As a great and important mission actor Marko Bacovic he accepted the position of director of the Montenegrin National Theater (CNP), and that's how he joined it, and after a little less than two years since he assumed that role, the results achieved in various fields testify to a kind of renaissance of the umbrella theater house of Montenegro.
He almost didn't talk about the situation that awaited him, and now for "Vijesti" he talks about the things he corrected in CNP, starting with a large number of free tickets and money management, through strengthening the repertoire, working with actors, carefully thought out topics and staged performances, engagement of directors who guarantee the quality of both the process and the results... That all this has borne fruit is also shown by the interest of the audience, its number, diversity and unity, dense, rich and varied repertoire, numerous guest appearances but also tours, co-productions that are those that are in the plan were realized, but also what the theater cannot do without - actors and actresses and their unity and satisfaction, which is also reflected in a quality performance.
Baćović reminds again that the actor is the most important resource of the theater and again appeals to the competent departments to enable the employment of at least two actors per year. When it comes to the budget, he points out that it is sufficient, although below the percentage practiced in larger countries. However, the responsible disposal of money is crucial, so Baćović points out that representation is kept to a minimum, because the money intended for the theater should be for the purpose of cultural offerings...
In addition to all that, he tries not to neglect his acting engagement, even though he has canceled numerous performances and turned down offers. He continues to play regularly in four plays, as well as in Nušićev "To the Deceased" in the adaptation Egon Savin in which the audience at CNP can watch it. He admits that he doesn't have time for filming, but reveals that a couple of films that he worked on before are expected.
With the aspiration that, as before, the repertoire and cultural offer will be as good as possible, with a multitude of plans, agreed cooperation and projects, and most importantly, with vision and will, the Montenegrin National Theater enters the year 2023, just after the 29th and On December 30, it brought down the curtain on the previous one with an extremely high-quality, powerful and emotional performance. The holiday period follows, which is always a time to summarize the past time, which is what Marko Baćović does in his interview for "Vijesti" - he talks about the program, ambitions, his position, mission, the idea of the theater being a meeting place without distinction and division on any basis. .
You have been in the position of CNP director for about two years. How would you sum up that period? Given some speculation, can you be expected to remain in that position until the end of the mandate, which is scheduled for four years?
When I was little, my uncle taught me to drive "fica" and then he told me: "You don't drive the car, it goes by itself, you just steer"... That's it: there's nothing to push in the theater either, drives or tows, you just need to work according to the law and established rules. All sectors are made up of professionals, who love theater and have many years of experience, and the sector of production, stage techniques, maintenance, sales, marketing, public relations... Of course, it is hard to be a director, especially the administrative part with various coefficients, percentages is tiring. , categories, various justified or unjustified demands and the like... So that the administration sometimes forgets that the whole meaning of our work is in the service of what will happen on stage. The most important creatures of the theater are the actors, which everyone should understand. I don't see my role as director as managing something, but rather as an opportunity to help people who want and want to work.
As for the mandate, I don't know anything concrete yet. Let the lawyers deal with it. Whatever the Government decides and whatever comes, I am obedient to it. I am not in this position to build a career for myself, nor is this a stepping stone for me to rise to some elite. I experience this position as a mission and a desire to contribute to the development of theater culture.
Considering that you did not often appear in the media, was your observation about what kind of situation you found yourself in the theater missing?
Even though there are people who think I'm an outsider, I'm from here, I've often come to Podgorica before. My visits to my mother, who was alive until eight years ago, were regular. I have a sister, a son, a family here, later I had a granddaughter, then a grandson, so I'm often here. However, apart from the play in which I played in the theater, I did not often come into contact with the theater world, nor did I go out and visit the theater, but I spent most of my time with my family. When I became the director of CNP, I can honestly say that it was all new to me, which I consider an advantage. But I was caught off guard by the stories about what happened and how it happened before. I don't know how honest it is, but people in the theater and those outside it tell me that the situation in the theater has improved, sorted out, that people are calmer and more satisfied. Just ten days ago when I was traveling to Belgrade, the check-in officers at the airport, a young man and a young woman, recognized me and said that the new plays were wonderful, that they liked the repertoire and expressed their gratitude for my efforts... Well, I that's the highest possible compliment I could receive.
We have great actors, both old and young, and I again use the opportunity to appeal to the ministries of culture and finance to allow us to hire new actors in the coming years. We don't have to accept them all at once, nor would that be good, but it would mean that we have the right to accept at least two young actors each year. It is also important to give young people a perspective, because they have potential. Well, we recently hired Sanju Vujisic who imposed herself with her talent and great roles in several plays, and there are many more, such as Lazar Dragojević, Stevan Vuković who went to Nikšić, Maje Stojanović, as well as young people who are still studying, including Una Lučić, Lara Dragović, Maša Božović and many others, not to mention...
It is certainly evident that a diverse audience, of all ages, beliefs and classes, is increasingly coming to the theater and the demand for tickets is high. What is your goal in relation to the audience?
That was certainly one of my goals. When I got to the position of director, I saw that there were many free tickets. They told me that this large amount of free tickets was distributed because there was not much interest from the audience, so it was done to fill the hall. This is the Montenegrin National Theater... So, it is Montenegrin and for the people, and my goal was to make it just like that, to make it really for the people and to bring back the audience that came and then (perhaps) stopped, but also to let's create a habit for other people to visit the theater. Lorca in one place he says that you can see the health of a nation's culture by looking at the state of its theater. I mention Lorca because the premiere of "Jerma" just happened. Simon Stone, directed by Ana Tomović which was made according to Lorca's legendary model. That's why I care that people come to the theater, and that those who may not have or have not had contact with it, get to know it and love it...
Has the distribution of free tickets been corrected?
Free tickets were abolished, as far as possible, and of course, some remained. It was suggested to me that some people would be offended if they were left without those tickets and would think that I did not have enough respect for them, when in fact it turns out that they have no respect for the theater. Of course, it cannot be solved overnight, but the order is that the number of free tickets is minimal. First of all, I think theater tickets should be more than five euros, but that's another topic... Besides, my son buys tickets, as do all my relatives and friends, so we saxon from the sales department is the first to say that it helps him a lot as an example to others who call and ask about tickets... I don't know, I really can't understand that people would try to save five euros at the theater and then fight over who will pay a much higher bill in the bar... Despite such a mentality, tickets can sell out within ten minutes.
Referring to Lorca, you said that theater talks about the state of the country, about society and culture... Then what would our theater talk about and what does it refer to?
We have many topics that need to be addressed, some of which we have opened up through previous performances, some of which are universally human, some of which are a slap in the face of the present, some of which are based on global phenomena. One of those that is a universal human story is the play "Bladi mun", which talks about the fact that we all have several personalities inside us: one is what is called a 'persona' in psychology, that is, our image that exists for others; in addition, we also have our inner self, what we are, and there is also that part of us that we are not even aware of. "Bladi Mun" deals with that, and it is not an issue of either Montenegro or Yugoslavia, but it is a human and humanity problem. It's nice that it is Ana Djordjevic set that play in Montenegro, because we finally had the opportunity to see that in the Montenegrin language and among young urban people here, general human topics exist and are dealt with, and we are not dealing only with folklore, identity, history... We are part of the world and as modern people, citizens of Montenegro, today we live the lives of the whole world. Then, through "Pokojnik", we talked about the connection between government and crime. We did not aim to directly point the finger at Montenegrin circumstances, because Nušić wrote this slapping the Yugoslav reality of that time, in 1937. But it seems that these problems are the same, even worse today. And we put that piece in the Montenegrin context and circumstances, because it fits nicely and gets a special touch, but it concerns all our countries and the world. The connection between crime and politics is a worldwide problem, and the way in which someone who is a political opponent is removed by being declared an enemy of the state or a traitor is something that is generally present in the world. That satire is both Montenegrin and Yugoslav and worldwide. In "Youth Without God" Eden von Horvat in directing Tara Manić spoke only about the perniciousness of nationalism, about the fact that if we teach children chauvinism, we are actually working on their destruction.
There are also some topics in Montenegro that I would really like to cover, but frankly speaking, there are no good texts. We have, for example, the problem of selective abortions, that is, avoiding the birth of female children. It is a difficult problem and a taboo topic, and many immediately react when it is mentioned by saying that it is not true. However, in the class where my granddaughter is, there are eight girls and 16 boys. It is a topic for which I would like to see a text, and I must mention that it is one thing to be aware of the topic, and another to make an exciting play out of that topic, that is, a good dramatic template.
What I avoid is a repertoire that will be reduced to the daily-political level. I believe in the saying that every nation has the power it deserves. This means that we need to deal with the questions why and to what extent we, with our morals and feelings for duty and justice, allowed some politics to nest among us, how susceptible and corrupt we ourselves are, and how much each of us actually has a price. We need to (re)examine ourselves. I don't want to deal with daily politics, although politics is impossible to avoid. On the other hand, at the first meeting, I told the actors that they are all citizens and that they have an absolute right to their attitude, politics, party membership, activism, whatever, but all that should be left at the entrance to the theater. The theater is essentially a meeting place. Our theater is really like that: our audience is made up of members of all parties, from DPS, through minority parties to DF. In the darkness of the scene, they all cease to be political beings and become human. The theater has the mission of uniting us.
When the lights in the hall go out and everyone starts participating in the acting, when they react, sigh, laugh, applaud from their darkness, everyone in the audience becomes one being and that is one of the most beautiful things in the theater. Theater has existed since the beginning of man and as such represents one of the elements of humanity. Not to start about the history of theater, but that kind of shared play and shared experience is something that is characteristic of man and is part of the essence of man.
On the other hand, what does the relationship between the state, government, society, and even the budget allocated to the theater say about our system?
Unfortunately, in these countries of ours, very little is devoted to the theater. I think it is a world standard that some two percent of GDP goes to the theater, but we are far from that, we do not exceed one percent. However, it is what it is. I don't know how it was before, but the cooperation I achieved with the authorities last year, and this year with the new set, is also good in that regard. They approved a sufficient budget for us, and I think we will return a rather large amount to the budget. It is important to me that we have money, that we can work, that our hands are not tied, and it is certain that we will not write anything down or splurge, as we do not do. We reduced the representation to a minimum, there are no visits to a Parisian theater or anything else, no luxurious dinners with a small group of people and similar allocations, but we are looking to use the money we receive in the best possible way and make the best possible cultural offer to this society and people.
You have found several plays that were staged, waited for a long time, never performed. There are also plays with large ensembles, demanding scenographies, which were prepared for a long time, and performed perhaps only for that one season. What can be expected in this regard?
Of the plays that were not performed, and which I managed to watch, I really liked "The Visit" by Aleksandra Morfova. I hope that in the end we will somehow agree on the terms and conditions for the performance to finally take place in front of the audience. I think it's a good piece that suits the moment. The cast is also good, you can see that the great director led the process and played out every part of our stage. There are still some performances that were not performed due to the pregnancy or illness of the actresses, and now all that needs to be combined with the new productions. Young directors are waiting for their chance, actors are eager to work in new plays with good directors, so there is a crowd and a queue for the stage.
When it comes to the plays from earlier seasons that you mentioned, there are many with very large ensembles and many of them are demanding in the context of scenography, that it takes days to set up the scenography, and then there is the problem of hosting because some scenography is so demanding that it is impossible to provide transportation. That's why our request for the set designer and director is that everything needed for the show can fit in the truck, so that we can make guest appearances possible. We cannot afford to have the scenery require us to buy or rent tow trucks. We have to think about it.
A significant number of guest performances, as well as performances outside, are also highlighted. From the point of view of the actor, but also of the manager, how important is it to afford it?
We have to present to our audience everything that is best from the region. We have achieved cooperation and signed contracts on cooperation with the National Theater from Sarajevo, SNP from Novi Sad, then with the National Theater from Belgrade, one of whose plays will soon be performed here. What I think is important, when it comes to guest performances, is that I always asked that they be played on two nights, because the tickets for one performance go too quickly, and the interest is high. We have a collaboration with the Belgrade Drama Theater, whose three plays will be hosted by us, and three of ours there. I would like to establish cooperation with the Zagreb Youth Theater, which I highly appreciate, and we will try to realize that exchange as well. I am also in negotiations with the Macedonian National Theater from Skopje. For starters, we'd bring in their “Enemy of the People” with a great one Nikola Ristanovski, and our "Deceased" would guest there. I think it is important for our audience to see that play and great acting. There are a few more shows we're in talks for, but I wouldn't announce them until the talks are further along.
I would like to point out that we also have quality plays, excellent acting that is at the level of Yugoslav theater. It is valuable for our actors to go there and play outside, and for our audience to see as many plays from the region as possible.
What is important to you when it comes to choosing a director?
One of the objections was related to the representation of Montenegrin directors, to whom we certainly provide an opportunity. Right now Mirko Radonjic sets "Ujka Vanja", will also work Hana Rastoder, p Damjan Pejanovic who is behind the great play "Danzen" and who has a good idea how to make it Camus "Misunderstanding". I am in negotiations with by Vito Taufer from Ljubljana and others, so we will also have people from the region, along with our young directors. The directors who have worked since I arrived have proven that they are excellent and that they work well with the actors, from Tara Manić, Jovane Tomić, Ana Đorđević, Ana Tomović, Egon Savina and so on... People will come from Sarajevo, Zagreb, Ljubljana, and the only condition is guaranteed quality.
I operate on the principle of finding a director who I know is good and works well with actresses. Then I talk with him about the possible text and division. At the same time, of course, I take into account that the text must be about something, either human nature or our society, and it is also important that the story attracts, excites, fulfills the director, because the excitement of the theater comes from all of that. Don't blame me, but I think the actors were underrated here, because you can see how with the right directors both young and old actors flourish. We suddenly realized that here we have in abundance one of the most important resources that any theater environment must have, which is good actors.
With all that, we are waiting for some good text from here. There are great themes, very important, but people don't understand the complexity of drama, a drama is more difficult to write than a novel, for example.
The year ended with the premiere, and besides, how would you summarize the previous period?
I am satisfied, because we made several good plays, we brought back many audiences, gained new ones... We had a co-production with the Tivat Cultural Center, which was helped by the mayor of the municipality Željko Komnenović and director of CZK Tivat Diana Sindik, with whom we have a good cooperation and who sincerely supported us, who often came down from the office and from the darkness of the hall from the last row, followed the rehearsals almost every day, provided us with good working conditions. In the end, we also agreed that our most successful performances will be performed on the stage in Tivat. I must note here that they have a good scene, roughly similar to ours. We hope that we will continue this cooperation and maybe do some co-production again in the summer... When I already touched on that topic, I would like to add that someone asked me a question at the beginning, which was whether I think that the Montenegrin National Theater to Bioč. No, the Montenegrin National Theater is the umbrella theater house of Montenegro and we try to play as much as possible on all stages, from Pljevlja, Nikšić, Beran, Ulcinj, Cetinje, Tivat and beyond, wherever there is the possibility. Unfortunately, on this occasion, I would like to point out that it is a shame that Budva does not have a closed hall, but, regardless of that, we plan to realize a co-production during the summer with Budva. Our goal is to be a guest on all stages in Montenegro, and in that context I must praise the former Minister of Culture Branislav Mićunović who equipped the stages in the north of Montenegro and thus left the possibility of realizing numerous projects and performances.
Would you like to add something at the end of the conversation?
I would like to wish everyone the best! Much health and to read as much as possible, to come to the theater, to refine yourself. What used to be said in my youth - eight hours of work, eight hours of rest, eight hours of cultural elevation. I wish all of us that cultural elevation. But most importantly, I wish everyone health, happiness and joy.
We are always colleagues on stage
You are originally an actor. Is it difficult to balance the roles of director and actor and how much did you have to give up acting for the role you play?
You made a good point. Just recently, I spoke with Nikola Ristanovski and told him that I canceled some series because of this and gave up some roles, including good fees, and he said to me: Well, what does it matter if you have two bureks or four bureks, because here you have a mission that is important, a chance that is rarely presented to anyone in life - to improve a theater environment... I canceled some performances that I played in Belgrade, but also kept those performances that were suggested to me to stay in or to become disturbed if I leave them. Those are some four titles in Belgrade, from which I would single out participation in the play "Empire of Darkness", which I love very much, and which was directed by Igor Vuk Torbica. The other night we played it in Belgrade for the 50th time and it was fantastic. Although dark and heavy, that show is getting better and better, fuller, richer, has grown to unprecedented heights and will be played for a long, long time. I'm glad about that, because in this way we preserve the legacy of that wonderful director. He would be the first director I would invite to work. Unfortunately, a tragic fate befell him, and we are here to preserve his plays.
On the other hand, CNP works great, all services are in agreement, so sometimes we finish a lot of things on the phone and nothing disturbs us. I am quite present here, and every trip means a lot to me in this role as well, because wherever I go I try to make some contacts and collaborations that I can use for CNP.
At CNP, you played in "Deceased" by Egon Savin, how did that process and cooperation with the cast go?
It gives me great pleasure, although at first I told Egon to choose someone else, but after his insistence I agreed. I've worked with wonderful, fantastic colleagues and it's a real pleasure to play with them. At no point was there any distance between us, because of my position, neither on stage nor off. On stage we are always colleagues, we act like an actor towards an actor, the only difference is maybe that I am a bit older and maybe I have a bit more experience.
The attitude of the "demanding-undemanding" audience is reminiscent of the story "He was ashamed of his mother"
How would you comment on the importance of criticism and the general (non)existence of theater criticism in Montenegro?
When it comes to criticism, there is generally very little of it. It's okay if someone likes or dislikes something, I just don't like to feel, and I'm sorry when I feel, any kind of call-the-critic complex that manifests itself in the need to humiliate.
Of course, everyone has the right to write, our work is public and everyone has the right to express their opinion, whatever it may be, from which I do not run away. Speaking of which, though, I'll be honest that there was one criticism that really bothered me. One man who wrote about "The Deceased" said that it was a play that would please, as he said, "our undemanding audience." I'm not talking here about criticism of the play, let the author think whatever he wants, of course, but that sentence bothers me, that division, that demanding and undemanding audience. It's a bit like Ivan Cankar's story "He was ashamed of his mother" when Joža's mother comes to visit, and he tells his friends "No, that's not my mother", because he was ashamed of her peasant boots and funny dress and bundle in which he brought shirts. So the attitude of the "demanding-non-demanding" audience looks to me like a man who has a complex about being born in a certain environment that he is ashamed of.
How can anyone say that? Those in the audience are all our mothers, aunts, fathers, uncles, sisters, children... Our people is not an undemanding people and it is not the petty bourgeoisie. I was born in Nikšić, where I lived until I was five years old and which for me is a mythical city. However, I like to say that my father is from Broćanac and that I am proud of Broćanac and my relatives there. People there are not undemanding, on the contrary, they are very demanding. Maybe they are dressed the way they have to be when you work around the land and cattle, but they are all gentlemen in their essence, extremely eloquent, cultured and smart people, with whom you can talk about anything. My late cousin knew how to make the best mixed cheese, and I remember the last time I visited her I saw her reading "Madame Bovary".
If a political party or system depends on one play, then there is something wrong with them
The situation in the theater that stood out to a large extent in the previous year was the one with the play "Pier Paolo Pasolini directs the Last Judgment", when production support for Zlatko Paković was canceled and the play was practically censored. What do you think about it now?
Censorship is one big stupidity made by those who decided that way. If a major political party or system depends on one play, then there is something deeply wrong with them. 150-200 people would have seen that play in the auditorium, and with this blunder they made themselves even worse... The man released that "dress rehearsal" online and about 5.000 people saw the play. I know that in the play he also mentioned the director of the CNP, which I was particularly interested in. I have nothing against the fact that the entire play is directed against me, because, at the end of the day, I will neither be defended nor overthrown by a theater play, and the play will neither overthrow the government nor fight for it. Plays cannot change the politics and society of the country much. They can only ennoble a nation over many years and make people richer. On the other hand, I have to admit that I don't like political theater. I believe that we should deal with our flaws that allow some bad policies to be established over us. I would have a lot to say about politics, but I don't want to. I can say that I accepted this position because I believe that a revival has taken place in Montenegro, which I still think so. We have finally become a truly civil state. That authorities and governments fall every hour is quite normal in a democracy. And if the theater changes something there or will change it - it won't. During a long series of years, the theater builds a kind of culture of a people, which will then have some influence. A refined man will look at the world, society, and life differently. I believe that the theater is a meeting place.
Nevertheless, daily politics entered the theaters, at least for a moment...
Recently, there was a case in which an actress was offended because a colleague from the CNP sent words like, I'll paraphrase - "let those from the DF entertain you". I think that such a sentence is ugly and shameful, regardless of who it was addressed to. We are all private citizens, even political beings, we can be activists and sympathizers of some parties, we appear in music videos, but that must not happen in the theater. We must understand that the theater is a meeting place where everyone sits equally, whether they are from DPS, SDP, Bosniak Party, DF, Democrats, but we are all people here first and foremost. We are concerned with something deep, something human, a thread that connects us all, and that is what the purpose of theater is.
"Sirin" and "Storm" are waiting
When it comes to roles in films, it was previously announced that you are playing in the film "Sirin" by Senad Šahmanović. Is there anything else to expect or has it been left aside?
I have a beautiful and significant role in the film "Sirin". We are waiting for Senad to finish it so that we can look forward to the premiere together, because the film is of very high quality. I mostly refused all other recordings, so what can be expected is only what remained in post-production, and what I did before I came to CNP. So there is "Storm" directed by Miloš Radunović, a young man from here. It is a film and series that talk about the tragic events of 1995, and the concept is very interesting. The action is reduced to the conflicts of a few people, there are very few large collective scenes, and it also has an interesting form, because it is largely an action film.
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