Vrsac Theatre Autumn: Jury Picks Olga, Crowd Picks Others
At the close of the 33rd classics festival in Vrsac, the jury gave most awards to Gospodja Olga, while the audience rated two other plays highest.
The average score Vrsac audiences gave Gospodja Olga is 3.24. The same production took the jury’s top prize at the 33rd classics festival Vrsac Theatre Autumn, which ended on October 21 at the Sterija National Theatre. Audiences were giving their highest marks to other plays in the meantime, so this year the festival ended up with two different lists of winners.
Who won the Radomir Putnik award?
The award for best production overall, which from this year carries the name of Radomir Putnik, went to Gospodja Olga by Milutin Bojic, directed by Jug Djordjevic. The production was made jointly by the National Theatre in Belgrade and the National Theatre of Republika Srpska. The jury chose it by majority vote, while all other awards were unanimous.
In its explanation, the jury states:
The production Gospodja Olga is an example of how a classic can be brought to life with a deep understanding of the contemporary theatrical moment. Jug Djordjevic’s direction leads the dramatic action firmly and consistently, leaving room for the acting creations of the entire ensemble.
The same production also took two acting awards. Nela Mihajlovic was named best actress for the role of Olga Ristic, and Aleksandar Vuckovic received the Tomislav Pejcic award for best young actor for the role of Gidra. Of Mihajlovic, the jury says that “behind a flawless, self-assured mask she also shows inner insecurities, so Olga remains a complex, convincing and multidimensional figure.”
What did the others take home?
The jury consisted of actress Biljana Keskenovic, writer Uros Pavlov and dramaturg Divna Stojanov. Besides the main prize, they handed out six more awards:
- best actor: Dragan Micanovic for Jevrem Prokic in Nusic’s “The People’s Deputy” by the Yugoslav Drama Theatre, directed by Vito Taufer
- special award for set design for the same production: Lazar Bodroza
- best direction: Dusan Petrovic for Chekhov’s “Ivanov,” which the Sterija National Theatre premiered on the first night of the festival
- special award for ensemble acting: the ensemble of the Krusevac Theatre for “Love in the Circus,” based on Andric’s stories, directed by Nebojsa Bradic
- special award for partner acting: Nenad Jezdic and Igor Djordjevic for Luka Laban and Teodor Teja Kraj in Dusan Kovacevic’s “The Professional,” staged by Zvezdara Theatre
On Micanovic, the jury said his performance, “which goes beyond his acting range so far, is marked by supreme acting energy, precision and stage credibility that enriches the long tradition of performing this cult dramatic character.” Bodroza was told that “the division of space into a salon, a hallway and a balcony, from which buildings under construction can be seen, connects Nusic’s time with today without a single word.” The jury describes Petrovic’s direction with the sentence that it “does not burden the text with external effects, but lets characters, relationships and atmosphere develop out of the acting.”
Why did the audience and the jury disagree?
The festival audience voted separately. “The Professional” received the best average score at 4.89, with “The People’s Deputy” right behind at 4.84. The top two are separated by only 0.05 points. According to Novosti, it was the ensemble of “The People’s Deputy” that drew the biggest ovations and the longest applause.
The gap to the jury’s winner is large: Gospodja Olga got 3.24 from viewers, which is more than a point and a half below the other two productions. All three plays were in the competitive program put together by the festival’s director and selector, Snezana Udicki.
The festival ran from October 15 to 21. The closing evening opened with the cabaret “You Promised Me” by Tanja Banjanin and Mirjana Bobic-Mojsilovic, made in honor of the award winners.
