The Montenegrin artist is aware of the importance and significance of the cultural institution he heads Luka Radovic aims to contribute to the quality of the work of the oldest theater in the country during his directorship at the Royal Theater Zetski dom in Cetinje and justify the trust shown, always putting the interest of the theater before everything else, including his own.
That's what Radović says in an interview for Vijesti, in which he summarizes the previous period in Zetski dom, but also announces what is yet to come. By the end of the season, performances of "Pillar of Salt" based on the text are planned Aleksandra Radunović Popaj in directing Javora Gardeva from Bulgaria which will be staged already at the end of February, but also a new staging of the talented Damjan Pejanovic which will set Brechtov "Small Town Weddings" announces the days of the independent scene in March... In addition, the goals are numerous, among them the employment of new people, improvement of marketing, involvement of young authors and the like...
"Given that the Royal Theater Zetski dom has five vacant places in the systematization for actors, we expect that we will be able to expand our ensemble, but there is the smallest factor of will, but the budget funds that we will have at our disposal in the coming period", reveals Radović and continues to comment audience interest, speaks of the challenges facing the Royal Theater and theater in general.
Although sometimes it is difficult to imagine that an artist is involved in management, states Radović, he considers the years of experience and successful independent managerial work to be a kind of contribution to the work he is doing now. He also talks to Vijesti about how and to what extent his experience as a musical and visual artist can contribute to his position as a theater director, what he recommends for that position, and how he sees the role of the theater...
How did the Zetski Dom Royal Theater welcome the holidays and what would be your wish as director for the next period?
Zetski dom rounded off the year 2023 by presenting the December repertoire to its audience. The repertoire was diverse and the theater was visited, so we can say that we are satisfied with the holiday period. My wish as a director is that in the coming year we will achieve everything planned and thus contribute to the development of culture in Montenegro, but also that our theater will become a favorite address for all theater art lovers.
As with the previous year, one part of the theater season has ended. Given that you took over as director at the very end of last season, how would you sum up that period at the Zetski Dom Royal Theatre?
The first part of the season was marked by two premieres; the premiere of the play "Pillow" by the contemporary British-Irish playwright Martin McDonough, which he directed Andrija Rašović. The performance was realized in cooperation with the "Zetski dom" and the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Cetinje, as Andrija's exam master's performance, and already at the beginning of next year the audience in Bar will have the opportunity to see it. The second premiere was "Robinson Crusoe", which is based on the motifs of the famous novel Daniel Defoe directed Petar Pejaković. We are especially proud that, in addition to our acting ensemble, children attending the educational and cultural segment "Studio" also play in it. And she will have her first guest appearance at the Podgorica City Theater in January. The third process has also started, work is being done on the play "Pillar of Salt", which according to the text will Aleksandra Radunović's Popeye will be directed by Bulgarian director Javor Gardev. We are expecting a high-quality performance whose premiere is scheduled for February 2024.
What are the results so far and the plans set, that is, the goals for the rest of the season, as well as for the continuation of the mandate in the position of director?
In addition to realized and started new shows, we can boast about the collaborations that we have achieved in the months behind us. Two cooperation agreements were signed, with the National Theater in Sombor, as well as with the National Theater in Bitola. Both collaborations involve at least one exchange per year, which means that we will bring selected works of the two mentioned houses to our audience, but we will also present our work, which we are proud of, to the audience in Sombor and Bitola. Cooperation has also been achieved with cultural centers in cities across Montenegro, whose scenes have been adapted to theatrical productions...
We believe that there is still interest in culture and that it is our responsibility to bring it closer to everyone, and we will continue to work on that in the year ahead. In addition to the aforementioned, the artistic director made contacts with the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb, the Zagreb Youth Theater and Kerempuh, all with the aim of potential exchanges and co-productions. We can also boast of the days of the independent scene that await us in March 2024 in the hope that this month will become the traditional month of independent productions in the years ahead.
There is still a lot of time until the end of the mandate, and when someone works with dedication, heart, enthusiasm and with a team of good people, the results must be good and high-quality within the budgetary possibilities.
What are the first steps you took after taking office and what is the primary priority for the next period?
After taking over the position, the projects that had been started had to be completed first, the agreed guest appearances, festivals and the like had to be implemented. Given that the Zetski Dom Royal Theater is a kind of cultural monument of the first degree of protection, work was done to create the conditions for replacing the complete joinery on the building, as well as replacing the rolling stock. We are also working on creating better conditions for marketing so that the Zetski Dom Royal Theater is recognized more widely, is more visible, and attracts a new audience. It is also a priority that, in accordance with the budget possibilities, the Royal Theater gets as many people as possible within its system in order to perform its function smoothly and even better, considering that the current number of employees is very small. Nevertheless, these people, with their many years of experience, dedication to the theater, love and knowledge, show that quantity does not mean quality, and the proof of this is quality productions, domestic and international awards and performances that live on.
Next year is the jubilee year for our theater, so we will celebrate the 140th year of our existence appropriately. New art director Stella Miskovic she also came with a clear vision for the next period, so we will try to include young Montenegrin playwrights in our work, as well as to turn to creativity for teenagers who are neglected as an audience.
How many premieres are planned until the end of the season? Is there a plan to expand the ensemble?
I have already mentioned the two premieres in 2023, as well as the start of work on the play "Pillar of Salt". By the end of the theater season, the talented young Montenegrin director Damjan Pejanović will have the premiere of Brecht's "Little Town Wedding".
Considering that the Zetski Dom Royal Theater has five vacant places in the systematization for actors, we expect that we will be able to expand our ensemble, but there is the smallest factor of will, but the budget funds that we will have at our disposal in the coming period.
What is the audience's interest in Royal Theater plays? How satisfied are you with ticket sales and the attendance of theater lovers from other cities? What should be done to raise it to a better level and are you planning anything in this regard?
The interest of the audience is satisfactory, but there is room for improvement, as well as in general when it comes to culture. We try to animate the audience with a more engaged approach on social networks, by organizing prize games, but above all with the quality of productions. Currently, there are no statistics that would give us accurate data on the composition of the audience, but we can unofficially note that our pubclique, apart from people from Cetinje, consists mainly of people from Podgorica and Budva. The best way to attract the audience is to do quality work, but we also believe that all the other mentioned plans, such as collaborations, will contribute to greater attendance at our theater.
What do you recognize as the main challenges in the future period, either from an artistic or technical aspect?
The biggest challenge for people from culture is to harmonize ambitions and desires with possibilities, and this primarily refers to budget restrictions. It is especially a big challenge when the leading positions are held by people who live culture and for culture.
Given that you do not come from theater arts, what would you say if he recommends you for the position of director of the Royal Theater Zetski dom?
My job as director is to ensure that all sectors function and that each job is completed professionally and successfully. All my experiences in work and other spheres of art, specifically in music and visual arts, contribute to performing my function as a director to the best of my ability. The artistic director is a person who is closely related to the theater profession, recognized for her quality work even beyond the borders of our country, so the quality of the artistic service is unquestionable. As someone who has been involved in music and visual arts for years, my knowledge in these areas can only contribute to better quality work. What I personally consider the most important is that in my work I always put the interest of the theater first, not my personal, and that I am aware of what kind of institution I came to and how long it has existed and forms the cultural course of Montenegro. I want to finish my mandate certain that I have contributed to the quality of the theater's work and clean in front of those who have placed their trust in me.
Without the MIT Festival in 2024.
Are you planning to work on restoring the MIT festival, possibly presenting a production outside of Montenegro, something similar?
In 2024, the renewal of the MIT festival is not planned, and for some future period everything is possible. The year behind us was full of challenges, full of quick but also wise actions, and there was little time to make a good strategy for the renewal of the festival, which would mean that a plan must be made that will be functional in the long term.
Years of experience in music for better leadership and management
Do music. Can your past experience in that field contribute to this engagement, and in what sphere?
I have been engaged in music for years, as a performer, composer, arranger, and often as an initiator and organizer of certain events. Sometimes it is very difficult to imagine that an artist is involved in management, because the public's perception of artists is completely different, but years of experience and successful independent management in business behind me are just one plus for the work I do.
The potential of theater in education and the formation of critical thinking
In your opinion, to what extent is the theater a place of intersection, summarization and meeting of all other artistic practices?
In particular, the Royal Theater, in addition to its own and guest theater productions, often hosts other forms of art. We believe that as a cultural institution we must give space to everyone who works in culture and whose work is in accordance with our quality standards. As a form, theater is such that it contains a lot of other art forms and represents a kind of substrate of life. This makes it receptive to a wide and diverse audience and that is why it has great potential for the formation of educated generations who are able to develop critical thought.
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