The guest of the theater program of the 35th "Bar Chronicle" on Wednesday evening was the theater "Deže Kostolanji" from Subotica. The production of this theater company, the play "Light Little Knights", by the famous director Andras Urban it was performed on the Summer Stage of the Bar's House of Culture.
In the form of an operetta, a very well-known genre among Hungarian theaters, the play is full of cynicism and irony, dialogue, but also dance and drama.
"I must emphasize that we made this play in the style of an operetta, but it is not really an operetta. In this play, we use operetta only as a form, to express ourselves in our own way." he said Boris Kučov, one of the actors.
In addition, he emphasizes that preparing an operetta is not an easy task.
"It is very demanding. Everyone thinks it's an easy genre, for relaxed people. It takes a lot of energy and strength,'' Kučov pointed out.
The play "Knights of Lake Male" deals with the trade union that arose in the Subotica theater out of dissatisfaction and revolt against the leadership of the theater itself. The seven actors on stage open the play, explaining to the audience that the life of an actor is not only not as glamorous as everyone imagines it to be, but also very difficult, exhausting and thankless. In their opening, Andraš Urban himself appears, in all his violence and vulgarity, played by Kučov at that moment, and persuades his actors to take off their clothes on stage.
For Kučov, working with Andraš, considering that he is significantly different from other directors, has become essentially normal.
"I have been working in the theater where he is the director and director for seven years, and we have already done a lot of shows together. I love his working method. Now we are already close and we have learned to get along with him", said Kučov.
The play, which was largely shaped through the improvisation and freedom of the actors, is a mirror of their position in society and therefore, in addition to comedy, irony and cynicism, a very emotional work.
"We all added a lot of improvisations, as is always the case with Andraš, and during this process, a lot of it made it into the final form of the play. I'm glad that there is a part of the play that is mine and that it was rewarded in the end,'' said Kučov, winner of Steria's award for choreography in 2021.
Subotica union operetta gala, as the subtitle of this play is, awakens the audience's understanding of the actors in front of them. Breaking the fourth wall and previously established conceptions, the understanding spreads in the audience, that these are the same people in front of them, who, when the flag comes down, will continue with their lives just like everyone else, regardless of what happened on stage. Empathy and respect for them is created.
In the play, alongside Kučov, they act Timea Filep, Andrea Verebš, Dina Dedović Tomić, Blanka Horvat, Gabor Mesaroš i David Buboš.
Bonus video:
