The play "Exposed": From tears to laughter and back

Creator and director of the play "Exposed" Sandra Vujović after the premiere, he describes the piece as a stage story that moves from tears to laughter and back again.

After the co-production of the Nezavisna Teatarska Scena "Bunt" (Rebellion Scene) and the Tivat Cultural Center premiered in Podgorica this week, the tour continues on the coast, on December 13 at the Tivat Cultural Center, on the 16th at the Kotor Cultural Center "Nikola Đurković", and on 20.12. is in the repertoire in Herceg Novi, in the Park hall, every evening at 20 pm.

"The impressions after the premiere are great. We are still excited. Praises are coming from all sides, and that gives us extra strength. I would also like to thank the wonderful audience from Podgorica, who reacted brilliantly to the play. In the big hall of KIC 'Budo Tomović', during the whole performance, tears and laughter alternated, and this is precisely what shows that 'Exposed' reached the audience in the right way and did not leave anyone indifferent", said Sandra Vujović " News".

The audience greeted the four young actresses with long applause and cheers: Andjela Rondovic, Smiljana Martinovic, Andjela Radovic and an academic painter Marija Radusinovć who plays a unique role in this acting ensemble.

"This play deals with a sensitive topic and we are aware that this is a small, but still important step in the direction of raising awareness not only of society, but also of ourselves, as well as drawing attention to all forms and forms of discrimination and violence against women, to which they are exposed on a daily basis. . In the play, we also examine the influence of tradition on the creation of negative patterns of behavior and precisely the discriminatory attitude towards women, but it is important to note that this is not only a problem here, but we are talking about a problem of global proportions. The audience in Podgorica was a piece of the puzzle that was missing in order for the play to start a life of its own, and I hope that we managed to bring them closer to some of the challenges that women face every day from a different angle and to encourage them to show solidarity with the victims and support in the fight for equality, because it is a fight for all of us", said Anđela Radović and added that they are now building on the play with new plays that will follow.

The rest of the author's team consists of: director Sandra Vujović, who signs the text together with four other writers from Montenegro and the region Teodoro Kipa, Ana Leković, Marijana Aracka i Katarina Nikolić, stage speech she did Katarina Krek, he composed the music Vesko Lazović, dolls Milena Jane, and the light Danilo Malović. They are producers Dubravka Maticic, Kristina Gacevic i Vladimir Cvijetić. He signs the design and photo Danica Janković.

"I am proud of the whole team and the performance itself. I can say that behind us is a long and exhausting process during which we really tried our best to package an unusual dramatic template that was created from the pen of five female writers into a stage story that takes you from tears to laughter and back again," she pointed out. director Vujović and the entire team congratulated them on their success.

Smiljana Martinović pointed out that working on this play, which deals with different types of violence against women, is first of all a great honor, but also a pleasure and a responsibility. During the performance of the play, Marija Radusinović on stage, in front of the audience, depicts the events and the work process, i.e. illustrates the state, emotions and internal scars left by the patriarchal society on women. In this way, more works of art will be created, which, as Vujović previously announced, will be put up for auction as part of the exhibition at the end of the theater season, and the collected funds will be donated to the Safe Women's House. Smiljana Martinović previously pointed out that she sees the performance primarily as a form of activism, and she is satisfied with the reactions.

"I am glad that the audience at the premiere stood by us, heard us and supported us. Important topics were raised, topics that concern all of us, regardless of gender, religion, race, nationality, social status... The process of working on the play was very demanding, but also liberating. With tremendous mutual support and understanding, I think we made a good show that will live on," she said.

Anđela Radović confirmed that the process was intensive, investigative, but also specific in many ways, so the impatience to share it all with the audience was even greater.

"The specificity of the story was conditioned by the fact that our means are slightly different from what is perceived as classical theater, and that has somehow grown into a recognizable language with which this play communicates with the audience. I think that not only does he know how to listen, but the audience lived the story we told last night with us. What was very important to me from the very beginning was to be honest and to convey these stories, which are inspired by real events and the lives of some brave women, authentically, and I think the audience recognized that. Although we have no illusions that one performance will bring about any big and significant changes, it is important to talk about discrimination and violence against women, as well as prejudices and obstacles that most women face, first of all in the family, and then in the environment. What we can do as a society is to show solidarity, and it is up to the institutions of the system to support us," she said.

He adds that women are exposed to different types of violence, although the most visible is physical violence, which often has a fatal outcome. But there are also those hidden, subtle, often invisible types of violence and discrimination that are often, in ignorance, described as "tradition", and that, she says, leaves the deepest scars.

"We want to send a strong message from the stage of resistance to all forms of discrimination and violence and to illuminate the darkness in which many women find themselves, both in Montenegro and throughout the world, because although tradition in our society plays a large role in preserving negative patterns, this is a problem of global proportions", said Radović, and Vujović added that they promised themselves at the beginning that they would not do a show after which the audience would leave the theater completely indifferent.

"The audience told us with applause and ovations at the end that this is a drama they will talk about and think about for a long time," says Vujović.

Anđelija Rondović's impression is different when it comes to the impact of the play on the audience, but she hopes that the play certainly imagined them.

"I'm sorry that I have the impression that even after this play, which deals with violence against women, nothing will happen because those who could change something were not in the audience, even though the play saw its premiere as part of the 16 days of activism against violence against women . The premiere was as successful as the audience imagined," concludes Anđelija Rondović.