17 April, Minsk /BELTA correspondent/. The Belarusian Republican Youth Theatre, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, is launching the project "Youth Theatre - for the Children of Belarus," as reported to BELTA by Zhanna Lashkevich, Head of the Literary and Dramatic Department of the theatre. The tour will open with performances in Smorgon (26-27 April) featuring the plays "Bryk and Shusya are Looking for Summer" and "Taras on Parnassus." Trips to Grodno and Lida are also planned for the near future. According to Zhanna Lashkevich, the "Youth Theatre - for the Children of Belarus" project will contribute to the popularisation of the Youth Theatre as the country's sole theatrical company for children and youth, promoting national literature (drama) and operating in the Belarusian language. "The project should influence the preservation of the troupe's creative form and the level of its artistic aspirations, and facilitate close acquaintance with audiences outside the capital – in the regional cities and major district centres of the republic," noted the Head of the Literary and Dramatic Department. The "Youth Theatre - for the Children of Belarus" project will last for three years. The theatre is initially offering performances from its current repertoire, with subsequent productions to be prepared later. Creative meetings with leading actors of the Youth Theatre are planned during the tours. -0-

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