Premiere of the play "The Boar Hunt", based on the text Maria Sarap and directed Natasha Poplavska, was held on the stage of the Macedonian National Theatre. It is a work that, through strong emotions and powerful acting, opens up complex themes of domestic violence, trauma and liberation through art.
"Playing on the stage of the Macedonian National Theatre is a challenge. Watching a performance of your own play is like drinking your own blood and eating your own flesh. The art of performing and the emotion that permeates the entire performance is something that cannot be mastered in any way, except by watching the play. Boar Hunt is a catharsis, or purification, which is healing, necessary for everyone, not just women but for everyone. I think that's what art is for. 'Boar Hunt' is about expelling the demon from yourself and others, trying to be someone else, making a better place," said Marija Sarap.
The play is the result of an international co-production, achieved through the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the City Theater from Podgorica, the Macedonian National Theater and the Association for the Development of Arts and Cultural Cooperation "Art Media" from Skopje.
"Co-productions between countries in the true sense rarely happen, so this is the rarity and beauty of our work. Such projects bring the joy of acting. Here we have the cry of an independent scene supported by the experience and infrastructure of institutional theaters. I admit that at the beginning I was afraid of what the process itself would look like, and it went so well that we could hardly wait to go to rehearsals," said director Nataša Poplavska.
The dramatic text "The Boar Hunt" was created as a merger of two previously written plays, "Plan B" and "The Boar Hunt", written in different periods, but thematically linked.
"A story about domestic violence and family secrets, demons that are passed down from generation to generation. A women's cry for all women who have experienced at least a little of what is seen on stage, for women who have been silent and wondered whether they should speak out and who to turn to. This is also an appeal to institutions. We have accomplished our mission if at least someone in the audience decides to say: Enough!", Poplavska emphasized.
Actor Đorđije Tatić, who plays one of the key roles, says that "this will certainly be one of the processes that will be remembered the most because of the good energy during the work."
"I had the opportunity to collaborate with very talented and dedicated people. We were lucky that the author of the text, Marija Sarap, was there and was of enormous help. A challenging and multi-layered story and not an easy material to master. A topic that needs to be constantly talked about and pointed out that violence against women often remains far from the public eye, behind closed doors, often with a fatal outcome. The role I have played so far is the most challenging and difficult thing I have ever encountered. I can't wait for the premiere in Podgorica and we hope for a long life for the play."
Actress Ana Stojanovska She emphasized the importance of working on co-productions: "It's refreshing to work on co-productions, especially when they are done in multiple languages, in this case in two. We worked intensively, but really nicely. Dealing with a topic like this is not easy, I think we made a good play and I'm looking forward to the premiere in Podgorica."
Iskra Veterova-Slavenska She stated that it is important to try to find the causes of violence, trauma and fears, not to justify them, but to confront them.
"A woman has made choices in her life and now lives with the consequences. With her questioning, the story of the causes of violence opens... in the end we have a solution to put an end to it all."
Vukan Pejović i Mina Jelusic Jerinic They play the characters of a young couple whose story is part of a larger family drama.
"I see the character of Aleks, who is perhaps the only completely fictional character in this contemporary text, an inserted element that becomes part of a great family drama completely unconsciously and accidentally, as someone who from the beginning acts boyishly immature and superficial towards situations and problems that are largely made easier for him or, perhaps more accurately, obscured by the comfortable lifestyle that has been given to him/replaced, until fear, facing his own incompetence, but also empathy and a feeling of love lead him to maturity, taking responsibility and the truth. In this fast-paced rollercoaster of events, he becomes an unplanned carrier of change, both for himself and for other characters. Here we deal in a concrete way with a topic that is no longer just the intimate story of one woman, but becomes universal, the audience confirmed with applause that we achieved what we wanted," said Pejović.
Mina Jelušić Jerinić adds: "When I read the plays 'Plan B' and 'Boar Hunt', I knew exactly what I needed to look for in myself, I think I had the opportunity to let out many things that I had carried and kept quiet for years. It is beautiful, but also quite vulnerable, it opens up questions that have been locked in a drawer for many years. My colleagues have been a great support to me. I don't think I would have even half developed the character if it weren't for my colleague Vukan, who, as an older and more experienced actor, skillfully followed me and gave me the space I needed. I can feel Ana Stojanovska, who plays my mother and with whom I only have one scene together, breathing during the play and I know that she is there with me, just as she was during the process to help and give her advice. I hope that the play will be played for a long time and that the audience will accept it as it was tonight."
The set design and costume selection are by director Nataša Poplavska. The music was selected in collaboration with Vukan Pejović, while the video animation is by Emil Petrov.
The play premiered as part of the "Skopje Summer" festival, and the Podgorica premiere is planned for the fall.
Bonus video:
