictatorship. The story is set in an imaginary city ruled for centuries by a cruel, three-headed dragon. The Serbian title of the play therefore refers both to this mythological creature and to the ruthless ruler – in the story we also encounter the dragon in its human form, as he possesses the power to transform into people. Schwartz wrote the play as an allegory of Nazism, and indeed the draconian regime in this fairy tale contains certain elements of Hitler’s ideology.
The Youth Theatre was founded in 1931 under the name Puppet Theatre, as part of the Sokol Society in Novi Sad. In 1936, the Puppet Theatre received its own venue with the construction of the King Alexander I Memorial Hall, a magnificent and modern building designed by the renowned architect Đorđe Tabaković. The auditorium had 179 seats, and a new stage was built as well. During the Second World War, the theatre ceased operations and suffered extensive damage – puppets, sets, and costumes were destroyed or stolen.
Under the name Vojvodina Puppet Theatre, it resumed work immediately after the war, though under very difficult circumstances. This was followed by several name changes: first to City Puppet Theatre, then Puppet Theatre, and finally, in 1968, the theatre received its present name. The Youth Theatre was the first puppet theatre in both Vojvodina and Serbia. The Evening Department, later renamed the Drama Department, began operating in 1991 with the production The Magicians. Since then, the theatre has had two department: the Children’s Department and the Drama Department. Performances were first staged in the Small Hall, and from 1993 onwards also in the Great Hall.
