Politics and theater - remembering reality

The Konrad Adenauer Foundation, in cooperation with the Faculty of Dramatic Arts of the University of Montenegro, has published the collection of papers "The Power of Culture: Politics and Theater - Remembrance of Reality", from the conference of the same name held in October 2020 in Kotor, edited by Janko Ljumović.

The conference brought together representatives of the academic community, drama artists, theater experts and theater critics from Montenegro, the region and Germany. The readers are presented with author's and research texts that map the historical and contemporary aspects of political and applied theater.

"The publication we are presenting promotes dialogue, and in the context of the global covid-19 pandemic, it was also important to promote the role and importance of theater, which as a medium has an exceptional emancipatory potential for social change in the community, through a conference and collection of papers. The papers critically reflect on the various possibilities and perspectives of the theater's activities. The texts are a valuable testimony of the author's views, poetics and experience", emphasized the FDU.

The publication also contains theatrical discussions that talk about the importance of researching the relationship between politics and theater, models and repertoire strategies. .

The collection opens with two introductory texts "Politics and theater - memory and action", prof. Janko Ljumović, M.Sc. and "Engaged theater - an agreement between ethics and aesthetics" prof. Dr. Darko Lukić.

Within the first topic "Dramatic text and political theater" the papers were published: "Testimony about political (in)power" by prof. Radmile Vojvodić, "From an aficionado to a playwright - outlines for a future sketch" prof. Almira Imširevića, "How Rock'n'Roll Failed: Dramatic Text and Political Theater - Macedonian Situation" prof. Dr. Ana Stojanoska, "Politics of the dramatic text - old dilemmas and new dramaturgy" by Vasko Raičević and "Theatre as a sobriety - three signs of our time" by Sulj Mustafić.

The topic "Repertory strategies" contains texts: "Theatrical policies and repertory strategies: Culture and aesthetics of care, hospitality, solidarity and empathy" prof. emeritus Milena Dragićević Šešić, "Performance politics: Staging the present in German-speaking theaters" prof. Michael Braun, Ph.D., "Theatrical Performance of History: False Emperor Šćepan Mali" Maje Mrđenović, M.Sc., "Applied Theater - Examples from Practice" Prof. Petar Pejaković and "Theatre as a Metapolitical World: A View from the Alternative Theater Active Company (ATAK)" by Dragana Tripković.

Graphic design is by Helena Tošić. The coordinator of the conference project and proceedings is Sanija Šljivačanin.