On the new stage within the TN "Slovenska plaža", across from the entrance to the city swimming pool, a press conference was held today on the occasion of the premiere performance of the play "The Life of Provincial Playboys after World War II or We Want Others' Things - We Don't Give Ourselves" directed and dramaturgically written by Ivan Penović, made according to the text Dusan JovanovicThe play is a co-production of the Budva City Theatre Festival, the Belgrade Drama Theatre, the Ljubljana Municipal Theatre and the National Theatre of the Skopje Drama Theatre. The moderator of the conference was Svetlana Ivanovic, editor-in-chief of the festival program.
Ivanovic pointed out that this is a demanding regional co-production, realized on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of Dušan Jovanović's death.
“This year, the City Theatre joined forces with the Ljubljana Municipal Theatre, the Belgrade Drama Theatre and the Skopje Drama Theatre, on a project that brought together prominent artists from the region. I am glad that one of the most talented young directors of today, Ivan Penović, accepted the invitation of the co-producers and worked with us on this work. The play is performed in all languages of the former Yugoslavia, which once again showed that theatre can overcome all divisions.”
Penović, director and playwright, explained the choice of location and the concept of the work.
"This long-titled drama fits nicely into the ambiance of the Slovenian Beach. The choice of location stemmed from the idea that the play would be performed in four languages, and the places where people of different nationalities meet today are most often summer resorts and resorts. The text was written in a time similar to today, as a drama of resistance to reality, uninhibited and playful, deliberately avoiding a clear point. It was made on the basis of commedia del arte, with recognizable character stereotypes, but it deconstructs, enters the absurd and asks the actors to create attention out of nothing. We have a young ensemble full of energy, visible differences in acting schools and languages, and working in an open space brings additional challenges. The play was made for two months in Skopje, and the joint stay outside their home environments further focused the work and strengthened the ensemble," said Penović.
Actress Sonja Stamboldžioska spoke about her experience while working on this play.
"It's very interesting to work with a team that doesn't understand each other and speaks different languages, especially for me because it's my first time working with this Macedonian part of the team. It was great in Skopje, and even better in Budva, I have no personal obligations, I'm resting and enjoying Budva. I hope the show will go well," said Stamboldžioska.
Actor Nejc Jezernik He revealed that he was acting in the play and that this was a new experience for him.
"I always look at what I can learn from the project. The fact that we come from different backgrounds has brought me a new experience. At first I was scared, but when I saw that Ivan (Penović) allows us to be playful and playful, every rehearsal was more and more interesting for me. This is my first time in Budva, we spend the day relaxing on the beach and work in the evening. I really like it here."
Actor Lazar Nikolic He pointed out that he plays a Montenegrin in the play and that this was expected.
"It was logical that I play a Montenegrin, since I'm from Budva. I tried to convey typical characteristics, in accordance with the comedy del arte genre, because there are mostly types, not characters. So I tried to play everything that is somehow typical of a Montenegrin on stage."
Actor Marco Gvero he talked about working in an international ensemble.
"We understood each other as much as we wanted to understand each other, to remain compact. I worked with people and in environments I had never been in before, and the conditions in Budva are special, the accommodation and the workspace are in the same place or right next to it. Acting in multiple languages and approaches from different schools of acting brought a new dynamic and I think we made a fun and humorous play."
Milena Lubarda Marojević, director of the Public Institution City Theatre, assessed that the project is reminiscent of large Yugoslav co-productions.
"That's what it is, actually. It's a broad production collaboration, with an exceptional director, ensemble and author team. This is also our way of marking five years since the death of Dušan Jovanović, with whom all our houses collaborated. The audience can expect a smart comedy with subtext, genre-based on commedia del arte, but adapted to the 21st century," emphasized Lubarda Marojević.
Robert Veljanovski, director of the Skopje Drama Theater, emphasized the importance of exchanging experiences.
"The play was produced in four languages and brings together at least six theater schools. The premiere is in Budva, followed by Ohrid Summer, Brijuni, Skopje, Belgrade and Ljubljana. The process was not easy, but the result is a serious, artisanally precise play. I would like to thank all the co-producers and the ensemble for their exceptional cooperation."
Jug Radivojevic, director of the Belgrade Drama Theatre, spoke about the importance of international co-productions.
“Our mission is to choose the right partners and create projects with multiple goals. Thanks to the engagement of the Grad Teatar team, we got a partner who gave a broader context to this play. As Niki Lauda "He used to say - when everyone brakes, we accelerate. That's how we will continue to nurture such projects. This is also Ivan Penović's first directing in Belgrade, which the audience will see on December 1st at the opening of the RUTA festival, when we will present his directorial poetics."
The premiere of the play in Budva opens its regional tour, which will include performances at festivals and stages in Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. Scheduled for August 10th, on the new stage within the TN "Slovenska plaža" across from the entrance to the city swimming pool, at 21 pm, with repeat performances scheduled for August 11th, 12th and 13th.
Bonus video:
