Viewing posts from: boris lijesevic

26.12.2011.

THE MELODRAMATIC SEARCH FOR IDENTITY

Igor Štiks: Elijah’s Chair, directed by Boris Liješević, produced by Jugoslov Drama Theatre and MESS

By: Vanja Nikolić

Elijahova stolica (Elijah’s Chair) premiered exactly one year ago. Created in co-production of Yugoslav Drama Theatre and Sarajevo-based MESS Festival, it lived its modest life on Yugoslav Drama Theater’s small scene. It wasn’t much written about, it was not “the hit of the season”, it wasn’t even listed for this year’s Sterijino Pozorje Festival. And then it was selected for Bitef Festival as part of the Region in Focus Program, as yet another play dealing with the heritage of history and the understanding of one’s own identity. To the surprise of many, it was exactly Elijah’s Chair that won Mira Trailović Grand Prix Award and thus earned all the attention. And so it happened that in only three years, Bitef’s main prize was twice awarded to Yugoslav Drama Theatre and its directors. First to Miloš Lolić for Sanjari (Dreamers) and now to Boris Liješević, the author of Čekaonica (The Waiting Room) produced by Atelier 212, which two years ago won the Sterijino Pozorje Special Award, and the collaborator on several projects by Tomi Janežič whose influence is visible in several plays directed in Novi Sad. more >