On Sunday, August 25th, at the amphitheater of the “Sveta Trojica” Monastery (Stanjevići) at 9PM, the play Michael Kohlhaas will be performed. It is a play by the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, realized in accordance with the Heinrich von Kleist’s work of the same name. It is dramatized by Fedor Šili, directed by Boris Liješević and it already had its premiere this year in April. The play will also be on the repertoire for the 26th of August. This is also the last of the new adaptations on the XXXVIII “Theatre City” programme agenda.
The novella Michael Kohlhass is the highlight of the Heinrich von Kleist’s ,who is a true representative of the grand German Romanticism, prose work. Even now, after two centuries, it is borderline unbelievable how contemporary Kleist was when it came to his style of writing, themes and ideology of his one-of -a- kind canon.
At the media conference, announcing the premiere of the play, the fact that this Kleist’s work in particular was chosen for the play, was addressed. Liješević stated that from the moment he laid eyes on the aforesaid novella, he knew that was what he wanted to work on. This piece, as Liješević stated, fitted like a glove in this period of his life and instantly, the idea of how to adapt this famous novella for the theatre came to mind. Liješević reminded that this was a story about a man who was searching for justice in a system for which he hoped would, if not reward him, then at least provide protection. His ideas of justice, however, were crashed as he realized he would have to back down in front of one untouchable and powerful family-added Liješević. We often think this is typical of society today, but as we can see, Kleist also had experience with such instances. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been inspired to write about it-explained Liješević. Furthermore, Liješević pointed out that the moral of the story was that justice shouldn’t reside at the hands of one man, but the society in general should have a say in things. The play leaves us with the questions such as: “What one should do in cases when justice is unattainable” and “Should we back away from the already lost cause or soldier on till the very end”. The play doesn’t provide us with the answers, which should not be the function of the theater in any case, but what is important is that it poses the right kinds of questions-said Liješević. Liješević wrapped up with the notion that what we thought was symptomatic of society nowadays, we see was even worse in the times long gone. “The times might have changed but people haven’t”.
Along with the director Boris Liješević, the authorial team of the play encompasses: Fedor Šili and Miloš Krečković (dramaturgy), Darko Nedeljković (scenography), Marina Sremac (costume design), Kralj Čačka (music for the play) and Ljiljana Mrkić Popović (stage speech).
Cast: Vojin Ćetković, Miodrag Dragičević, Vojislav Brajović, Nikola Rakočević, Zoran Cvijanović, Miloš Samolov, Milena Vasić, Aleksej Bjelogrlić and Kralj Čačka.
Transportation is provided for the audience from the buss stop in front of the “Bracera” Hotel at 7.30 PM. It is important to mention that there are free parking spots in the vicinity of the monastery and that the play will be performed on the open-sky stage. However, as the performance will take place at the altitude of about seven hundred meters, the evening temperatures are significantly lower than the ones in the Old Town.
The same night at 6.30 PM, August 25th, the play in a form of a guided stride Unreal City is to take place. It is written and directed by Vuk Ršumović and is the production of the “Theatre City” Budva. The venue for the play is the whole of the Old Town Budva.
Along with the writer-director Vuk Ršumović, the authorial team includes: Ana Tomović (assistant director), Jakov Munižaba (sound design), Andreja Hamović (the visual designs’ author) and Marija Liješević as the narrator. Ana Pavlović and Sunčica Babić are also a part of the play.
The oral testimonies of: Slobodan Bobo Mitrović, Dalibor Antonioli, Jerolim Dragičević, Ljerka Dragičević, Dragan Stefan and Marija Pjerotić were used as a documentary material.
The play Ureal City will also run on the 26th of August, at the same time.
The “Theatre City” Press-Office