The Theater Fest “Petar Kočić”, organized by the National Theater of Republika Srpska, will be ceremonially opened on June 1 in Banja Luka with spectacular ballet performances by the National Theater from Belgrade, announced the director of the institution, Dijana Grbić. She emphasized that the audience can look forward to a variety of theatrical delights over the next 12 days.
This 27th edition of Theater Fest includes five plays in competition, one out-of-competition performance, and a rich supporting program.
Grbić highlighted that part of the festival’s content is the ballet spectacle to be held at the “Borik” Sports Hall, where the audience will enjoy four exceptional ballet pieces performed by the National Theater of Belgrade.
– I am pleased that our efforts have been recognized and that we received support from the Office of the President of Republika Srpska to organize this year’s festival at the highest level. Our audience will have the opportunity to experience genres rarely seen in Banja Luka – said Grbić.
The supporting program will also feature three masterclasses by prominent regional directors at the Student Cultural Center, the promotion of Željko Stjepanović’s book Our Days, and an inclusive reading of Zoran Todorović’s play Bearers /or The Inconsolable/.
The “Jazavac” City Theater will showcase the work of its youth studio. As a special highlight, the festival will host the “Madlenianum” Theater with Pride and Prejudice, a musical theater performance that is a rare treat for the Banja Luka audience.
The competitive program, officially beginning on June 3, includes outstanding performances by theaters from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, and Montenegro.
This year’s festival selector is actress Nataša Ivačević, who selected five plays out of 38 submissions. The slogan “Beneath the Surface” hints at contemporary and under-discussed themes addressed in the selected productions.
Grbić expressed satisfaction that each year a new theater debuts at the festival, with this year welcoming the Varaždin National Theater for the first time in Banja Luka.
Plays in competition include:
- Acid – Bosnian National Theater Zenica
- Wooden Birds – a co-production of the Croatian National Theater Zagreb and the Croatian National Theater Varaždin
- Redemption – Serbian National Theater Novi Sad
- Headquarters for Humor – National Theater Belgrade
- The Reverse – Montenegrin National Theater Podgorica
The play Murder on the Orient Express by “Boško Buha” Theater will be performed in honor of the awarded participants.
Source: RTRS
