The central event of this year's XXXV festival "Grad Teatar" is the premiere performance of the play "Zelena choja Montenegra", based on the novel of the same name by Mom Kapor in collaboration with Zuk Džumhur, and directed by Nikita Milivojević.
JU "Grad Teatar" is doing the play in co-production with the City Theater from Podgorica and the Belgrade Drama Theater from Belgrade, and the premiere is scheduled for August 10, in the amphitheater of the monastery of St. Trojica in Stanjevići, at 21 p.m.
On this occasion, a press conference was held yesterday in front of the monastery of the Holy Trinity in Stanjevići, where the following spoke: director Nikita Milivojević, director of JU "Grad Teatar" Milena Lubarda Marojević, director of the City Theater from Podgorica Stevan Koprivica, artistic director of the City Theater from Podgorica Dušan Kovačević, director of the Belgrade Drama Theater Jug Radivojević as well as actors Andrija Kuzmanović, Jelena Simić, Maja Stojanović and Miloš Pejović.
Director Nikita Milivojević said that after 20 years he is back at Gradu Teatr.
"I'm really more than happy to be here again at the festival. I'm not saying this politely, but precisely from the feeling of those twenty years. When so much time passes, you realize that some of my best, most important performances and moments in the theater happened right at To the city theater. Those are wonderful memories and in that sense I am very grateful for this invitation. I am grateful to my dear colleagues because they joined together to make this play. The play had a bit of a strange process because of the corona, everything we were going through together, she was going through and this play. We wondered if we would even make it to the end, so we are happier that we have arrived. My great joy is that we are in this space, which is exciting in its own way and has its own history, and we are telling a historical story Milivojevic said.
He always believed that a play, like our life, should have three seasons.
"We never live only in the present, but also in the past and the future. This is how our play takes place in three times. It is ungrateful to speak before meeting the audience, let's wait to see how the audience reacts to the play. We had the impression here last night that we finish your work and have a team satisfaction," said Milivojević.
Thanking the entire team of the play, the director of JU "Grad Teatar" Milena Lubarda Marojević pointed out that a lot of effort and will was invested in the last two years, because the only reason why everything took so long was the coronavirus pandemic.
"Under those circumstances, the insufficient number of rehearsals, the organizational problems faced by all the co-producers, it was very difficult for each of us to present the part of the work as we had agreed at the very beginning, and it really happened that way. Nikita's great effort and clear the vision of how it should look from the very beginning and the work with the entire creative team led to this play. Based on what I saw these evenings at the rehearsals, I can say that I am very happy and I can't wait for the audience to come to the amphitheater and see the play. It is important for me that people know that the effort is clear and obvious and all their good will is greatly appreciated by us. The project "Green Choya of Montenegro" and the title and all together how it looks now is something that we have been looking forward to for a long time and I have a personal bias because I am originally from Cetinje, so it is difficult for me to be objective when I watch Prince Nikola and Princess Milena and their friends in their youth on stage and listen to their animated lines, but I believe that the majority of our audience to react. Nikita's handwriting is familiar to us, but it again brings something new," said Lubarda Marojević.
Co-productions are always the most important thing for the Grad Teatar festival, emphasized Lubarda Marojević.
"Co-productions restore old and create new friendships that are regional and they continue to live on the stages of the co-producers. That is the path that the City Theater should have continued to follow forever. It is precisely that moment through which the theater shows that other mission, except for a big one that has in the relationship between the audience and the viewers."
Lubarda Marojević stated that the space of the Stanjevići monastery, where the play will be performed, is important for several reasons.
"Historically, it is directly related to the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, it is also historically related to many important moments in the history and cultural history of Montenegro. On the other hand, there is an energy of this place that you will feel already tomorrow at the premiere and all other performances. I would especially like to thank the brothers of the Stanjevići monastery, led by abbot Jefrem, for their great hospitality and for their understanding of theater, which is a secular matter, and their understanding of the autonomy of theater that such a process has. For fourteen days, the team stays here in the monastery, all the theatrical conditions are met, and there is also a warmth as if you came to a relative's house, and you came to a friend's house. Whenever word is heard about this play, word should also be heard about this space, which is halfway from Budva to Cetinje, like our premiere tomorrow." Lubarda Marojević said.
This project is proof that there are also successful coalitions, pointed out the director of the Podgorica City Theater Stevan Koprivica.
"We are used to the fact that coalitions are always questionable, but the cooperation between the Belgrade Drama Theatre, the City Theater and the City Theater shows that concrete products are possible and that a goal can be reached. I feel half at home because I have in my author biography belonging to the City Theater Budva with many performances, and what is important is that in these bad times, the way of cooperation between three important institutions, the two regionally most important theaters at the moment and a festival that has its own integrity, authority and duration contributes to something called this kind of premiere production," Koprivica said.
The artistic director of the Podgorica City Theater Dušan Kovačević said that he is grateful to all the co-producers and others for their patience because of the obstacles that this project had from the idea to its creation.
"Theatre is something that is above everything, first of all I don't mean something as sublimely secular, but as something noble and some territory that brings us all together regardless of our different opinions. It is very important that we keep that togetherness in the theater and create noble things." "Green choja of Montenegro" is a story about friendship, nobility, honor and morality, true human values that, unfortunately, are being lost today, Kovačević said.
The director of the Belgrade Drama Theater, Jug Radivojević, thanked "Grad Teatr" for representing that theater at this year's festival.
"We were very persistent, almost stubborn to get to the premiere and it seemed almost impossible. The whole year was marked in that way, but it is not only the case with this project. "Green Choya Montenegro" will be our eighth premiere this year. I want to really thank the City Theater, not only for the extraordinary relationship in this production company, but also for the invitation to participate in this festival with two more of our plays that were performed in the past few days," said Radivojević.
He added that Budva was lucky that Nikita Milivojević was absent for only 20 years.
"The Belgrade Drama Theater has not had him for 30 years since the last direction, so it is a great happiness and honor for us that the director who was present at the Globe and Epidaurus will also be at the Belgrade Drama Theater. We have a show that will be the pride of all the authors, co-producers and crew members. Watching the rehearsal, I had the feeling that I was watching a live movie, the space is fascinating," said Radivojević.
When it comes to historical characters, there is always a sense of additional responsibility, especially when they are Montenegrin rulers such as Prince Nikola Petrović, said actor Miloš Pejović.
"We tried not to burden ourselves with the historical context in our work. We focused on relationships, friendship, and I think that way you get more from your character than if you copied your character historically," said Pejović.
Actress Maja Stojanović, who plays Princess Milena in the play, pointed out that "Grad Teatar" is her home theater because this is her third premiere in the last three years.
"I would also like to thank the director Milena Lubarda Marojević and the whole team. I have been very satisfied since the first rehearsal and am in a good mood. I can't wait to share all this with the audience," Stojanović said.
Majority Evans is the character played by actress Jelena Simić in the play, and she pointed out that she is fascinated by the story, the play and her character.
"She's a witness to how something miraculous and completely unexpected can survive in those circumstances, which is a friendship between two people who are on completely opposite sides and whose friendship survives because it exists on some special level," Evans said.
Actor Andrija Kuzmanović plays the character of Osman-šaša Sarhoš and, as he says, his colleagues envy him for that.
"I've read everything by Momo Kapor, I'm very glad and I feel a great responsibility towards this novel, towards this man. He never tired me, that's why I prefer to read him. Many older colleagues told me that they would like to play that character. Very I'm proud of the whole crew. The theater is above us, above any personal relationships - we're here for the audience, we're here for art, we're here for love," said Kuzmanović.
The Budva premiere of the play "Green Choja Montenegro" is scheduled for today, in the amphitheater of the monastery of St. Trojica in Stanjevići, at 21 p.m., while the reruns are on August 11, 12 and 13, also starting at 21 p.m.
Transportation from the Mediteran Express station (in the city) is provided for the audience at 19.30:XNUMX p.m.
They note that there are parking spaces near the monastery.
Bonus video:
