Essential discourses in the process of repertoire formation as the backbone of development a theater are: analysis of the existing situation (current repertoire profile of the theater, current potential of the ensemble and current perception of the audience), reconciliation of the audience's expectations with the strategy of the development of the art theater (possible range of repertoire policy and gradual expansion of the existing range), influence of the repertoire on the development of the ensemble (strategy of overcoming creative limits, development of individual acting potential, selection of guest actors, introduction of young artists into the work process) relationship between the repertoire and current aesthetic movements in theatrical life (targeting of the area of influence, domestic and international cooperation, analysis of the festival life of the targeted environments and the level of harmonization of the repertoire with the existing festival image), the relationship between the development of the repertoire and the development of production budgets of theaters (optimization of costs, development of production capacities of the house, potentials of real increase of the budget in relation to the effects of development).
Alarming data
What does this have to do with the current situation in Serbian theaters? Unfortunately, but none at all, if we realistically look at the alarming data about the number (but also the quality) of premieres performed this season in Belgrade's repertory theaters, which are published on the portal "Vremena" (April 18) , especially if we add to that the fact that the situation in theaters outside of Belgrade is even worse, not only in terms of the number of new performances, but also in terms of the number of reruns performed, which is on average less than ten per month!
If theater is defined and developed by repertory policy, where are we in the current season with an average of 1,7 premieres in the only theater center in Serbia that has more than three theaters? I would say on the edge of the abyss, beyond all the relevant artistic currents in Europe.
The reason for this obvious and absolute devastation of theatrical life in Serbia does not lie in the absence of artistic potential, they have been proven in the recent and distant past on several occasions, in the country, in the region, and there were also bright moments when we managed to assert ourselves on a wider level (SNP, JDP, NP...).
Causes of decay
The causes of the decline, which we are experiencing now in a more terrible form, lie, among other things, in the repeatedly apostrophized long-term neglect of the specifics of the work process in the theater, the reduction of the number of employees and means of production. Pride, the current government, primarily at the level of the Ministry of Culture, but causally and consequently at the level of city administrations, in the last year has been trying to "bocanize" Serbian theaters by targeting theater artists as enemies of the state through absurd personnel solutions, or through naked political and existential pressure.
But are they just Selak, Bokan, Baja and their ilk to blame for this situation? Did our long-term acquiescence to ever worse working conditions, creeping censorship, rigged contests for cultural funding, humiliating salaries and neglect of home theaters for the sake of filming series and films, silence when annual repertoire plans are reduced by more than 50 percent due to lack of funds, acquiescence to commercialization, to flirting with mostly illiterate theater criticism, dubious festival selections, dubious juries and much more, also affected this devastating condition?
Questions
I have no intention of measuring whose guilt is greater, and especially I do not want to absolve the rulers in any way, above all the current ones, who are saying more and more loudly that the theater should be thrown on the market and are taking more and more concrete steps in that direction, thus showing that for them art is an ordinary expense, and not an important part of the identity of a nation.
I just want to ask all of us theater people, how much more humiliation are we willing to endure? Why, in spite of everything that is happening to us and that clearly points to our perspective, do we continue to participate in faking theater life in Serbia?
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