Novi Sad Theatre, premiere 27th January 2024
Nearly 60 years ago, the text Offending the Audience by Peter Handke was performed, in which the theatre engages with itself, namely its indispensable part – the audience. “You [the audience] are the subject. You are the essence. You are the occasion. You are the reason why.” Two years ago, in response to Handke’s work, the playwriter Sivan Ben Yishai wrote the text Bühnenbeschimpfung (Liebe ich es nicht mehr oder liebe ich es zu sehr) – Offending the Stage (Do I not love it anymore or do I love it too much?). The play premiered at the Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin, and in previous seasons, the text was one of the most performed in the German-speaking area. Instead of the audience, Sivan Ben Yishai’s reflection focuses on the institutional theatre, its well-established, subtle power structures, its self-image, and its contemporary dogma. She questions the position of actors, directors, and writers within institutions, their relationships, and social responsibility.
Once Upon a Time in Novi Sad, subtitled a minority extravaganza with plenty of music, dance, ghosts, and Indians, directed by Andraš Urban for the Novi Sad Theatre / Ujvideki Szinhaz positions itself directly between these two texts, between “offending” the audience and “offending” the stage.
The Novi Sad Theatre celebrated its 50th anniversary in January this year and the jubilee was marked by the premiere of an authorial project that began in a post-celebratory atmosphere. The actors had to stay in the theatre until the last guest left, and when they were informed that they had a joint meeting the following day, they realized it wasn’t worth going home. The exciting circumstance – the captivity of the entire ensemble in a tipsy state and the anticipation of the meeting – was not further mentioned. However, this did not matter because the whole ensemble continued (auto)ironically, entertainingly, and critically questioning and analysing the relationships between actors in the ensemble, actors and technicians, and actors and the directors’ authority.
They wittily dissect generational animosity between actors and their younger colleagues, with older actresses lecturing their younger colleagues how to stand with attitude and sing, dance, and act simultaneously. In a collage of sequences, the ensemble condemns moral purists who do not go to the Novi Sad Theatre because they criticize its use of contemporary forms and social engagement; they also attack and ridicule older male actors who flirt with young colleagues, speak out against sexism and bullying, and address the minority position of the Hungarian nation in Serbia. They mock stereotypes about Hungarian girls being morally loose and boast that the Novi Sad Theatre has the most rehearsed, physically fittest, and best theatrical ensemble in the city and beyond (which they indeed are).
The actors speak about their societal position, low wages, self-exploitation, and overtime work, alienating them from family and private life. In addition to personal issues they face, the audience is reminded that the present theatre was built on the foundations of a former cinema (thus, the theatre is complicit in the portrayal of murdered Native Americans in Western films of that time, and hence, the Native Americans in the subtitle of the play and on the stage) and a former brothel.
Once Upon a Time in Novi Sad
Urban’s show plays with language on two occasions. The Novi Sad Theatre performs plays in the Hungarian language, thus nurturing the language of the most significant national minority in Vojvodina. At one point, after an actress delivers a message in Russian, hinting perhaps that there are now more Russians in Serbia, the subtitle displaying the translation refuses cooperation and can only be fixed by the president of the state. Another playful use of language is a dialogue in what they call “Novi Sad mishmash” a mix of Serbian and Hungarian that emerged due to the strong influence of the environment on the local Hungarian population.
Although the play looks pretty local in its focus, alluding to symbols of Novi Sad, it still achieves universality through a discussion of contemporary, conceptual, avant-garde, socially engaged, and experimental theatre issues and debates about the existence of the fourth wall, encapsulating all of this in an exuberant two-hour musical performance.
The set and costume design maintains the frame of the birthday celebration—therewre sequins, formal dresses, suits, and a band on the stage. The musical segments included various songs, ranging from the musical Hair to Lepa Brena and everything in between.
The talent of this ensemble is, as mentioned, incredibly impressive. They act, dance, and sing (all at the same time!). Once Upon a Time in Novi Sad is a celebration of theatre and a tribute to the theatre, a magnificent cabaret party that also speaks about the problems of cultural institution in a non-pathetic way, acknowledging its flaws, even mocking them, criticizing its mistakes, delighting with its charm, and admitting that the theatre needs the audience as much as the audience needs the theatre. This performance is, ultimately, a great thank-you note for the theatre and the audience.
Credits:
Author and Director: Andraš Urban // Director’s associate: Robert Lenard, Zoltan Puškaš // Dramaturg Tamaš Olah // Set design: Marija Kalabić // Costume: Senka Ranisavljević // Choreography: Kristijan Gerđe // Composer Arpad Serda // Répétiteur: Klemm David
Cast:
Livia Banka, Gabriela Crnković, Emina Elor, Edit Farago, Agota Ferenc, Terezia Figura, Atila Giric, Daniel Gomboš, Daniel Husta, Ištvan Kereši, Silvia Križan, Judit Laslo, Atila Mađar, Arpad Mesaroš, Atila Nemet, Robert Ožvar, Gabor Pongo, Zoltan Širmer, Bence Salai
students of the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad: Natalia Bagi, Lea Dedović Tomić, Lila Greguš, Endre Gustonj, Marijo Sadiković, Tibor Baba i Darko Kolbas
Band: Dieneš Akoš, David Klem, Robert Ožvar i Bence Salai
For more information, visit: ujvideki.com
Further reading: The Andraš Urban Cook Book: a three-course feast
Divna Stojanov is a dramaturg and playwright. She writes mainly for children and young people.
