That the theater be much more in us

There are many of us in the theater, and I would like the theater to be much more in us.

These are the words of the champion of the Montenegrin National Theater (CNP) Mirko Vlahovic addressed to those present at yesterday's traditional awards ceremony and ceremony on the occasion of Theater Day, and after he was awarded the most important recognition of the CNP - the Grand Prize.

The award, which is given for the most significant artistic result of the year achieved on the stage of the CNP or in the organization of the CNP, for high artistic reputation and raising the reputation of the CNP, was also awarded to the champion of the CNP Varja Djukic. The ceremony and the awards gain additional importance when you consider that yesterday marked the 70th anniversary of the first performance in the National Theater House of Montenegro. This theater is older than the jubilee we are celebrating, Đukić reminded, adding that there are "endless lines of people who come to the building where we are celebrating"...

"Into the silence and darkness of the hall, we engraved voices, billions of quanta of light, illuminated thought with them. We flicker together, simultaneously and continuously," she said and reminded that she has been in the theater since childhood.

"I have been sitting on the ground floor of the CNP since childhood, today I don't know what was more important: while I was watching or while I was playing, to be carried away and elevated by the scene of play, intelligence and courage that we share in the hall. The most powerful creative institution in Montenegro! The world is known by us!", said, among other things, Đukić.

The Council of the Montenegrin National Theater, at the suggestion of director Ilija Subotić and artistic director Vesna Vujošević Labović, unanimously decided to award the Grand Prize equally to the acting duo in 2023 for their roles in the play "The Visit", directed by Aleksandra Morfova.

"Building complex characters in the play 'The Visit', with their acting skills they established a rich system of theatrical signs of an exciting work of art. The difficult moral questions posed by this play were developed by their play in such a way as to place the viewer in an ambivalent position, making it difficult for him to take a final stand. Just by appearing on the stage, these actors give a special tone to every dramatic situation, and their exceptional careers are a huge contribution to the identity of this theater", stated the President of the Council in his explanation. Vasko Raičević.

The performance "The Visit", based on the motifs of the work "The Visit of the Old Lady" Friedrich Durenmatt, was created in 2020, during the corona virus pandemic, but due to numerous circumstances, it was not performed in front of the audience. After the renovation, the premiere was announced for last night, and the replay is tonight.

An eminent European theater director received a Certificate of Appreciation from CNP for his contribution to the affirmation of theater, and the assistant director received the award at the ceremony Dušanka Belada.

Yesterday, the Montenegrin National Theater celebrated its 70th anniversary, which was an occasion to host numerous dignitaries and recall the significant history of its work, which began on November 1, 1953, when the play "Extinguished Hearth" was performed. Petar Pecija Petrović.

"Since 1998, this date has been marked as Theater Day, when we reward our artists, ensemble members and collaborators, as well as other theater professionals from all sectors who made the greatest contribution in all segments of the theater's work and activities in the previous year," she said. is the spokeswoman of the CNP Tajana Nedic who conducted the ceremony.

Art director Vesna Vujošević Labović on this occasion, she reminded that the past years were not without challenges.

"The National Theater went through turbulent times, but it remained firmly embedded in the center of the Montenegrin cultural scene. All the exceptional results would not be possible without the people who make it up, that's why this day is an occasion to sum up what was achieved in the previous year, as well as reminding of the artists and collaborators who have enriched and improved this institution with their commitment, passion and talent", she said. .

She also recalled the results achieved in the previous year: seven premieres, more than 140 programs seen by more than 33.000 viewers, guest appearances on stages in Montenegro and the region, participation in numerous domestic and regional theater festivals, new productions and renewal of unperformed plays.

"In the desire to be more visible on the international theater map, we started the process of joining the European Theater Convention", said Vujošević Labović with the message: "Long live art!".

She further presented the awards together with the director Ilija Subotic. The status of honorary member of the CNP, which is awarded to outstanding creators and collaborators of the theater for significant work and results achieved in the field of culture, which are of importance for theater activity, was awarded this year to: full professor and director Radmila Vojvodić and playwright and playwright Bozo Koprivica.

"Honorary titles are not just a convention, let's meet and remind about the dignity of the profession and togetherness, as well as the never-good times for culture in a never-good world, but to make them better, more beautiful and to be together," Vojvodić said in her speech .

A native of Nikšić who graduated from world literature and spent his working life in Belgrade, but did not forget about his Montenegro, as Nedic announced in Koprivica, said, in his own style, that he was glad that "even a street person could be an honorary member of the theater", and that the one that was important on the Yugoslav map.

"And that Yugoslavia never died can be seen from the people who are present - there is a representation of the Yugoslav theater," said Koprivica.

The status of life member of the CNP was given to the actor Slobodan Marunović and director and playwright Goran Bulajic. This award is given to drama artists whose employment status ended in 2023 due to retirement, and with whom the theater continues to cooperate.

"Today is a great jubilee - 70 years of the existence of the national theater. Tonight (last night) my 42nd season as an actor begins there, with the play 'The Visit'. I have to say that the CNP for these 70 years has really been the best witness of the times in which we live. The theater, in its structure, conception and essence, is a mirror of our lives - ups and downs, but also those most difficult moments that happened in this area, but also a meeting place of people from the region, who were bound by the essence, the meaning of life and the existence of the theater. The theater has survived, it is still going on and that is why I am extra happy with this honorary member status, but even if I had not received it, I would have stayed in the theater for life", said Marunović.

They received the annual award of the Montenegrin National Theater for exceptional artistic results in 2023 Aleksandar Radulović, for interpreting the role of the Mayor in the play "The Visit" and Mitra Ljubiša in the play "The Ship" Ana Đorđević, including Jelena Minic for the role of Kate Ljubiša in "Brod" and Mrs. Birstner, washerwoman, Lena, Justice, in the play "Proces", directed by Dušanka Belada.

"I am immensely looking forward to spending as many moments in my life as possible in the theater that I have always felt as mine. I have been fighting all my life for the theater to feel the belonging I feel towards me, and it seems to me that this has been happening for years. I will try not to make my life a theater, but certainly make the theater my life," said Radulović.

Awards for exceptional results in the production, organizational, administrative and technical sectors were given to: female producer in the Production Service Janja Raznatović, marketing producer in the Marketing Department Andrijana Muratović, consultant for agency work and marketing in the Sales Department Viktor Pavićević, accounting officer in the Finance Department Valentina Dragojevic, accounting officers in the Finance Sector Vesna Vukićević, stage masker-make-up artist in the Department for technical and stage production Vesna Bijelić, driver-courier in the Department for technical and stage production Bojan Bulatović and personal and property security guard in the Maintenance Department Nemanja Dožić.

The official part of the ceremony ended with thanks and gifts to those who tied their working lives to the CNP and retired in the past period: Milosava Radulović, Radmila Jović, Mirjana Vuković, Dragica Filipović, Momir Malović, Miomir Ivanović, Milorad Pajović, Milenko Novaković, Slobodan Marunović, Biserka Vukčević, Čedo Novaković, Goran Bulajić i Marko Bacovic who, among other things, was the director of CNP until the immediate end of the last theater season.

"Maybe it's an award ceremony, but the true celebration for every theater is the play, the premiere and every performance," Nedic concluded.

Mija Đurović Scholarship "Velibor - Bucko Radonjić"

Costume designer from Podgorica, Mia Đurović, is the winner of the "Velibor - Bucko Radonjić" Scholarship, which is awarded to an individual for exceptional results in the field of theater scenography, costume design and fine arts.

Đurović graduated from the Faculty of Contemporary Arts in Belgrade, majoring in stage costume. At CNP, she was hired as a costume designer's assistant for the plays "Disagreement" and "The Ship", as a costume designer for the play "Mali bračni zločnimi", and she is a costume designer for the new play "671 - Hunting".

Thanks to RTCG

At the proposal of the director, the Council awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to the National Public Service Radio and Television of Montenegro for their contribution to the media presentation and promotion of their work through all three media, and of importance for the realization of public interest in the field of culture and theater activities. The general director received the certificate of appreciation Boris Raonic.