The Poets and the Seasons

ПоетиТе и СЕЗОНИТЕ brings the long‑running “Poetite Live” project to the stage as a journey through spring, summer, autumn and winter — not only of the year, but of a human life. The format blends actor‑driven monologues with live music and a clean, cinematic visual language. For previous editions at NDK, the staging was led by director Diana Dobreva, with scenography by Mira Kalanova and visuals by Fidelia Koseva, and the evening unfolded with the musical presence of maestro Antoni Donchev. The curation behind the project is by journalist and producer Diana Alexieva, whose idea took poetry from videos to full‑scale stage events.

Audiences know the ensemble for its first‑rank cast. Across different dates and cities, the stage has been shared by actors such as Vlado Penev, Boyko Krastanov, Vesela Babinova, Zahari Baharov, Ivan Burnev, Luiza Grigorova‑Makariev, Teodora Duhovnikova, Malin Krastev and Yulian Vergov. Line‑ups may rotate, but the principle stays the same: every performer chooses texts that feel personal, speaks them as confession rather than recital, and meets them with music rather than mere background.

The project’s footprint reaches well beyond Sofia. In recent summers “Poetite Live” played open‑air dates at the Summer Theatres in Veliko Tarnovo, Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv and Stara Zagora, drawing thousands. Local programs have been known to echo each city — for example, Burgas editions have tipped the hat to coastal voices like Hristo Fotev and Petya Dubarova. That responsiveness is part of the show’s pulse: the words are familiar, but the evening is never a copy‑paste.

What to expect on the night

• A dramaturgical arc in four chapters — the seasons — that frames classics and contemporary Bulgarian poems without turning them into a schoolbook “lesson”.
• Expressive readings shaped like miniature one‑person plays, tuned to rhythm and breath, with live musical counterpoint.
• A visual concept that keeps focus on the text while sketching each season in quick, memorable strokes.
• A house full of poetry fans across generations; the show tends to be discovered by newcomers and revisited by regulars.

If actor‑centered storytelling is your thing, you might also like the razor‑sharp farce of Idiotyt zvyni vinagi tri pyti or the bittersweet contemporary portrait in Vsicho tova e tya. Looking for modern Bulgarian titles with bite? Try Bez garanciya or the Friday‑night crowd‑pleaser Petak vecher. For a different register of stage romance, see Lyubov po scenariy v HOLLYWOOD; and if you enjoy politically tinged material, Kod Jalto and Daskal sit in that neighborhood. Prefer couples’ comedy? Otchayani sapruzi 2: Brakuvani keeps the laughter going.

Come ready to hear familiar lines anew — and to leave with a few of them quietly following you home.