On the new stage within the Tourist Resort "Slovenska plaža", and as a continuation of the drama program of the 39th edition of the Grad Teatar festival in Budva, on Sunday evening the premiere of the play "The Life of Provincial Playboys after World War II or We Want What's Elsewhere - We Don't Give What's Ourselves", directed and dramaturgically written by Ivan Penović, and after the text Dušan Jovanović.
The play is a production of the Budva City Theatre with the Belgrade Drama Theatre, the Ljubljana City Theatre and the Skopje National Drama Theatre.
The comedy “The Life of Provincial Playboys after World War II or We Want Others' Things - We Don't Give Ourselves Away” was written in 1972 and first performed in 1973 at the Ljubljana City Theatre. The work was created in the spirit of the sexual revolution and the student spring of 1968, under the influence of the socio-political circumstances in Yugoslavia at the time, to which the youngest generation of artists reacted.
The play's description states that it is a text imbued with Luddism - a specific response of the post-war generation to "difficult" topics, marked by the absence of a search for meaning and solutions, and by accepting events as they are, through play. Within this framework, "Playboys" brings a whirlwind of eroticism, youth and insatiable passion, behind which, "between the lines", one can sense the emptiness, vanity and egoism of a society that chases after pleasure. Half a century after 1968, vanity and aimlessness remain relevant, combined with the search for money and existential fear.
The premiere was held in front of a large audience that followed the performance with attention, rewarding the actors with laughter. The play was performed in the form of commedia dell'arte, with pronounced physical expression and songs at the end of each act, which especially contributed to the rhythm and atmosphere of the evening.
The direction and dramaturgy are by Ivan Penović, a young Croatian playwright, playwright and director, who has been regularly staging his own texts since 2014, and has achieved success in his career with the award-winning play "Do You Know Who I Am" (Croatian National Theatre Zagreb). Since 2022, he has been the Director of Drama at the Croatian National Theatre in Split.
After playing, Penović stated that he was satisfied with the Budva premier.
"I am satisfied. We worked in one city, and we have performances in different countries ahead, so I believe that certain parts will go better or worse, more understandable or not. It is a specific type of comedy, a rather deconstructed commedia dell'arte. It is not the type of comedy in which you laugh all the time, but rather the kind of comedy that questions what is funny and what is not. The audience accepted it well. The songs are written into the text and carry the Brechtian moment at the end of each act. These are the most sincere moments in the play, a commentary on what it is about. Given the strong, diverse and young ensemble, it was logical for them to step forward, to go towards the audience and show that strength as a whole. The play will change depending on the performance venue, it is always good to refresh it a little locally. I am very satisfied with both the location and the cooperation with the Grad Teatr", he emphasized.
The author team of the play consists of: Sonja Dolzan (translation), Laze Tripkov (scenography), Aleksandar Nospal (costume design), Vladimir Pejkovic (music) and Damir Klemenic (stage movement).
The cast includes: Lazar Hristov, Julita Kropec, Marko Gvero, Sonja Stamboldžioska, Lazar Nikolić, Vukašin Jovanović, Nejc Jezernik, Marjan Naumov i Jovana Spasic.
Actor Vukašin Jovanović also said after the performance that he was very satisfied.
"Tonight's performance was also the first contact with the audience, which is necessary for a performance like this. Commedia dell'arte involves improvisation, but of course in controlled conditions. This is not a classical form, but it is extremely fun to perform, there is always some detail that we develop. We may have been a little tense tonight because it is the premiere, but the performance will live on and we will just have to relax," says Jovanović.
Actor Lazar Nikolić said he was happy that they finally performed the play in front of an audience.
"This is our first audience, which is particularly demanding and important, because without an audience, a comedy has no real effect. I think the audience reacted nicely, we broke the ice and the play has the potential for a long life. It was physically demanding, a lot of movement, jumping, singing, but we had a great director and collaborator for stage movement. The location is a pleasant surprise for me, I think Budva has the potential for more new scenes. My character of a Montenegrin playboy plays on the 'first ball', with a lot of clichés and stereotypes, and I'm glad if the audience hasn't seen a Montenegrin like this before," says Nikolić.
Actress Julita Kropec expressed her satisfaction because the audience followed them well during the performance.
"I am satisfied and glad that the audience followed it so well tonight. The play is physically demanding, but after two and a half months of rehearsals, the body gets used to the pace. We have been wonderfully received here, and I am especially looking forward to playing in Ljubljana, although it is always the most difficult. As for Budva, the location, the sea, the smiling people, everything was great," Kropec sums up.
After the premiere, three more performances have been announced at the Grad Teatar festival in Budva, on August 11, 12 and 13 at 21 pm, meaning it will be on the program tonight and tomorrow, and then it will be a guest at the Ohrid Summer Festival and the "Ulysses" festival on Brioni.
Bonus video:
