THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF MARTIN MCDONAGH

The Theatre “U Mosta” is overshadowing the audience, theater critic and cultural society of Russia with mysticism and inextinguishable energy that maintains a tradition of the best Russian psychological and experimental theater, ever since its foundation in 1998. Most credits go to Sergei Fedotov, the founder and the art director of this theater who managed to create repertoire as the combination of the best examples of Russian and European classical parts, while stage productions leap into various genres.Their performances aspire to complete expression of mysticism, which shows us their choice of authors whose works are the essence of the repertoire: Gogol, Bulgakov, Dostoevsky and Shakespeare. Gogol’s part undoubtedly became the symbol of the Perm theatre, like it was the case with Chekhov in Moscow Art Theatre School.

One particularly interesting thing that distinguishes this theatre from the Russian drama school is a literal-theatre fact. “U Mosta” is the only theatre which repertoire is based on work of the Irish writer Martin McDonagh. McDonagh, numerous awarded playwright and movie director, contributed to the world’s theatre scene multiple cultural legacies. Among other things, he wrote – The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Lonesome West, The Lieutenant of Inishmore, The Cripple of Inishmaan…For the last couple of years, Martin McDonagh’s dramaturgy is flourishing and stimulating theatre and movie authors, so we can conclude that he is one of the preeminent playwright of the 21st century. McDonagh hoped that one of his playwrights will be recognized as the true Irish story. Theatre “U Mosta” in that sense was effective and significant. They launched a scene for Martin McDonagh and his work. We can easily say that the theater “U Mosta” became world’s center for devotees and worshippers of this Irish playwright where Russian and European theaters and sensibilities are connected.

unnamed (1)Recently we found out that Perm Theatre “U Mosta” is the first and only theatre in the world that will hold International Festival of Martin McDonagh.The first festival was organized in October 2014 with the following participations: Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Azerbaidzhan and Russia…Besides the plays, festival was also consisted of accompanying program – seminars, lectures of the great artists, discussions and conversations. It was the beginning of a very significant tradition that leads us to the boundaries of the theater art whiles questioning the power of reception of the Perm’s audience.

This year, from the 1st to the 7th of October, theatre “U Mosta” will be, for the second time, the center of the dramatic and theater expression. The Second International Festival of Martin McDonagh will take place in Perm, with an aim to ponder and accept this Irish playwright. The participants will be from Russia, Iran, Poland, Serbia, The Czech Republic, Montenegro, Northen Ireland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Scotland.

Serbia will be represented by two theaters: Zvezdara Teatar from Belgrade and Sombor National Theatre. We cannot fight the impression that The Second International Festival of Martin McDonagh, will be, undoubtedly, the meeting place for devotees and worshippers of modern theater.

Sombor National Theatre will be represented with a performance Pillowman, directed by Ninoslav Đorđević.The outcome of this play was a product of people who “came in this project childishly innocent, willing to believe and do their best, to invoke light with the darkness”, highlighted the director and actor Ninoslav Đorđević. This part came to Serbian people thanks to translator Bojana Kovačević Petrović, and the dramatic play was enabled by performers: Saša Torlaković, Branislav Jerković, Ninoslav Đorđević, Srđan Aleksić, Milijana Makević and Anja Tatalović. The convincing acting, in scenography done by Erika Vujić and Ninoslav Đorđević, represents the most genuine document ripped from McDonagh’s characters lives and our lives today. The actors expound with unique honesty and naturalness, they sink into the roles so that the audience feels that the roles were written for them. The realest and comprehensive art celebration is evoked. It’s art that speaks all languages and is admired by everyone. It’s art that is capable of certain and immediate reach to the souls of the audience. We hope that this play will have the same response at Second International Festival of Martin McDonagh in Perm.

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Pillowman, directed by Ninoslav Đorđević

The second performance from Serbia that will be represented at this festival comes from the other theater home – Zvezdara Teatar. A Behanding in Spokane, directed by Marko Sopić, written by Martin McDonagh, requires serious assignments during the mastering of the complex text. Effective and functional scenography done by Ilija Višnjić, gave enough possibilities for realization of the dramatic idea thanks to the convincing acting of Dragan Jovanović, Anđela Jovanović, Nenad Heraković and Rade Ćosić. This drama examined, as Marko Sopić said, roots and origin of the evil. Drama happens in a real space and real time, which truly was a great challenge for the director. Dragan Jovanović, one of the actors, explained that they will with this play “try to explain how one can beat the evil”. They are trying to reverse text of the Irish writer into universal, global text. This performance as a theatrical event singles out director’s approach to the topic, dealing with human life, the phenomenon of evil and its roots in poor upbringing and certain circumstances, throw the story of an ordinary man, without burdening the metaphysical and ideological concerns.

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A Behanding in Spokane, directed by Marko Sopić

The Second International Festival of Martin McDonagh was properly crowned with two Serbian performances. We truly hope that next year, the audience in Perm will have the opportunity to see some other shows from Serbia, done by Martin McDonagh’s text, such as The Cripple of Inishmaan, performed by an academic “Change Theatre” from Novi Sad. During this festival the audience will, without any doubt, have the opportunity to experience a piece of contemporary theater trends and to attend interesting theatrical experiments. We wish unforgettable successful theatrical event and good luck to the organization of the festival, Serbian theater artists, and surely artists from other countries.

Author: Milena Kulić
Translator: Mina Kulić

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