After premiere of the play "Saint George Kills the Dragon" at the Yugoslav Drama Theater on Friday night, the last premiere in 2024, the actors appeared in front of the audience with their hands painted red, a symbol of protest after falling canopy at the railway station in Novi Sad, when 15 people died and two others were seriously injured.
The audience greeted them with a standing ovation, writes N1.
A few days ago, support for students also came from the stage of the National Theatre. Members of the ballet ensemble and orchestra National Theatre in Belgrade, after the ballet performance "Krcko Oraščić", they raised red fists on stage.
Also, in Atelier 212 theater every night after the performance, the actors come out as a gift with the inscription "Students are up, and us?".
Orchestra members Belgrade Philharmonic also ended the concert on Friday evening with an address to the audience, and on that occasion they supported the students and their demands, and raised their red fists.
"Saint George Slaying the Dragon"
Director of the new setting play "Saint George Kills the Dragon" is Milan Nešković. The adaptation of Kovačević's piece was written by the director Milan Nešković and Jelena Mijović, and the author of the lyrics is Julija Petković (Duda Buržujka).
Nešković did not move the story of a love triangle at the beginning of the First World War in a small town in Serbia to the present time, he only presents it from a contemporary point of view.
Nešković believes that it is "perhaps the most beautifully written melodrama in the Serbian language."
"It is a melodrama, a love story of George, Gavrilo and Katarina, to which the war gives context. In melodramatic plots between three characters there is usually one who is the villain. Here, at Kovačević's, we absolutely understand all three characters, we even justify their actions based on that understanding. It's fascinating to me. "Three people in conflict and suspense, that's what we focused on," Nešković told reporters before the premiere.
Gavrila is played by Milan Marić, Đorđe by Nikola Rakočević, Katarina by Jovana Belović, and Aleksej Bjelogrlić by Aleksey Bjelogrić.
The ensemble also includes Srđan Timarov and Zoran Cvijanović (teacher Mićun), who during their careers played several characters from "St. George" in different settings (Timarov even from the age of six when he was Vane the orphan, and now he is Doctor Konstanin Grk) . Also playing are Nebojša Ljubišić, Marko Janketić, Anđelika Simić, Aleksandar Đurica, Joakim Tasić, Ognjen Nikola Radulović, Teodor Vinčić, Miloš Samolov, Lazar Đukić, Luka Antonijević and Lazar Nikolic.
Set designer is Gorčin Stojanović, costume designer is Biljana Grgur, composer is Vladimir Pejković. The choreographer is Andreja Kulešević, who also designed the stage movement, and Dr. Dijana Marojević designed the stage speech.
"Saint George Kills the Dragon" is the third work of Dušan Kovačević in the repertoire of that theater, it was preceded by "Balkan Spy" and "Limunacija".
Sources: N1/Vreme
