Kostanay Regional Kazakh Drama Theatre was opened on 14 September 2000. President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev attended at the grand opening of the theater. It was his initiative to give the theater name of Ilyas Omarov. The President noted the high merits of Ilyas Omarov in the development and promotion of the Kazakh national culture.
Omarov was born in Sarykol district in Kostanay region. He began his career in 1933. He worked in various management positions, including the position of the Minister of Culture of the Kazakh SSR from 1967 to 1970. He was marked with high awards of the USSR - the Order of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, the Order "Badge of Honor" and medals. People, who know Omarov, call him a model of honesty and exceptional intelligence, high culture and wide erudition.
Kostanay Drama Theatre proudly bears the name of the famous countryman and contributes to the development of the Kazakh national culture. The staff of the theatre consists of 96 people. Initially, artists from Uralsk, Honored Artists of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sh.Esengulova, artist K.Esengulov, artist from Zhezkazgan K.Begaydarov, also a group of students from the Academy of Art after T.Zhurgenov were invited in order to create a professional troupe.
During the artistic career years, the theatre participated in the Republican Theatre Festival in Petropavlovsk, Kokshetau, Uralsk, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, Aktau. Actors of the troupe became winners on nominations for Best Actor - K.Begaydarov, for Best Actress - Z.Baltabaeva and A.Kasymova, for best scenography - the main artist M.Nurmuhanov. The theatre troupe goes on tour in republic and Kostanay region each year. Artists were on tour in Russia. The theatre has a drama school for training youth people, who want to learn acting skills, they may enter to the studio. Today, the repertory has 47 productions, including 10 children's plays.
On the creation and production of plays for Kostonay Drama theatre worked professional and well-known directors such as S.Asylkhan, Zh.Hadzhiev, B.Ұzakov, B.Seytmamytuly, N.Zhumaniyazov, S.Karabalin, T.Zhamankulov and others.
The construction of the new theatre building began on September 2010. After two years, Kostanay Regional Kazakh Drama Theatre named after I.Omarov moved to new premises. It was a huge event in the life of the creative team. A new theater is magnificent, and equipments have virtually no analogues in our country. There are two rooms, a large hall with 276 seats and a small room for 50 persons. The new building of Drama Theatre has the necessary facilities: 10 rooms for dressing, rehearsal hall and other technical facilities. Professional sound and lighting equipments, synchronic translation and video interpretation on stage were established. There is also a fitness room and a winter garden.
The President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev visited the theatre during his working visit to Kostanay on 15 August, 2012. He praised the decoration and furnishings of the theatre, asked employees about possible problems and the repertoire policy. Also he told about the importance of the cultural policy on development of theatrical art.
Troupe of the theater is constantly working on the production of new works of world and national classics, and ready to delight audiences with renewed repertoire.