Novi Sad Theatre, premiere 18th October 2024
People sometimes believe they are emancipated from myths, yet humans remain highly susceptible to the influence of the spoken word. That is why we will never tire of telling and listening to stories, especially good stories, ones that speak to us about universal human experiences, subtly showing that our fates are inextricably linked to the fates of our ancestors and fates of the one around us, and stories that move us out of our comfort zones and open up broader perspectives.
Slovenian director Tomi Janežič is best-known among Serbian audiences for his acclaimed production of Nahod Simeon which was staged in 2006 at the Serbian National Theatre. This play, based on a text by Milena Marković, won eight awards at the Sterijino Pozorje festival in 2007. Janežič also directed a brilliant production of The Seagull in 2012. Now, Janežič returns to Novi Sad with a his ‘dodecalogy’ project,1972-1981 – a year-long theatre omnibus consisting of twelve plays. The project reflects Janežič’s childhood in 1970s Nova Gorica, intertwining it with the personal stories of the actors he has worked with. Each play connects its setting with the Slovenian city of Nova Gorica, where Janežič grew up.
The dodecalogy is a transgenerational documentary fiction addressing themes of borders, socio-political, and ideological changes, but above all, it is an omnibus about theatre itself. Novi Sad was selected for the year 1981. That year, SPENS (an acronym for European Table Tennis Championship Novi Sad, built as a center and hall for table tennis), Hotel Novi Sad, and the Liberty Bridge was constructed. Novi Sad was rapidly changing its appearance and expanding.
In 1981, the fates of five generations and the city of Novi Sad are explored through the story of a Hungarian-Serbian family. The narrative spans from the time of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia to Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito, President Slobodan Milošević, and ultimately to the present day. The play does not focus on mixed marriages or the cultural clashes between the two nations in Vojvodina. Instead, it presents political events as external circumstances, in contrast to the approach seen in Tena Štivičić’s Three Winters. For instance, the first wedding of Arpad (Arpad Mesaroš) and Terezia (Terezia Figura) is interrupted by the news of the King’s assassination. Decades later, n the ’90s, Boris (Boris Isaković) deals with gasoline coupons, while his wife, Agota (Agota Ferenc), resorts to smuggling goods from Slovenia (one of the many connections to Nova Gorica) due to inflation and the country’s dire state. Jasna (Jasna Đuričić) connects births and deaths in the family with the building and demolition of bridges in Novi Sad. The play intentionally avoids focusing on wartime conflicts, the breakup of the country, or questions of national identity, as it does not aim to be a historical drama. Rather than being centred on a city or a house (as in Three Winters) the emphasis is placed on the family.
The central event that unravels the family tree is the wedding, which takes place in 1981. It is the wedding of the old bride Terezia and the old groom Arpad, following their previous marriage that ended in domestic violence. Now faced with a terminal diagnosis, Arpad has decided to remarry Terezia. The wedding at Hotel Novi Sad (which ultimately didn’t take place at the hotel, but at an unknown location, but still, the set design is a replica of a hotel room interior.) is not the primary focus of the play. In fact, we only witness a family photo session as part of the wedding. What’s significant is that the wedding serves as a narrative anchor, allowing us to connect the past and present of the family. The editing of the story is excellent, making the relationships and timeline clear, even though it is not presented chronologically or retrospectively. The family tree begins with two sisters – Terezia and Silvia (Silvia Križan). In addition to portraying their great-grandmothers, they also take on the roles of their namesake granddaughters.
Janežič carefully considers the dramaturgy of the spectator in his performances. According to theorist Marco De Marinis, the audience in theatre serves as a dramaturgical object – essentially the target and purpose of all actions and events on stage, as well as the receivers of what unfolds on stage. In the ten-hour performance No Title Yet, the audience is provided lunch during breaks, given a chocolate stimulant… Similarly, in the five-hour performance 1981, Janežič contemplates the emotional and physiological needs that the spectator experiences. During the first break, we were served coffee and candies, and for the second break, we enjoyed water. Every theatrical element (dramaturgy, directing, acting, light and sound, and even opening windows when the space became too warm) served the story. These elements were designed to ensure that every emotion and each shift in the character’s fate reached the audience at just the right moment and in the right way.
After the first break, there was a charming and witty video intermezzo about the spaces mentioned in the performance. This added an even greater theatre illusion, highlighting the interconnectedness of these spaces with the narrative, and ultimately emphasizing love as the glue that holds people and stories together. While other interpretations are possible, it felt like a Verfremdungseffekt from epic theatre. It provided comic relief and served as an associative advertisement linked to what we were witnessing. It’s a shame Brecht isn’t alive; he would surely have loved this.
The fantastic actors from the Novi Sad Theatre ensemble, along with Jasna Đuričić, Boris Isaković, and Aron Balaž, speak to the audience in the names of the characters they represent while also becoming the characters they portray in dialogue scenes. Đuričić particularly shines in her monologue about the life of her half-brother and in her final, bittersweetly humorous scene in the nursing home. The extraordinary Isaković, in the role of the self-sacrificing son-in-law, husband, and father, is endlessly funny and authentic in his expression. The scenes featuring Isaković and Balaž as the elderly, somewhat senile, yet still vital grandfather, are a comic delight. Daniel Husta, performing with an injured leg (I wasn’t sure if the crutches were props in other performances or were there solely for his injury, but they blended in perfectly), gave a masterful performance, while Arpad Mesaroš leant into the stereotype of himself as a person capable of performing a wide range of acrobatic feats – something which he often showcases in other productions – so, he did the splits whenever it was manageable. An incredible acting team!
This performance is an ode to Novi Sad as a city, a theatre, and a temple of storytelling. It is the essence of what theatre can be and left me feeling euphoric and thrilled. Although I may be biased after being deeply impressed by it for days, I firmly believe that 1981 is the most significant theatrical event of the past few seasons in Serbia.
Nova Gorica will be the European Capital of Culture in 2025, where 1981 will be presented together with other Dodecalogy plays created in Romania, Ukraine, and Slovenia.
Main image: 1981, photo by Srđan Doroški
Credits:
Author, director and light designer: Tomi Janežič // Set design: Branko Hojnik // Costume design: Marina Sremac // Composer: Samo Kutin // Choreograper: Döbrei Dénes // Video: Carlo Zoratti // Photographer: Guido Mencari // Assistant director: Mojca Madon, Jernej Potočan, Irena Antin
Cast: Aron Balaž, Gabriela Crnković, Deneš Debrei, Jasna Đuričić, Emina Elor, Agota Ferenc, Terezia Figura, Daniel Gomboš, Daniel Husta, Boris Isaković, Silvia Križan, Arpad Mesaroš, Gabor Pongo, Bence Salai
For more information, visit: ujvideki.com
Further reading: review of 1978
Further reading: review of no title yet
Divna Stojanov is a dramaturg and playwright. She writes mainly for children and young people.
