The book "Sa Cvejo" by author Beka Vučo was presented the night before last at Poets' Square in Budva, thus continuing the literary program of the XXXVIII Grad Teatar festival.
The participants of the evening were Zoran Hamovic, founder, director and editor-in-chief of CLIO Publishing Company and president of the Association of Professional Publishers of Serbia, full professor at FDU and editor of numerous professional and scientific publications in the field of dramatic arts Ksenija Radulović, as well as an actor Vojislav Voja Brajović.
Hamović emphasized at the very beginning that he is an actor Branko Cvejic was an exceptional artistic personality.
"The title of the book reflects our ideas and wishes to visit the entire region. Cveja was a person respected and loved by the entire region, an actor who had great respect in all regions. When it was most difficult for us, when we had disputes and when we did not understand each other, he always found a way for people to love, respect and appreciate him, and to be together with what he built. The book was created from the middle of September 2022. "Beka Vučo, as a great friend and someone who spent her whole life with Cveja, had the idea to make a book not long after Cveja fell into a deep sleep," he said.
He added that the members of the editorial staff who worked on the book, in addition to him, were Ksenija Radulović, Aleksandar Milosavljević i Jelena Knežević Barac.
"The book is made up of a series of author's texts written by all those who participated and marked Cveja's life, just as he marked theirs. These are associates, friends, acquaintances, all those who had the opportunity to work with him, live with him, participate in various projects and realize their ideas and dreams. That is why we can say that this book is rich, because it shows a time, it gives a cross-section not only of the creative life of Branko Cvejić, but also of a traumatic period in which we were all, but at the same time it shows different types of historical transformations that we all went through, just like him , as someone who solved different problems. That's why many appreciate, respect and love him," said Hamović.
Radulović said that Branko Cvejić spent almost his entire professional engagement as a theater actor, producer and theater director in the JDP, which deals with classical theater.
"It's not an experimental, avant-garde theater, but that doesn't mean it hasn't experimented during various artistic administrations. As a theater man, Cveja was occasionally, and it seems to me often, seen in a superficial way as part of an artistic and theatrical platform related to a certain group of artists in the JDP. All this was viewed in a simplified way as a kind of relatively traditional theatrical expression. Although the high artistic value of everything that was done was most often recognized. When those external layers of prejudice are unfolded, you are faced with the fact that it was a modern theatrical expression and that Cveja was an actor, manager and spectator with a distinct artistic openness that was not trendy. He did not go after what was currently fashionable, but had the sensibility to recognize something that was new, innovative and artistically valuable", she pointed out.
Radulović added that such sensibility is not common, but rather rare.
"He had it and was surrounded by people with whom he could share it and direct it. I remember Sterija's theater and Olive Frljic who presented himself with the play "I hate the truth". I remember Cvejić's enthusiasm for that energy and new, brave, radical step forward. It was unmistakable as a kind of detection.”
Actor Voja Brajović revealed that he has known Cvejić since 1965.
"He played in "Dadovo" in Belgrade, and I in "Abrašević" from Valjevo. Later we met at university, I was in my first year, he was in my third year. Thanks to the brave Bojan Columns who gave young people a chance, we played together in the play "Agamemnon". Although we were about twenty years old, we played a chorus of Argive old men with glued beards, wigs and sticks. When Cveja would have to say something, the fourteen of us would laugh, and he would grab a stick and say "Professor, if they laugh, I'll leave the show." This is where I recognized his incredible courage. If anyone wants to associate with someone who is adorned with humanity and justice, it was Cveja. Our generation was so determined".
Brajović also said that Cvejić was his right-hand man Jovan Ćirilov.
"We knew that Ćirilov was a theatrical genius, and Cveja realized his ideas. The more difficult the task was, the greater the challenge was for him. He looked forward to difficult situations. At the Gradu Theater, we played "False Emperor Šćepan malig", directed by Dejana Mijača in times of inflation. Mijač insisted that Montenegrins speak their dialects, and Cveja had a small role where he was supposed to say "the providor of Kotor welcomes you and sends these gifts for me". Homeland Velisavljevic asked why Cveja spoke in Slovenian dialect, so Cveja threatened to leave the show, but we convinced him to come back. He continues to speak the text and everyone starts laughing, and he turns to Vlasta and says "Do you see where this is going?". I'm trying to explain how explosive he was, he could explode in impossible places. When Ćirilov retired, Tsveja continued to work. JDP has become one of the 19 most important theaters in the world, but we also had big problems in the theater when one of the most important performances, "When Pumpkins Bloomed", was taken down. The banning of that play stopped the cultural progress of the entire society," said Brajović.
She pointed out that Cvejić was always a fighter and wanted to play what might bother someone.
"His acting talent was not second to none. He always said to behave, not to act. "I don't act, I behave," he used to say. It's not easy, and he was very skilled at it, said the famous actor.
During the evening, Brajović spoke twice Shakespeare's sonnet, one to convey to the audience what touched and excited Cvejić, while for the other he said that Shakespeare wrote it to Cvejić.
“Shakespeare wrote a sonnet in which he said goodbye to his fellow actors. I think it was written by Cveji", said Brajović, and the audience rewarded both sonnets with applause.
Brajović: One of the most important things in this area is the Grad Theater
At the end of the evening, Brajović pointed out that Cvejić's contribution to the work and projects of the City Theater was great and sent an important message.
"Keep what you have, fight for what you have. Budva City Theater, where you will find a more beautiful name. He has to be and will be, I hope. It lasts a long time and needs to be maintained for a long time. One of the most important things in this area is the Budva City Theatre," concluded Brajović.
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