The play "Princess Ksenija of Montenegro – Exiled mourner of the house of Petrović" will be renewed and premiered in February next year, announced the director of the Montenegrin National Theater (CNP) Ilija Subotić.
He said that the CNP in cooperation with the Royal Theater "Zetski dom" will soon start work on the restoration of the play "Princess Xenia of Montenegro - The exiled mourner of the house of Petrović", according to the text and directed by Radmila Vojvodić.
As stated in the announcement of the CNP, opening the lecture "Petrovići Njegoši and the development of theater in Montenegro - identification until today", on the occasion of November 13 - Njegoš Day, the Montenegrin cultural holiday, Subotić pointed out that the renewal of the play "Princess Xenia of Montenegro Gore" to strengthen the theater scene of Montenegro and the region, symbolizing the unity and common goals of the only two national theaters in the country.
The title of the lecture: "Petrovići Njegoši and the development of theater in Montenegro - legitimization until today", as pointed out by Subotić, obliges us to see the mentioned relationship as a process that took place in two directions - one that shows us the awareness of these rulers about the importance of theater art in the process cultural emancipation of Montenegro and the other one which reveals to us how, not only in terms of importance but also in terms of intrigue, the biographies of the representatives of this dynasty over time became the subject of theater art itself.
"During its seven decades of operation, the Montenegrin National Theater recorded several productions and adaptations of Njegoš's works, as well as projects that dealt with or were inspired by the life and work of some representatives of the Petrović dynasty. Made by different director's manuscripts, both those closer to classical theater conventions and research ones, these plays are still an unavoidable legacy not only in Montenegrin but also in regional theater art," said Subotić.
Historian and theater scholar Luka I. Milunović spoke about the role of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty in the institutionalization and professionalization of theater art in Montenegro.
"At the very turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, with the beginning of the new century, the Crnojevic dynasty left the political and state scene in Montenegro. The noticeable renaissance momentum is starting to die down. This is the environment in which, at the end of the 17th century, Bishop Danilo, the founder of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, came to the head of free Montenegro, whose members, leading a clearly directed constant struggle to strengthen internal cohesion and affirm the state idea, would also leave significant monuments of Montenegrin culture. The two Petrović dynasties will be indebted to Montenegrin literature as the authors of significant dramatic works, and each of the Petrovićs will strongly inspire artists with their exceptional life path, so that they will be treated as characters in significant works: literature (drama), music, visual arts and film," he said. is Milunović.
As he added, just as the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century with Bishop Danilo and the Petrović dynasty brought a significant improvement of the state, social and cultural environment in Montenegro, so from the end of the 18th century with Bishop Pertra I Petrović, major advances will be made. in strengthening internal cohesion and the formation of the state of Montenegro in the full meaning of that word.
"Opportunities in the next three decades from the beginning of the 19th century will not allow Bishop Peter I to realize his wishes and plans on the educational and cultural level. A very noticeable step forward in these areas will be achieved by his successor on the spiritual and state throne, Petar II Petrović - Njegoš. Searching for information about the events related to the theater during the 19th century in Montenegro actually means closely following the great efforts of a small, poor and war-torn country in an effort to bridge the passing centuries in the years of peace in order to get closer as soon as possible to the current levels of events in theaters and cultural life in general throughout developed Europe," Milunović added.
According to Milunović, the second half of the 19th century brought the first secular ruler, Prince Danilo I Petrović, to the head of Montenegro.
"In addition to the immediate activities that he initiated and carried out on the organization of the state and accelerated approach to Europe, Prince Danilo I and his wife Darika intensively brought European cultural manners and atmosphere into Montenegrin everyday life. After prince Danilo I Petrović, the young prince Nikola I came to the head of Montenegro. Major cultural events took place then: organized and continuous theater life began; the theater building Zetski dom was built, occupied and ceremonially opened, and finally the state professional theater was founded and started operating (1884, 1888, 1896 and 1910)," said Milunović.
Members of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, as dramatic authors and heroes of contemporary dramas, represent a special and indispensable segment of the repertoire within the Montenegrin theater system, said Janko Ljumović, professor of the FDU Cetinje, during the lecture "Montenegrin metahistorical dramatic landscape".
Ljumović said that five rulers of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty, out of a total of seven, were dramatic actors, i.e. authors of dramatic works and heroes in the works of contemporary authors.
"These are Petar I Petrović Njegoš, Petar II Petrović Njegoš, prince Danilo I Petrović Njegoš and prince and king Nikola I Petrović Njegoš. In Gorski vijenc, the most performed work of Petar II Petrović Njegoš, the main character is bishop Danilo, the progenitor of the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty. Apart from them, Montenegrin playwrights focus on Princess Darinka, the wife of Prince Danilo, and Montenegrin princesses Ksenia, Zorka and Jelena, as the main characters of contemporary dramatic texts. Also, we have a whole gallery of other personalities of the dynasty," Ljumović pointed out.
When it is put this way, according to Ljumović's words, we read the members of the Petrović Njegoš dynasty as dramatis personae, a term that Patris Pavis ultimately defines as the broadest generic term used to denote a person (character, character, type, role, hero).
"Let's add that another ruler from the dynasty also left behind literary works, Petar I Petrović Njegoš, over three hundred preserved Epistles and seven heroic poems. On the other hand, their "appearance" alongside other characters from works of dramatic heritage and contemporary dramas creates a gallery of anthological characters of Montenegrin dramatic literature and theater, whether they are fictional characters in literary works, primarily dramatic ones, or historical figures," said Ljumović. .
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