On Monday, August 5th at 9PM, in the venue Between Churches, the play Kumovi, written by Dušan Kovačević and directed by Božidar Ðurović, will be performed. The play is the production of the Performing Arts Theatre Nikšić. It came to be as a way of marking the 140th anniversary from the performance of the first play in Nikšić theatre. It premiered on February, 16th this year, and that on the Day of the Establishment of the Performing Arts Theatre in Nikšić.
As Kovačević stated earlier about the play Kumovi “It is an unusual story of friendship between a man who was made redundant at work and a dog from a park nearby. The story enfolds in a usual way, as do all the stories that would later gain a completely different perspective. In its essence, it is a thriller. While writing it, I was mostly interested in the economical and political situation in the country. I didn’t want ,however, for it to be told in the usual, political manner, that would retain its value only whilst that specific political situation is at play in a country.”
Božidar Ðurović stated after the premiere that he was especially interested in the kind of humor present in the play. It is the kind that is borderline between tragedy and comedy and in the play, those two moods constantly interrelate. He also added the following “This is a very sad story, tackling the tragic faiths of people in everyday life, as was fantastically explained by Kovačević in three words. We will strive to retain a dose of seriousness that the piece has. I think that one of the values of the play lies in the fact that we haven’t been trying to make the audience laugh but wanted to inspire within them a mixture of sad and happy emotions. I am convinced that humor is the only defense against any kind of government, because it is impossible to avoid. However, that one is funny happens once in a blue moon nowadays. There is ,suffice to say, a great scarcity of funny people today and I am terribly afraid of people that are too serious.”
Along with the director Božidar Ðurović, the authorial team comprises: Vesna Popović (scenography), Marina Medenica and Margareta Marinković (costume design), Jelena Simić (stage movement), Bojan Bojanić (the choice of music for the play), Pavle Bogojević (accompanying the music with his voice).
Cast: Žana Gardašević Bulatović, Hadži Nenad Maričić, Ivona Čović Jaćimović, Nikola Vasiljević and Pavle Bogojević.
The same night at 9PM, one will have a chance to witness the premiere of the play Favoritism , at the amphitheater of the “Sveta Trojica” Monastery (Stanjevići). The play is adapted and directed by Milan Nešković, in accordance with Branislav Nušić’s play of the same name. The play is the co-production of the “Theatre City” Budva and the Sombor National Theatre. The play Favoritism is the 82nd production of the “Theatre City” and it is important to highlight that this is the first time Nušić is a part of the festival.
In the director’s preface Milan Nešković stated the following: “Humor is one of the most complex forms of communication amongst people. Therefore, it is not that common, nor easy to be funny whilst trying to do that on stage doubles the difficulty. Suffice to say, there are many types of humor, capable of producing different kinds of laughter. Nušić’s humor, however, is universal. It digs deeper into the character of a nation that hasn’t changed for almost two centuries-and why would it change when it’s doing so well. Protection is one of Branislav Nušić’s earliest works. He wrote it while he was in prison, the authoritative eyes of guards following everything he wrote. Therefore, he was made to tone down his criticism that cost him his freedom in the first place. That is how this heart-warming story, atypical of him, came to be. It is a relatable and tackles the topic of imperfect human character. All the characters are impossible not to like, despite their faults which are, however, not to be overlooked. One of the songs for the play goes-Is this a matter of character or is it a mental illness? Whatever the answer to this question is, only humor can seemingly save the world-both ours w and the one of Nušić’s characters. And if we already share their character, let’s share their faith too and wish them good luck. Understandably, the ending signifies finality, and thus can stand beside the word happiness only as an oxymoron. That’s what we want in theatre and that’s what we want from humor. Long live the theatre oxymorons and the human warm-heartedness and humor. As for you, Mr.Nušić, I thank you! Happy 160th birthday!”
Along with Milan Nešković ,who was responsible for the adaptation and direction, the authorial team includes: Biljana Grgur (costume design), Daniela Dimitrovska (scenographer), Duda Buržujka (music for the play), Staša Blečić (stage movement), Dr.Dijana Marojević (stage speech coaching) and Ivan Nikolovski (assistant scenographer).
Cast: Ninoslav Ðorđević, Marija Maša Labudović, Ivana V.Jovanović, Saša Torlaković, Biljana Keskenović, Ana Rudakijević, Lazar Nikolić, Srđan Aleksić, Julija Petković, Miloš Lazić, Stevan Vuković and Staša Blečić.
The play protection will also be performed at this year’s festival on the 6th of August.
Transportation will be provided for the play’s audience from the bus stop in front of the “Tre Canne” hotel at 7.30 PM. It must be highlighted that there are parking spots in the vicinity of the Monastery.
The “Theatre City” Press-Office