From April 15th to April 25th, at the 24th edition of the Herceg Novi April Theater Festival (HAPS), under the motto "HAPS as a Challenge", seven theater performances from the country and the region will be shown, as well as the film "Perfetti Sconcsciuti" (Perfect Strangers). According to the selector of the festival, Milina Kovacevic, the concept of this year's HAPS was designed as a comparison of artistic thoughts and challenges for the audience.
"The concept aims to compare the film "Perfect Strangers" according to the original script with the theater adaptation of the play "Black Box", by Niksic Theater. The aim is to compare two versions of the same text - to notice the differences in direction, character interpretation, space projection and other solutions in the play "Ice Cream" – by the Croatian playwright Miro Gavran, in the performance of a private theater from Zagreb and the recent exhibition of the National Theater from Nis. The goal is to compare two readings of the same template in the "Empire's New Clothes", i.e., the drama play for adults and children," says, among others, Kovacevic, explaining that the concept of comparisons leaves the audience to compare what the artists think about capitalism and how they put it before different age groups".
Kovacevic further explains that they simply imagined the situation in which the viewer is ambitious and as such wants to look at both proposed versions.
"We have designed a version where parents and children share a ticket package for two versions of one piece. We imagined that the viewer would present the ticket for a performance by HAPS to a friend, as an invitation to meet and talk," explains the selector of the festival, Milina Kovacevic.
HAPS will be opened with the play "Black Box" by Niksic Theater on Monday, April 15th at 8.30 pm, according to the text by Ana Đordjevic, referring to the film "Perfect Strangers". Directed by Goran Bulajic, and cast is: Simo Trebjesanin, Gordana Micunovic, Jovan Krivokapic, Anja Drljevic, Omar Bajramspahic, Marija Djuric, Nikola Vasiljevic, while on the second night of HAPS, thanks to the Embassy of Italy in Montenegro and Stars Media International Belgrade, the film "Perfetti Sconcsciuti" by Paolo Genovese, will be shown, and the entrance is free.
On Wednesday, April 17th, on the repertoire will be the play "Ice Cream" by the Theater "Gavran" from Zagreb, according to Miro Gavran's text and directed by Boris Svrtan, which features Mladen Gavran and Ana Vilenica, and on April 19th the audience will be able to see the play "Capital" of the Royal Theater "Zetski dom" Cetinje, the dramatization of the work by Karl Marx, signed by Vedrana Bozinovic, directed by Andras Urban. The cast is Jelena Laban, Jelena Sestovic, Pavle Prelevic, Stevan Vukovic while the musicians are Milivoje Picuric piano, Jovan Bjelica guitar, Blazo Tatar drums, and Vedran Zekovic bass guitar.
Already on Saturday, April 20th, in the morning from 10 a.m., "Kapital" will be played by the children of the Royal Theater "Zetski dom "Cetinje", which is the author's project by Petar Pejakovic and Dusan Muric. In this performance is Aleksandar Popovic, Marija Jovicevic, Aleksandra Sovran, Marija Pobor, Anastasija Sovran, Ivana Popović, Anita Jankovic, Vasilije Djukanovic, David Vukovic, Prorokovic Djordjije, Milica Andric, Filip Ivanovic, Andrej Lipovina, Radovic Milica, Marija Andric, Doroteja Buskovic, Dorotea Roganović, Nikoleta Tatar, Kristijan Kadija and Maja Marković. On the same day, at 7 pm, Bitef Theater Belgrade will play "Carevo novo odelo", a dance performance by Bitef dance company. The text and direction are signed by Jelena Kajgo, music by Aleksandra Djokic and choreography by Dejan Volarev. The cast includes Slaven Doslo, Sara Tasic, Una Vujosevic, Jaksa Filipovac, Helena Celap, Una Djuricic, Anja Milosavljevic, Nikola Zivkovic and Natalija Djecevic.
The theater audience will once again have a chance to see the play "Ice cream" by Miro Gavran on April 23rd at 8.30 p.m., but this time in the performance of the National Theater from Nis. The director is Spasoje Z. Milovanovic and Ivana Nedovic and Nadja Nedovic Tekinder are the main acts. HAPS will be closed on April 25th with the performance of the Herceg Novi Theater and JUK Herceg Festival "Carevo novo odelo" in the dramatization of Djordje Stanojlovic, Petar Pejakovic, Goran Slavic, Dejan Djonovic, Milos Pejovic, and Vladimir Milosevic and directed by Petar Pejakovic. The main acts are Dejan Djonović, Milos Pejovic, Goran Slavic, Slavisa Grubisa. Since the start date of the festival coincides with the date of the great earthquake that hit Montenegro and Herceg Novi 40 years ago, one segment of the accompanying program will be dedicated to this event, primarily through the project Earthquake.me by Dr Vuk Vukovic. HAPS whose programs, like in the previous years, will be organized in the Hall Park and this year is the result of the cooperation between JUK Herceg Festival and Herceg Novi Theater, supported by Herceg Novi Municipality and sponsors.
Text by D.Djonovic, on April 9th, 2019, read more at CdM
