The play "Memorandum", authored by the Czech dissident, Václav Havel, and directed by Agon Myfar, has opened the 52nd edition of the Festival of Theaters in Ferizaj. The oldest and largest theater event in Kosovo opened its doors on Saturday night, rounding out the role of theater from several perspectives. In addition to the irony through the show, which is a production of the "Adriana" theater itself, several events related to the corporal as an institution were also mentioned during the opening ceremony.
It is an organization that functions like a bureaucratic administration. It is about a political system that is parodied for conformity. The play "Memorandum", authored by the Czech dissident, Václav Havel, and directed by Agon Myfar, has opened the 52nd edition of the Festival of Theaters in Ferizaj. The oldest and largest theater event in Kosovo opened its doors on Saturday night, rounding out the role of theater from several perspectives. Besides the irony through the play that is a production of the "Adriana" theater itself, several events related to the corporal as an institution were also mentioned during the opening ceremony.
The establishment of the Theater of War in Sarajevo, the act of collapsing the National Theater in Tirana, and the attack on the Theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, as a space that had served to shelter refugees, were remembered. Although the word "child" was written there in the Russian language, the forces of the Russian Federation did not stop the bombardment, killing around 600 people, including children. The actress Adriana Abdullahu, killed on March 22, 1999, was also commemorated. She was remembered there as a rising star and contributor to the "Dodona" theater in Pristina. The introductory presentation was also an irony for the non-participation of state leaders in the opening ceremony of the Festival. The names of President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Çeku, and Mayor of Ferizaj Municipality, Agim Aliu, have been called, but they have not been seen to be at one of the major cultural events in the country.
Otherwise, the Festival of Theaters in Ferizaj this edition will have seven theatrical performances in competition and one out of competition. There will be two organized workshops related to forum and theater as a response to bullying and poetic movement as resistance. There will also be discussion panels on the topics "Kosovo drama on paper" and "General theatrical conditions in Kosovo".
The artistic director of the Ferizaj Theater, Besim Ugzmajli, said that this edition, in addition to other peculiarities, there was a kind of rebranding of the Festival of Theaters in terms of visual issues, but without changing the over 50-year tradition.
"We have tried to multiply the activities of the Festival. In addition to the main performances that are given from 19:00, there will be other activities starting from workshops, discussion panels related to different topics for the theater, we will have the retro theater, a collective memory that will come through three performances that will be worked on during this edition", said the director Ugzmajli, while he considered that the program is solid, where the best shows of this year were attempted, while he considered the competition quite interesting. The jury of this edition consists of director Sulejman Rushiti, screenwriter and playwright Skënder Kelmendi and actress Edona Rushiti-Bekteshi.
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Retro theater as one of the peculiarities of this edition aims to return the collective memory of the Ferizaj Theatre. There are three performances that will be given during the Festival on October 3, 5 and 7. They will be held in the Catholic Church as a space that before the war opened its doors for performances and enabled the cultural life in the city; The former gymnasium as the first school in this city and the Train Station as the main foundation of this city. Also, there will be student performances that are the result of the collaboration with the Faculty of Arts at the University of Pristina.
The stage curtains have been raised for the play with the author of the former Czech president, Havel. The first scene opens with Gross's character reading a document in an incomprehensible language. It is "Ptajdibi" that is intended to be used in the organization run by the main character, Grosi. The workers are the ones who encourage him to speed up the agreement, and who later take over the position of leader. The scene of the game often turns to the course of imaginary language, which comes as a symbol of the confused administrative system in state institutions in the country.
It is Grosi who asks for the document to be translated, but no one has the authority to do so. He is trapped to sign a document in this language, which results in a violation of authority according to the employee named Ballash, who aims for the position of director. He ensures such a thing, only after he traps Grosi to sign the decision to practice the Ptajdibi language in the organization. The main character is already surrounded by people who were quickly learning this language and making fun of him.
As soon as Grosi is dismissed from his position, Ballashi arrives, who first enjoys the feeling of being a leader, but who soon faces the same challenges as his predecessor who was blackmailed and the difficulties in the work process. He realizes that artificial language is stagnating and taking a negative direction. It looks for the culprit who took the initiative for the use of the language, but in fact it is he who calls himself to account. The show also reflects negligence in state institutions.
Gross's document is finally translated by the worker named Maria, and he realizes that his attitude of not allowing the introduction of the Ptaydipia language had been the right one. Director Agon Myftari expressed his happiness with the interest in watching the show. "Memorandum" premiered on June 28 and then had two more reruns. This is the fourth time of the theatrical performance. "The play is considered to be a dark drama or a dark political comedy, which talks about a convoluted bureaucratic system which reminds us of our institutions built after the war. It is a pyramid of letters, regulations, sub-regulations that often, instead of facilitating the work of institutions, the theater in this case, complicate inter-official communications", said the director Myftari.
One of the roles played is the translator of the artificial language of Ptajdipia. Actor Arben Marevci has said that the show as a genre functions so that instead of everything being simplified, it keeps getting more complicated.
"I think it was more strained as a feeling since it is a slightly different genre than the genres we have worked on so far, but the return to the stage of this show has given us an incredible load, since it is a show with a lot of text, as well as with play and with very small details that give power to the show and those that do not dare to escape us", he said.
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The show fights the bureaucracies that develop in our public institutions, in the sense that there are unnecessary obligations that citizens often encounter. It is like a reflection of things that can be simplified for everyone. For the actress Gresa Gashi, who plays the role of secretary in the organization, she said that it was a pleasure to open the Festival with the show "Memorandum". "Normally it's a very good feeling to open the festival in your city with your show. My role is that of an office worker whose only problem is to brush her hair and go out for lunch. It is also a reflection of the real life in which we are today", said the actress Gashi.
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