On Wednesday, October 1st, Drama National Theatre started the new season on the "Raša Plaović" stage with the play "Little things that mean life" directed by Andrej Nosov.
At the end of the play, Drama ensemble told the audience what he thought about Fr Rulebook on work discipline which prohibits employees from publicly expressing political views, as well as the new Management Board headed by Dragoslav Bokan.
The Drama Ensemble of the National Theater presented three demands - the immediate withdrawal of the new Rulebook, the dismissal of the Board of Directors headed by Dragoslav Bokan and the review of his statements regarding the reputation of the employees of the National Theatre, and that the Government of the Republic of Serbia review the work of the Minister of Culture.
"We would like to share this moment with you in joy, but we would be disingenuous if we hid our concerns behind a warm welcome," Nela Mihailović announced to the audience on behalf of the National Theater Drama ensemble.
"You are the National Theater and you will be when all this is over"
As the actors announced, on October 3, a new Rulebook will be introduced, guaranteeing employees fewer rights than those prescribed by the Labor Law and the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia.
How much sense does it make to tame the theater and who and why is trying to shake the foundations of the National Theater, asked the actors from the stage.
In his being is truth, freedom and the right to ask questions about man, society, the world, and even politics, they added.
"In the excitement of writing prohibitions and rules, they forgot that the theater is not only made up of artists, but also you, the audience. They forgot about you, the witnesses and accomplices of the truth on stage. You are the national theater and you will be when all this is over," the actors told the audience.
The audience greeted them with great applause.
Disciplining employees in the theater
As a reminder, in article three point seven of the aforementioned Rulebook on Labor Discipline, it is written that an employee does not respect labor discipline if "while performing the duties of the Theater, publicly, verbally, with symbols and gestures, he expresses his political or other determination that is not related to the performance of the Theater's duties, then publicly communicates political or other content, then calls for activities that have a political character or are not related to the performance of the Theater's duties, or points out symbols or features the highlighting of which is prohibited by law."
Article six of the same Rulebook provides for dismissal for non-compliance with the prescribed rules.
Employees, as well as the public, believe that the Rulebook is not in accordance with the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, and they link it to Dragoslav Bokan, the new president of the Board of Directors of the National Theatre.
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