[SLO] 6. Poglavje: Nekoč Krekov dom, danes Gledališče Toneta Čufarja
Stanka Geršak, née Torkar recalls:
“After the First World War, the seat of the Catholic educational society (Katoliško prosvetno društvo) was in the Delavski dom (worker’s home) next to the then "črni konzum” shop. Membership grew, and they had a sports section, a choir and theatre performances. With the help of the church, the municipality and the loan companies, and especially through the voluntary work of its members, in 1927 preparation works began on the area where the parking area is today, and the construction of Krekov dom began.”
According to Stanka Geršak, Krekov dom originally housed a theatre hall with an orchestra pit and changing rooms, a gym in the basement, which the gymnasts shared with the musicians, and an area called catacombs where drinks were provided. In addition to the theatre hall and changing rooms, there were also union offices, a paper mill, a hair salon and a barbershop on the ground floor. A soup kitchen was housed on the other side. There was a convent on the first floor. The nuns took care of theatre workers’ wardrobe, and rented out living quarters to students from the vocational secondary school who did not live in Jesenice. During the German occupation, it was used as German barracks. The building was severely damaged during the Allied bombing on 1 March 1945. After the war, a theatre hall was constructed in the re-named Titov dom, and sports activities as well as a brass band were revived. The library was arranged on the first floor.
The first theatrical premiere after World War II took place on 8 December 1945, namely Cankar's drama Pohujšanje v dolini Šentflorjanski (Scandal in the St Florian Valley). The director Slavko Lumpreht was able to unite actors from the three pre-war Jesenice stages: Sokol, the catholic-educational, and the workers’ stage. A theatre school also took place, as soon as in the first season. From the 1947–48 season, the Jesenice Theatre was called the Sindikalno gledališče Jesenice (Jesenice Trade Union Theatre), from 1950 Mestno gledališče Jesenice (Jesenice City Theatre) and since 1985 Gledališče Toneta Čufarja (Tone Čufar Theatre).
A local resident Mitja Volčič remembers:
“Various celebrations, the key pillar of which was the choir, were organised in the theatre. And parties as well, as, in addition to dramas, the amateur ensemble staged many farces and comedies, thus attracting a wide audience. Supposedly, an actor or actress came from almost every neighbourhood in town. We were proud of them and went to watch them, especially if they had a more noticeable role. There was also an indispensable library in the same building, and in the early 1960s Radio Jesenice broadcasted from two modest rooms. This was a great novelty for the ironworks town.”
