The images, taken by photographers from ATA on February 24, 1947, bear witness to a time when the performing arts were becoming firmly established. The photographs reveal the refinement of the costumes as well as the elegance of body language—elements that, in the years that followed, faded somewhat due to censorship and the country’s isolation from anything coming from abroad, which was often regarded as foreign influence.

The play “The Wonderful Union” premiered in 1946 at the “Kosova” Theater, where a comedy by Kirshon, a Russian dissident writer who was executed during the Stalinist purges, was performed. Despite the author’s condemnation, the work continued to have a life of its own and was staged throughout the socialist bloc until the 1960s.

In Albania, the play was staged by director Pandi Stillu and performed by the actors Liza Vorfi, Besim Levonja, Ndoc Deda, Belul Hatibi, Prokop Mima, Andrea Malo, and Olga Shuraja.

Today, these archival photographs offer a glimpse into the beginnings of modern Albanian theater and the dedication of the first generation of stage artists.

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