Young drama artists, actors who graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje, then four of them, exactly 22 years ago, founded the non-governmental organization "Youth Theatre". On this day, January 15, 2001, they officially started work, namely the first project "Mask - the other face of the actor"...
One of the founders, and to this day an active member of the Youth Theater, an actor of the Podgorica City Theater and a professor at the FDU in Cetinje, Branko Ilić in an interview with "Vijesti", he points out that at the time when they started, there was no independent scene in Montenegro...
"They all started Ivana Mrvaljević i Vesna Vujosevic", he reminds and continues:
"We joined later Maja Šarenac me too, and then the youngster Branka Femić Šćekić i Katarina Krek... We didn't know how everything would look, but we knew that we had the will, knowledge and courage to do more than waiting for someone to call us," he says...
Numerous challenges were ahead of them, then actors on the threshold of their careers, without which today the theater repertoire in Montenegro is unimaginable... They have a lot behind them, they persevere even today, they indulge in adventures since the one that was the founding of the Youth Theater, so to all kinds, which Ilić talks about for "Vijesti"... But, regardless of everything, they always knew what they were striving for and what they wanted...
Their goal, above all, was to protect the interests of young dramatic artists of Montenegro, so their work is aimed at gathering and joint engagement with other similar organizations and interested artists, whether from the country, the environment or abroad, and there is also work on enrichment and the exploration of one's own stage expression.
"A special place in our work belongs to the preparation and organization of performances, chosen and engaged theatrical language. We believe that it is necessary to introduce new energy, enthusiasm and high professionalism into our theater, because this creates a counterbalance to the model of official theater language, develops a democratic atmosphere and creates excellent conditions for the development of critical reflection - the most important factor for progress. Due to the need to research new techniques of stage expression, as well as their application in work with children and young people, as well as students and professionals, soon after the foundation we started the practice of organizing drama workshops, and later performances", it is written on the website teatarmladih.wordpress.com.
Branko Ilić shares his memories of the beginnings, the scene then and now, challenges, anecdotes, and the position of the theater and the Youth Theater in society over the past 22 years.
Founded 22 years ago, the Youth Theater had a clear goal, vision and mission to create a place for young actors, directors, and theater workers on the Montenegrin (independent) theater scene. What did it all look like in the beginning? How much will was required and what challenges did you face?
When we started there was no independent scene. We didn't know how everything would look like, but we knew that we had the will, knowledge and courage to do more than waiting for someone to call us. Everything was started by Ivana Mrvaljević and Vesna Vujošević. Later, Maja Šarenac and I joined, then young Branka Femić Šćekić and Katarina Krek. We had the will and desire to work and explore possibilities, our own, artistic and market.
The need for work was crucial. The biggest challenge was to create something out of nothing. Therefore, we chose pieces that could be made with modest means, and still have an artistic level. Above all, the challenge was to find any material resources. And of course, it was also a challenge to deal with those provincial attitudes - "What are you going to do? How will you? You won't be able to do that!”.
It seems that, then and now, you dream the same dreams and are on the same mission. How much has changed in general, in society, in the audience, in the theater, in Montenegro, and how has it affected you?
The changes are not big, but there are some. Today, it is no longer unusual for a group of independent artists to dare and start a production on their own. It's easier to get funding today. International competitions are more accessible. Locals are still under party influence, but it is possible to get funds there. New generations have come of age and are fighting for their space, and this will inevitably affect the improvement of the quality of the work of the independent scene.
On the level of the state's relationship with the independent scene, there are some developments, or better to say, some indications. For the first time in 20 years, someone from the Ministry of Culture asked us what we thought and how and what we would change in this mutual relationship. The law on culture is the same vague, vague, non-encouraging investment in culture and contests whose distribution of funds is insufficiently transparent and imprecisely defined. There are indications that something will be done in that regard... We'll see!
How would you summarize the past two decades in your theater? What has the Youth Theater created, how important is it and is it recognized? Is there anything that you particularly remember, be it anecdotes, complications and challenges, or collaboration?
Twelve plays: "Night of Tribados", "Green Mountain", "Love List", "Cricket and Ant", "Beauty and the Beast", "Canary Soup", "Creeps", "Darkness", "Little Red Riding Hood", " Half and half", "Family stories", "Santa Claus exists", seven of which are alive, are played according to the possibilities. Three workshops. Co-productions with almost all cultural institutions in Montenegro. More than a hundred people who contributed to the Youth Theater as collaborators and were humanely paid for their work. I think that our work is recognized by the audience first of all, because the most difficult thing in the theater is to play a show for a long time and fill the hall. Today, plays disappear before they are created. Our plays have been played for ten years or more. "Canary Soup" has been performed more than 150 times, "Beauty and the Beast" has been performed for 14 years.
Each of our performances is an adventure. From working on it, to each individual gameplay. We traveled around the country and the region, got stuck in the snow, we took the scenography by plane to Moscow, when the Montenegrin attache met us at the airport, he could not believe that we were carrying with us a two-meter-high metal scalameri that was an imaginary mirror in " Canary soup", which cannot fit in his car. They barely let us on the plane to bring her. But... The show must go on, and we didn't want to hang around and play without a scenography.
What is the Youth Theater doing today, what are the recent productions and what is the interest of the professional public, among colleagues, as well as the lay public? What is the cooperation with cultural institutions and other similar associations?
The latest performances are "Night of Tribados" in cooperation with the Council of Europe, the Tivat Culture Center, the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, the Faculty of Law and the University of Montenegro. Then "Zelena gora", which is a co-production with the Cultural Center "Nikola Đurković" from Kotor, sponsored by the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Institute for Hydrometeorology and Seismology, the Environmental Protection Fund, the Center for Ecotoxicology research, JP Natural History Museum, JP National Parks. Here... the number of people and institutions that have confidence in us speaks best about our projects.
All our plays are co-productions and are performed in cooperation with institutions, but also independently. So all those collaborations are still active. As for the interest of the professional public, I know about those people from the profession who cooperate with us and their opinion is extremely important to us, especially since we create together, other professional opinions are reflected in invitations to festivals and awards. Our play "Beauty and the Beast" received an award for "outstanding production effort and performance as a whole", I was awarded in the same play for the best male role. We participated in all festivals in the country and some abroad. As far as the lay court is concerned, full halls and satisfied collaborators who spread their ideas and projects through us with the help of art speak best.
In the meantime, the founding team became well-known on the Montenegrin theater scene, and the Theater was enriched with young people. Given that you are also a professor at FDU, what would you say your younger colleagues are like, do you recognize the passion for creating, playing and fighting? On the other hand, do older, professionally accomplished colleagues retain the same strength and enthusiasm as in the beginning?
It seems to me that we have more enthusiasm now than before. What would they say, we will never be younger (hahaha)! All this is individual and depends mostly on the individual himself. Only when strong individuals come together is the group strong. We are aware that young people bring new strength and quality. Projects based on young people are "Zelena gora", where newly graduated students play Danica Rajkovic i Lazar Đurđević. He also plays in the play "Lista za ljubav". Lara Dragovic, then "Pola pola" is a play that was included in the repertoire of the Youth Theater as a graduation exam, in which all the roles are played by young people.
However, their personal struggle depends on each of them individually. We will be happy if they propose and start a project in the future... The most important thing is a good project, because then we get together and when we start there is no giving up, no fatigue, no problems, but it can be done!
In what way and what can the theater offer young people, artists and the audience?
It depends on the theater. At best it's a couple of premierships a year, provided you play in each one. There is no room for everyone in each. It's not about the actors. Theater programs are not prepared four years in advance in relation to the needs of the society and the ensemble they have, which is a condition for being elected to the position of director, but it is mostly a combination of circumstances, which director is free, what is being done to him, and the actors will already some find... That's why actors want and do independently what they can and how they can.
And theaters offer all kinds of things to young audiences... And they should offer a specially selected repertoire, carefully selected titles in consultation with educational institutions, and in accordance with the current social problems that plague the community and the youth. There is very little of that.
What topics are in the focus of the Youth Theater and why?
Topics that concern our community. Socio-political relations. Attitude towards children. Freedom: of speech, thought, choice... Everything that we think is really of interest to our citizens. Because we think that this society is lacking... When people from the audience see their picture, they at least wonder a little. And that should be the goal of art, to try to influence.
What are you currently working on and do you have any plans for the current year?
Our plan is to play our shows as much as possible and to continue the cooperation we have started. We are planning a project on human rights. We have big plans, so it is frivolous to talk about them and not realize them.
And the president is an audience
A video of your performance at a ceremony to celebrate the day of the Faculty of Law and a text calling you out for "a vulgar speech with which you shocked even Milo Đukanović" appeared on one portal, with the conclusion that "in the framework of the play (your skit) you spoke your sexual adventures with one woman"... Considering a series of earlier understandings and acceptance of the theater, how would you comment on this situation?
Ha-ha-ha-ha, that's the picture and opportunity of our community. If it was not sad it would be funny. Namely, it was about the fact that I was invited by the dean of the Faculty of Law, Aneta Spaić, to perform a part from the play "Night of Tribada", so I neither gave a speech, nor was I vulgar, but at the request of the organizer I performed a part of the work of art , fiction, play - acting, which admittedly has the power to make smart people wonder, and shock the primitive.
It is unfortunate that some spiritualists interpret that I was vulgar, because at some point I addressed the president, again deliberately forgetting the fact that at that moment the president was in the audience along with everyone else. That's another power of theater - to make everyone in the audience equal. And you can see that on the video - that I address the president, the dean's office, the rector, the president of the assembly, the mayor, just like everyone else in the hall, because they are, or should be, equal to all of us - people. So I address them just like a character does in a play.
This very attempt at a media lynching is an indication of how much we as a society desperately need culture and theater, and therefore I invite all respected lawyers, prosecutors, the lady president of the assembly, the president, the rector, and everyone who was at that event, to watch the whole play "Night of Tribados" in order to be convinced of the message of women's freedom that this play carries.
Anyway, if this is really the position of some "reputable lawyers" or an attempt at a media lynching, I have to admit that for the first time in my life I wanted my children to go as far away from this beautiful country as possible.
One thing, however, makes me happy. It seems that I acted well, if I caused such a stir in some primitive minds, because as another character from the play, called Hamlet, for the uninitiated, Shakespeare says: "The goal of acting is to be, so to speak, a mirror of nature, to to virtue it shows its own face, to vice its birth image, and to the present generation itself and the being of the world, its form and imprint".
Montenegro lacks an artistic underground
For you, the performances are successful, but how many opportunities does the domestic audience have to enjoy them, considering the lack of capacity in terms of space?
Thanks to the Cultural and Information Center "Budo Tomović", whose management understands independent productions, we can play our plays there, as much as possible. The situation is similar in other cities. Cultural centers are underutilized, especially in the north of Montenegro. It is not impossible, although it is difficult organizationally. Montenegro lacks an artistic underground - a space where young people who think they have something to offer would gather.
The greatest creative potential is found in the desire and need for artistic expression. The young artists of Montenegro have it, why not provide them with some universal space where they could gather and with planning and coordination to allow them to create. There are various options for finding such a space, but so far there has been no hearing on the instances that could and should make it possible. We have already tried with a concrete space and a plan to revive it, but we did not find understanding.
Bonus video:
