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It’s quite interesting to have a look at plays in the Romani language and playwrights of Roma origin because of the fact that there are too few Romani theaters around the world and every case is unique and worth attention.  

In the Soviet Union, the printing of literature in the Romani language began quite late. As part of the so-called ‘language construction policy’, when, at the direction of the authorities, large-scale work began to study the languages ​​of a large number of peoples, including national minorities, in the 1920s and 1930s not only translations into the Romani language began to appear, but also original Romani literature. It is worth acknowledging the fact that many works of that time were forced to be politicized. Nevertheless, during this period, a significant number of almanacs and collections were published, among which the most important and popular were ‘Romany Zorya’ (‘Romani Dawn’) and the magazine ‘Nevo Drom’ ("New Path"). 

Speaking about dramaturgy, truly great names have become Alexander Germano (his most famous play is ‘Between the fires’) and Ivan Rom-Lebedev (‘The Sun in the Swamp’ and ‘Daughter of the Steppes’). A significant feature of Rom-Lebedev's plays is considered to be the reproduction of realistic everyday language of Roma, in connection with which the play ‘Кхам дрэ блйта’ ("Sun in the mud") is especially noted. Both playwrights worked in collaboration with the ‘Romen’ Theatre, and their plays were successfully performed on stage for decades. 

It is also worth mentioning the Roma writer and playwright Elena Lacková, who was born and lived in Slovakia. She was the first Roma woman in Slovakia to graduate from university, and in addition to her literary work, Elena was an active advocate for the rights of the Roma in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Her most significant work is the play ‘Horiaci cigánsky tábor’ (its literal translation is ‘The Burning Gypsy Camp’ how it was used to say in the past) about the persecution of the Roma during World War II. The play was staged and shown throughout the whole country.  

Among the playwrights of the Balkan region, Ali Krasniqi, a native of Kosovo, stands out. His play "Roma Blood Wedding" is based on the story of his aunt. In addition to his own plays, Ali is also known for his translations of plays by other authors into the Romani language. He also did a lot to popularise the culture of the Roma living in Kosovo and Metohija, for example by publishing the book “Roma Tales from Kosovo and Metohija”, a Romani-Serbian-Albanian dictionary. Ali Krasniqi is also the author of several anthologies in Romani and Serbian, such as an anthology of Romani poets and an anthology of Romani poetry in the Balkans and Europe.

One more successful Romani playwright is Veijo Baltzar, born and living in Finland. Besides his literary work, Veijo Baltzar is also known for his activist activities: he is the founder of the first Nordic Roma theatre "Drom", in addition to this he became the organiser the International Romani Writers Association in Finland. During his long career, Baltzar published and staged numerous plays, many of which dealt with the life of the Roma. Among the works written by him, the following can be noted: ‘Iron Horses’, ‘The Black Scourge’, ‘The Hungry Cranes’. 

Roman playwrights are not only literati, but also active advocates of the Roma community. They not only touch upon important and tragic moments in the history of Roma, current problems in modern society, but also participate in events and speak publicly. Through their plays, they can shed light on these social issues and encourage dialogue around solutions. Drama is an excellent way of representing a national minority because plays are staged on theater stages which is one of the most accessible sources of information about the past and present of a people. Plays that are written by Roma for Roma and non-Roma alike can foster greater empathy and understanding and first of all for the Roma themselves it is an introduction to their community.