IN THE WELL

Radmila Smiljanić: The Well, directed by: Egon Savin, produced by:  Cultural Institution ‘’Vuk Karadžić’’

By: Nikola Skočajić

Probably the most interesting part of The Well by Radmila Smiljanić, is that it speaks of nationalism from a female point of view and through a female character. In a Serbian village in post-war Bosnia, Miloš and Jasmina live with his mother. She has no other name than Mother, although in this play she would be better named Mother-in-law, and she is very unhappy that the young couple do not have children.  When an offer to build water supply system comes to the village, which would mean selling some family land, other family issues surface. Topic of a mixed marriage between a Serb and a Muslim, in context of selling (Serbian) land, sets off various conflicts between the three main characters in the play. Formally, The Well is a conventionally structured dramatic text, but theme-wise, The Well does not offer anything new. Furthermore, Radmila Smiljanić’s play only reproduces a number of clichés.

Egon Savin’s direction in no way compliments this text to make it a bit more interesting – it truly emphasises all its defects. The rural countryside is very well presented by stage designer Darko Nedeljković, at the sitting area alongside three parts of the stage, whose colours are almost those of the walls. Homogeny, lack of colours and gloomy stage could serve as ambient for a Chekhov play, only instead of a window there is a TV with Turkish telenovelas constantly on as only connection with the modern world. There is no other connection, even in the sense of playwriting, because this topic is so archaic that its plot could be taking place in the 19^th century. One other thing keeps reminding us that we are not watching a play from the past century and that is constant presence of recent war in Bosnia. Regardless of its constant presence, the war takes place in the off area: in military trousers Mother is afraid of when the village doctor tries to sell them to her, in religious antagonism that is kept quiet during most of the play, in the German, i.e. the stranger who wants to build water supply system and whose presence is understood in Bosnia and in a gun that will fire at the end of the play, outside the stage and without it first being seen by the audience.

Mother (Radmila Živković) constantly tries to get a grandchild, which creates conflicts between her and (Jovo Maksić) – but antagonism between her and Jasmina (Mariana Aranđelović) is definitively the dominant one. There is only one true moment of connection between these two female characters, when Mother gives Jasmina a birthday present – a dress she should wear at her child’s baptising. There is only one way that Mother can perceive Jasmina as someone close and that is as the mother of her future grandchild.

These two female characters are one-dimensional – Mother’s character is a cliché mother-in-law, who justifies her behaviour by pathological devotion to her son and nationalism, while Jasmina is disappointed and unhappy with her life in the country and her only hope is to move to Sarajevo with Miloš. Although his character is not as one-dimensional as the female ones, Miloš does not stand out at all.  His love for Jasmina and for his Mother seem a bit too much, because regardless of difficult choice between wife and mother, his passivity and lack of will to do/decide anything, make his character hard to understand and sympathise with, although writer’s and director’s empathy are focused on him and he plays the tragic hero. When Mother tries to exchange Jasmina with another woman, by bringing her under a pretext that she needs help around the house – even Jasmina’s reactions (regardless of their justification) are too strong and they destroy the innocence she creates during the play.  Miloš is the only character who stays innocent, regardless of his inability to make decisions, for it is not perceived as his fault.

It remains unclear whether the space behind the stage is amplified for a reason, or simply in order not to hear the actors when they are off stage. Sounds behind the stage seem like signals, but it remains unclear what they are suppose to present. Another confusing element is humour, especially that of Mother, whose malicious but funny comments create laughter and sympathy that may be out of place.

Miloš’s exaggerated love for women in his life may also be a result of Jovo Maksić’s unusual excessive acting, This also makes audience laugh, but inappropriately. Radmila Živković’s excessive acting, considering her cliché character, is well done, while Mariana Aranđelović does not expresse her unhappiness strong enough. Novak Bilbija’s interpretation of village doctor is irritating but authentic, which can not be said for Ivana Šćepanović’s interpretation of Smilja.

In general, not much can be said of this play, problems in the text are very obvious and they have not been solved by direction. Gaps in the story, even during acts, are not emphasised by the director, so they may seem interesting – to recognise changes in time – but sometimes they are confusing. Comparatively, this is the least of its problems. More importantly, it is a bad text which tackles an issue on which enough has already been said and there is also the uninventive direction. While some issues are revisited, they only end up being reproduced.

Although pompously announced, no one ends up at the bottom of the well – instead, the gun fires, which is a surprise, but even that is not enough to induce any interest for this play.