Gabrovo's Racho Stoyanov Drama Theatre was established on 10 August 1945, with its first professional premiere on 10 October that year. It developed from amateur theatre at the Aprilov-Palauzov cultural centre, where a troupe was formed in 1923 and a municipal amateur theatre followed in 1929. The company performs in the cultural centre's building and gives particular attention to Bulgarian plays and to comedy. Actors associated with its history include Nevena Kokanova, Violeta Minkova and Ventsislav Kissyov. It has also organised international festivals devoted to comedy and to solo performance.