Fugitives on the stage between churches: Immense thanks to Gradu Theater for their support from the very beginning

The novel itself was written as a constellation novel, said its author Olga Tokarčuk, and this is what Zurovac was guided by while preparing this play.

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The play "Runaways", Photo: City Theater
The play "Runaways", Photo: City Theater
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Last night, the drama program of the 37th Grad Teatar festival continued on the stage between the churches with the dance and theater piece "Runaways", directed and choreographed by Staša Zurovac.

The play is a co-production of the Croatian Institute for Movement and Dance and the 40th festival "Week of Contemporary Dance", where it premiered in June of this year, based on the novel of the same name by Nobel laureate Olga Tokarčuk.

JU Grad Theater has been a proud partner in this project since the very beginning, which was confirmed by Zurovac after the performance in Budva.

The play "Runaways"
The play "Runaways"photo: City Theater

"This is an independent production. We started from nothing, and we were preparing a project in Austria. One of the first partners while the play was still in the making was Grad Teatar. Mrs. Milena Lubarda Marojević supported us in that project from the beginning and she gave us the wind at our backs. You know, in an independent production you take a step and then the finances arrive, then a step and then the finances. She supported our premiere that we had at the Contemporary Dance Week in Zagreb on June 15 and that was of immense importance to us, "For a play in the making to be supported by two festivals is really rare. I can't express more than immense gratitude and I think that what we were able to provide as a reward was a superb performance of what we had been preparing for six months," he said.

The novel itself was written as a constellation novel, said its author Olga Tokarčuk, and this is what Zurovac was guided by while preparing this play.

The play "Runaways"
The play "Runaways"photo: City Theater

"It is a series of vignettes, there are 116 different stories that are seemingly unrelated, but actually the characters, history and stories somehow correspond with each other and show how much our lives, no matter how far apart, share the same moment. Our goal was to we find connections with the characters from the book with the story and our lives, what resonates with us from the book and to bring what is true in us to the stage, and at the same time to be based on the book and to honor the author. We were looking for a universal language that I think that is the key word because dance is a language. Maybe a forgotten language and maybe one language that will not die out as fast as languages ​​are dying out today. We know that we have about six thousand languages ​​in the world and that they are going at such a speed that in a hundred years or so they will remain maybe five percent of what exists today. I think dance contains a kind of self-protection, it knows no verbal boundaries and everyone understands it. We tried to find how the literary language corresponds with the non-verbal language and to perform it in the best possible way."

For the scene between the churches, Zurovac said that it is an irreplaceable and fantastic ambient space.

"I believe that every artist who comes to this space feels fantastic. What is difficult here is this tourism around and it somehow threatens the intimacy of the expression that we offer in a space like this. I think it is important that parallel things exist and that people who visit Budva choose what is according to their affinity. Someone said that Montenegro is a small country, I don't think so. In terms of art and culture which is what connects people, especially dance and non-verbal language which has no barrier, I think with this invitation and support for this project, both Budva and Montenegro have shown that this is one big country. This is a team of international artists from many parts of the world, it's wonderful when they meet in one place," said Zurovac.

The play "Runaways"
The play "Runaways"photo: City Theater

In addition to Staša Zurovac, director and choreographer, the author's team consists of Aleksander Balanescu, who is in charge of music, and Bjanka Adžić Ursulov, costume designer and set designer.

The play features: Juko Harada, Nurija Jimenez Vilaroja, Kasija Vrbanac, Lucija Kukor, Julijana Vargas Rodríguez and Nikola Prato. The music is performed by the Balanescu Quartet, consisting of: Aleksander Balanescu, violin, Juri Kalnits, violin, Christopher Picilides, viola and Nicholas Holland, cello.

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