In the amphitheater of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Stanjevići, the premiere of the play "Protection" was held last night, based on the work of the same name by Branislav Nušić. The play was adapted and directed by Milan Nešković, and the co-production was realized in cooperation with the "Grad Teatra" Budva Public Theater and the Sombor National Theater.
This is the 82nd production of the City Theater and the first time that Nušić's work has been performed at this festival.
Branislav Nušić, one of the most important Serbian writers and playwrights, wrote "Protection" in 1889. This comedy about the social and political mechanisms of patronage and nepotism continues to resonate with its topicality and razor-sharp humor, and his mastery in portraying human weaknesses through laughter remains unsurpassed, which was also demonstrated last night.
The audience was delighted, laughing non-stop throughout the performance. The cast managed to revive the spirit of Nušić's satire, but also to point out social problems that are still current through this comedy, providing the audience with another unforgettable evening at the Grad Teatar festival.
After the premiere, director Milan Nešković said that he was extremely satisfied.
"Comedy, unlike any other genre, does not live without an audience. Only in contact with the audience can we see what we have done, until then we can only hope. Tonight is that confirmation and we are also happy because of that, and the very fact that we made this Nušić into a cabaret-type vaudeville that has that happy and positive ending. That's what makes me the most happy, seeing the faces of all these people at the premiere who are happy to leave the show. It is one of the highest and greatest successes that we, as artists, can achieve with our art," said Nešković and added that the play is a story about the mentality of people from this area.
"Here we have people from Palanka, people from Montenegro, people from Serbia, and the focus is, essentially, on two families, one small-town family and one middle-class family, but both are hysterical. Both are what Dostoevsky would say "all happy families look like each other, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way". That recognition of those family relationships is something we've all experienced at home, everyone has a cousin, uncle, aunt or sister they recognize in this, so it's a universal theme whenever we're dealing with families."
The music and songs in the play are the work of Duda Buržujka (Julije Petković), who also acts in this play. Nešković pointed out that one of his biggest successes in his career was discovering Julija Petković a couple of years ago.
"I think she is one of the most talented offspring not only of the acting school, because she is an actress by vocation, but she is also a self-taught musician and quite possibly one of the most talented girls who have ever appeared on our stages, and she proves it with her acting. She also helped me a lot on the dramaturgical level by coming up with texts and composing. She is 27 years old and has at least 50 years of such a brilliant career ahead of her. I always have a small but select group of people. Now I expanded it two years ago with Julija, so I always work almost in the same group of people and I hope that she will also work with me if only I can live another 50 years," Nešković pointed out. Actress Ana Rudakijević stressed that she has only positive experiences from the process of working on the play "Protection" and staying in Budva. "I can say that from now on I would like to be part of this festival all the time and to work, if possible, as much as possible. We expected such a good reaction from the audience, we couldn't wait to stand in front of them and communicate everything we did. I think that tonight was beautiful and that people recognized what we have been doing for the past month and a few days." Actor Stevan Vuković delighted the audience with his energetic performance, and he pointed out that each role brings new energy and its own story.
"And what makes this story, it seems to me, is more intriguing and interesting to the audience itself. Each of these characters has their own problem, a life-long, big, huge problem that they have to somehow solve in this hour and a half. So, from that side, it is not surprising that the energy of each of us comes to this stage and leaves such an impression on the audience. Especially when it is packed into a genre like vaudeville where everything has to be quick, easy and simple, with a lot of energy and too many problems. It seems to me that this was a winning combination when it comes to the interpretation of Nušić himself, and the audience shows that tonight. Until now, we have not had the opportunity to meet the audience, so now I think that it is clear to all of us that we have created a play that will live with the audience and that the audience will look forward to," he said and emphasized that it was a great pleasure for him. to play at the Grad Theater festival.
"It's really wonderful both in terms of organization and in terms of this co-production, which I really think is very important. The very choice of the text, the time for which we made this play, the choice of the crew on stage and behind the scenes, everything was perfect. I think that the City Theater makes a great effort to make such events happen and that, if it invites certain co-producers, if they enter together, sit at the same table, come to a decision, then let's do it. Because in the end it gets this result, and these are precisely the reactions of the audience, and I really think that it is important to respect and support all such projects, both financially and organizationally. This is my first time playing here at this beautiful venue and I just want to stop and say how amazing it is that there are hundreds of people behind all of this who are putting their effort into making this happen tonight. I believe that it is necessary and that if we do not cultivate it, we have nowhere to go as a society. It is questionable what we are cultivating, if we are not cultivating these kinds of events, these kinds of co-productions and these kinds of collaborations," he concluded.
In addition to Milan Nešković, who is in charge of the adaptation and direction, the author's team of the play consists of Biljana Grgur as a costume designer, Daniela Dimitrovska as a set designer, Duda Buržujka as a music composer, Staša Blečić as a choreographer of stage movements, Dr. Dijana Marojević as an expert in stage speech and Ivan Nikolovski as an assistant stage designer.
In addition to Rudakijević and Vuković, the following actors play: Ninoslav Đorđević, Marija Maša Labudović, Ivana V. Jovanović, Saša Torlaković, Biljana Keskenović, Lazar Nikolić, Srđan Aleksić, Julija Petković, Miloš Lazić and Staša Blečić.
The play "Protection" will be performed at this year's festival on August 4, 5 and 6. Transportation is provided for the audience from the bus station near the Bracera Hotel at 19:30 p.m., and the City of Theater notes that there is a parking space near the monastery.
Bonus video:
