Bitef

"k A tomb for Boris Davidovich remains one of the most controversial literature pieces in Yugoslav history, since its original appearance in 1976, when it caused unusual turbulence in cultural circles. What journalists called «the greatest postwar affair in these areas» has since inspired many renowned artists and influenced a lot of political debates in the Balkans, while its pseudo-documentary style and epic structure represent an ingenious basis for understanding and interpreting mechanisms of history and various oppressive systems. Taking the time to carefully analyze this Danilo Kiš masterpiece, our team spent nearly a month investigating all the tiny details hidden in his well-shaped narrative; this kind of process finally lead to exposing important social, religious, political and ideological issues that repeat themselves throughout different times. We found it crucial to ask ourselves all kinds of questions

concerning the revolutionary aspects of this text and then gave our best not only to answer them with words, but through actions that would take place both on and off stage After having divided the story into chapters, each actor/performer got a segment to think about and to relate to. Moreover, apart from these reading and analytical sessions, hard-working body trainings served as an everyday stimulus to prepare the team for presenting the demanding and all-pervading story without any modifications. Music rehearsals were equally important and played a huge role in the preparation phase, while also serving as a kind of inspiration during this exciting experience. This kind of overwhelming process insists that the intensive questioning of the actors/performers must begin all over again every time they enter the theatre. Once on the stage, they continuously confront the limitations of human existence and persist in bringing the myth of the hero Novsky into the political reality of here-and-now. Maša Seničić

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