Groups
One stage, one family
16-20The high school students group
These are the people who don't ask, "When will rehearsal be over?" Instead, they ask, "When are the entrance exams for NATFA, Lyuben Groys Theatre College, and New Bulgarian University?" These are the veterans. They have survived years of rehearsals, performances, props, festivals, forgotten costumes, and the endless cry of, "Stop! From the top!" By now, they know that theatre isn't just about applause. It's about waiting. A lot of waiting. Sometimes you spend years waiting in the wings just to deliver a single line. This is the age when most people start thinking seriously about their future. But these young people have chosen one of the very few professions where you can study and work around the clock, only to have someone ask: "So... when are you going to get a real job?" They no longer perform theatre. They live it. Sometimes even more than necessary. Because when you gather a group of young people who dream of becoming actors, here's what you get: * Everyone wants to be the leading character. * Everyone has their own version of the truth. * Everyone is absolutely convinced the spotlight should be shining right on them. These are the people who have chosen the harder path. A path where talent alone is never enough. It takes discipline, perseverance, character, and the patience to hear the words: "That was good... but let's do it one more time." They know that the stage is not a place you step onto simply to be seen. It's a place you step onto because you have something to say. And that's exactly what makes this group so special.
6-10The young children group
These are little people with big dreams, endless energy, and an attention span of about fourteen seconds. They can memorize the script for an entire play in just two rehearsals, yet they can't remember whose T-shirt, water bottle, or even school backpack they left behind in the rehearsal hall. This is the age when they ask 173 questions an hour—and at least half of them begin with, "Why?" They arrive at rehearsal with a smile, they leave with a smile, and you can't help wondering how those same smiles have managed to make their teachers' lives so wonderfully challenging. Among them are future actors, singers, artists, and directors. And at least two or three who still have no idea what they'll become—but are already certain they'll be famous. These are little people with big dreams.
14-16The Seventh Graders
We call them **"The Seventh Graders."** It's their cover story. In reality, they're ninth and tenth graders—the age when you're convinced you have an opinion about absolutely everything. Absolutely everything. Even the things you didn't know existed five minutes ago. These are the young people who look perfectly calm on the outside while, on the inside, they're thinking about school, their future, love, friends, grades, love, final exams, love... and whether they remembered to charge their phone. This is the age when the phrase, *"You'll understand when you're older,"* simply doesn't work anymore. They're convinced they've already grown up, while their parents are convinced of the exact opposite. Most of the time, they live as if they don't have parents at all. And if they do happen to have a conversation once a week, it usually revolves around just two topics: "School absences." And... "Money." They walk into rehearsals like people who've already seen everything life has to offer. They'll have deep philosophical discussions about the meaning of art, and two minutes later they'll be crying with laughter over the latest ridiculous TikTok. And honestly, that's exactly what makes them so much fun. They're no longer the little kids who are just discovering the stage. They already know how much work goes into every performance, how many extra rehearsals lie behind every success, and how many times you have to hear, "One more time!" before everything finally comes together. And yet... they keep coming back. That's what true love for theatre looks like.
11-13The Fifth Graders
This is the age when you're no longer a child... but adults stubbornly keep treating you like one. These are the young people who can spend four straight hours on their phones, yet become emotionally exhausted after just five minutes of rehearsal. They communicate in a language of their own—a language made up of half a sentence, a couple of random sounds, and a question: "Uhh... what?" The deep philosophical questions that cross their minds are always the same: * "Who am I?" * "What's the meaning of life?" * "Is there Wi-Fi?" * "Sir... may I charge my phone? I'm down to 2%" This is the generation that can shoot forty-seven takes of a video for social media... but when it comes to the stage, they only get one take—and it's on opening night. "Чапек" and "Хитър Петър" know that better than anyone. This is the generation that can conquer the stage, social media, and the nerves of their parents and teachers... all at the same time.
AdultsGrandmothers group
The oldest group at Talantino. Not the youngest, but definitely the loudest and the most dramatic. In this group, the word "grandmas" has nothing to do with age or gender. It's a state of mind. These are the people who spend their week working, paying bills, dealing with institutions, taking care of children, looking after parents, watching the clock, and wondering when exactly they'll find some time for themselves. And yet, every Sunday, they show up for rehearsal. Voluntarily. While the younger groups are still trying to find themselves, these people have already found themselves. And they've decided that instead of peacefully staying home in front of the TV, they will learn lines, work on stage directions, and put themselves through a weekly encounter with Karagyоzov. Because apparently, their lives weren't stressful enough. They are living proof that theatre is not just about passion. Although passion often comes together with pain relief gel, orthopedic insoles, and a daily dose of ginkgo biloba.