It has never been such a high number of applications for our festival than this year. Previous years, approximately we had twenty to forty application plays, to this year when we’ve got seventy.  Having a thought about it, undoubtedly, the parallel is imposed between representing new mandatory master studies and additional mandatory monodrama creations to students of acting.  This new-discovered renaissance for our festival is a demand to all the acting students, whether they want it or not, they are pushed into the hardest branch of acting – monodrama. We’ve got to remind ourselves on that unique and strong feeling of an empty stage beneath the feet. That world full of life storms and fear which draws you, completely alone, struggle thru confusion of feelings and hard-fought battle won in the end shaping a great, strong and good quality play. At the very beginning, and as well after the initial idea, you start to search text for the play or dramaturge that is going to write the monodrama, you start to look for collaborators, dozens of people you need just to get to an outcome where your path is proven right as your soul is filled with grace. This is the road frequently travelled, at least speaking of monodramas written by younger participants. Among all these talented actors is Andjelka Prpic who is supported by checked and proven as great Nebojsa Romcevic as an author,and Branko Djuric-Djura as director. That’s enormous help to Andjelka Prpic, but  all this wouldn’t happen if her character Jovanka Joka Jakovljevic didn’t  paint all the shades of the soul thru her character struggling the society without scruples, not being capable of finding on her own conclusions in dilemma which are put in front of her in life or in this play, weather to stay honorable and faithful to her marriage or to choose career. Unfortunately, this is very common dilemma of our modern society.

‘Pierrot’ is Alexandar Aliev’s monodrama, director, pedagogies, producer anthropologist, actor, and mime artist represents homage to Pier from ‘Comedy del arte’ inspired by immense experience of this talented mime artist.   
Katarina Orlandic as Frida Kahlo, is not left alone by demons of death, demons of jealousy and fear, demons of art, they are behind the wheel of her life, they move her arms, legs and head, the whole body, as well as her feelings, joy, sadness, happiness, her whole life. At one point we hope that Frida is going to get away from the demon jaws in exchange for her love, but her demons are story for themselves painting their own picture. This is just a reminder that we all live with our demons, some we tame and control but some we don’t. Carefully we chose, carefully we struggle. Already the title of Katarina Orlanic’s ‘Im the bird, I’m everything!’ points out the whole idea. ‘Georgia’s pantomime novellas” author Amiran Salikasvilij  director, scenographer,  costimographer, composer who deals with theme of novella  ‘Vineyards’ where the birth of child is presented along with Georgian music, new generations thru great symbolism and poetry. A lot of people meet their certain life issues in hazardous way. Majority of population is trying to solve their financial problems playing Loto games  in which not many win, as we know it. Monika Romic didn’t make it in the play Loto, but she succeed in pointing out with style ‘comedy del arte’ as well as she is completely ruling the stage! In play: ’Not the right leg’(could be translated ‘the right leg’ - the opposite of wrong or the opposite of left).

With pleasure, here we are watching solo performance of circus acrobat and play writer Danka Sekulovic. Pantomime performances are still trying to move forward with its baby steps, stuck at the beginning. As we still don’t have mime schools or independent  mime theater, with special attention we are following  Circusfera and Danka Sekulovic with complete team. This performance brings back hope to life concerning our independent mime artists, opening the new vision of mime art. Stojan Matavulj after entering the marriage life started to think about his life, carefree youth he doesn’t mention, at the beginning of his married life he starts to think deep philosophical questions, how the universe was created, about Adam and Eve, mother in law, father in law, wife, toilet seat, lack of cultural education, all along to breakdown of European Union, so on and further away. What marriage could do to man! Ivan Parkovic was presented to our audience in 41st festival with play ‘Poet for poets’. In play ‘Svetozar the Third”,Svetozar  is troubled with the necrophilic  dilemma  how much and who is going to miss him once he is dead. People are prone to make out of everything, that’s happening to them, circus performance, and Svetozar is the one who is going to condemn it and laugh at it all in the same time!

It’s not normal for people to live alone. Being alone gives devil a way to feed us destructive thoughts. It’s devil’s playground. In solitude people begin to talk to the mirror, they begin to hallucinate, to see people that don’t exist, to talk to them, to argue, and fight. Ivona Momirovic  in monodrama ‘Guests” is describing a longley woman and her paranoid fear, about solitude and depression as the most recognized silent killer of ‘serene and happy people’. “The Gift of Art and mime” play of the famous German mime artist, author, director and actor Volvgang Nojhauzen,nicknamed ‘Nemo’ presents more or less known elements of mime art under the multi meaningful name ‘The Gift of Art”. There is not much we know about Serbian Queen Natalija Obrenovic  who was popular in plebs circles, she was constantly humiliated as well was deceived, was troubled by disappointments and betrayal until the very end of exile. Jelica Brestovac in monodrama of Isidora Bjelica, “What’s left after passion” deals with truth about women who were cheated in relationship, their suffering and   helplessness to change things.

In the end, the resume of this year’s selection is clearly spotted factor that unites all the themes and drives us to: doubt, death, cruel society, deep disappointments as a mutual ground on which we all stand giving us the turmoil of our lives and the voice to this festival to be loud enough and to be heard as an actual and contemporary monodrama and mime fighting the struggle true fear, keeping us alive and ready.