REPERTOAR OSMOG MEĐUNARODNOG POZORIŠNOG FESTIVALA „SLAVIJA 2009“

 9. mart - OKOLO THEATRE NEAR THE STANISLAVSKY HOUSE,
Moscow, Russian Federation
N.V.Gogol: „THE GAMBLERS“

10. mart - „SLAVIJA“ THEATRE,
Belgrade, Serbia
Branislav Nušić: „IN POWER“

11. mart - SARTR,
Saraievo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Miodrag Žalica: „THE EMBRACE“

12. mart - BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA NATIONAL THEATRE, Saraievo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dubravko Jelačić Bužimski: „THE MIDNIGHT GAME“

13. mart - ŠABAC THEATRE,
Šabac, Serbia
Zoran Božović: „THE QUEEN OF LAUGHTER“        

14. mart - EPILOGUE THEATRE, Zagreb and
CRYSTAL CUBE OF BRIGHTNESS TOWN THEATRE, Sisak, Croatia
David Farao: „THE GUEST“

15. mart - YOUTH THEATRE „NIKOLAI BINEV“,
Sofia, Bulgaria
Frank Vedekind: „THE DEATH AND THE DEVIL“

16. mart - NOTTARA THEATRE,
Bucharest, Romania
A. P. Chekhov: „PLATONOV“

17. mart - DRAMA THEATRE SKOPJE,
Skopje, Macedonia
Edward Albee: „THE GOAT: OR, WHO IS SYLVIA?“

International, without borders and discrimination, our “Slavia” theatre festival, of the hugely popular Theatre “Slavia”, has been enjoying its charming boyhood for the past seven years. Now, with its eighth stage procession under way, it is open-heartedly, with an open public behind it, embarking on its youth. It’s worth mentioning, however, that the “Slavia” Theatre did not race into Belgrade like Minerva with a helmet on! Nor did it come adorned with ornate victory trophies. In fact, this festival earned its wings in undesirable and meagre times, when the only art on our minds was literally: To be, or not to be!

In the upcoming eighth round of the festival, we can look forward to better, more seasoned plays, spectacles from the small scene, cameos which will brighten our day and show us all aspects of theatre life – on par with the likes of those found from Okinawa to Avignon, St. Petersburgh to the ancient cities of Switzerland, from Skopje to Budapest.

The “Slavia” festival lives and breathes like The Glass Bead Game andthose March evenings when one can smell spring in the air. With a younger, more inquisitive, open-minded, and civil public worthy of a ticket, the venue waits with doors wide open. Without resorting to patronizing their goers, tireless festival “Slavia” theatre staff, do not even discourage complaints, and critiques of the overall aesthetic plan. Although it is not the focus of the public eye, the “Slavia” theatre festival is the theatrical beacon, shining bright in our beloved city of Belgrade. In addition, the festival repertoire is not dictated bureaucratically, dogmatically, under extremely tight tolerances, by way of egalitarianism, and especially not diminutive attitudes such as, “you keep payin’, we’ll keep playin’!”

It is important, however, to mention that the “Slavia” festival did at no point during it’s operation exhibit an elitist, or, least of which, a fraudulent view of theatre. That is a complete manifestation and a huge blow to the public and theatrical establishment simultaneously! This is truly difficult to achieve!

For years, one of our most well-known playwrights, Aleksandar Aca Popovic, had dreamed, wished and had always had an inkling that a festival of this type would be established in Belgrade. Popovic’s plays, The Secret Link, Purple Night, and Krabulj Dance could have been presented in any setting, indoors or out (from a theatre hall to a public garage, park or street venue).

It is also interesting to note that the “Slavia” theatre and the building where our dear Aca Popovic lived and wrote his masterpieces, share the same garden. The building in which the “Slavia” theatre resides is built on the land where Mrs. Natalija, maid of honour and aunt to Danja, Aca’s wife and former national ballerina, had a house before the Second World War.

Milosav Buca Mirkovic