My Husband
Rumena Bužarovska is one of the brightest stars among the young generation of writers in our region. Each new book receives much attention, as her stories bring a very accurate yet highly critical portrait of today’s society and its perversion. At the same time, they are a fierce satire that takes no one for an innocent and therefore leaves no one spared. No wonder then that it did not take long before her prose found its way to the stage in a myriad of interpretations. The Zagreb Youth theatre is about to present the play My Husband that draws from two short story collections of hers, namely, ”My Husband” and ”I’m Not Going Anywhere”, both investigating a range of women’s experiences and their place in the general experience of the contemporary world – a world in which it is hard to find direction and cope. In their essence, these are deeply intimate stories that reflect economic, social, or political circumstances in which women live as protagonists and witnesses. As a matter of course, all these destinies entail husbands (as in the title), and then the children, and parents, and all those people who build their fate and experience into an interesting mosaic of life. Following this premise, My Husband stages a play(ground) for almost the entire women’s ensemble of the Zagreb Youth Theatre to take us on a witty yet poignant voyage with women who dare to claim their piece of freedom and be who they really are, speak their hearts and minds with a sharp tongue in cheek, a bit of nostalgia, absolute genuineness, and audacity at all times.
Glumci
Iva Kraljević: Kelly Davies, žena američkog veleposlanika u Zagrebu
Nataša Dorčić: Vesna Baković, sveučilišna profesorica
Zoran Čubrilo: Ljubo Baković, njezin muž, pedagog u školi
Petra Svrtan: Alisa
Danijel Ljuboja: Nino, Alisin muž:
Tina Orlandini: Mirjana
Mateo Videk: Karlo, Mirjanin muž
Anđela Ramljak: Ava
Adrian Pezdirc: Thomas, njezin partner
Ivan Pašalić: Lav, Vesnin dvadesetogodišnji sin
Milica Manojlović: Morana
Dado Ćosić: Krešo, njezin muž
Pjer Meničanin: Neno, njihov sin (4 – 10 godina)
Mia Melcher: Borka, Krešina sestra
Dora Polić Vitez: Emilija, psihijatrica, Vesnina kolegica s fakulteta
Tina Orlandini: Anet, Vesnina kolegica s fakulteta
Mateo Videk: Student #1, sudionik demonstracija
Nataša Dangubić: Maša, žena ministra u vladi, Emilijina pacijentica
Hrvojka Begović: Tanja, prevarena žena
Petra Svrtan: Sandra, Tanjina prijateljica
Dado Ćosić: Milan, glumac, Mašin ljubavnik
Tina Orlandini: Djevojka, zaljubljena u Milana
Doris Šarić Kukuljica: Lile, dvogodišnja djevojčica
Anđela Ramljak: Ana, Lilina majka
Adrian Pezdirc: Boris, Anin muž
Mia Melcher: Kristina, Anina prijateljica
Danijel Ljuboja: Konobar, u restoranu
Barbara Prpić: Ema, mlada udovica
Nadežda Perišić Radović: Majka, njezina mama
Protesters: Hrvojka Begović, Dado Ćosić, Zoran Čubrilo, Nataša Dangubić, Iva Kraljević, Danijel Ljuboja, Mia Melcher, Ivan Pašalić, Adrian Pezdirc, Anđela Ramljak, Petra Svrtan, Mateo Videk
Autorski tim
Directed by: Dora Ruždjak Podolski
Stage adaptation and dramaturgy: Tomislav Zajec
Stage design: Stefano Katunar
Costume design: Marta Žegura
Music: Stanislav Kovačić
Stage movement: Petra Hrašćanec
Lighting design: Aleksandar Čavlek and Anton Modrušan
Author of paintings: Tihana Cizelj
Assistant director: Gabrijel Lazić
Assistant dramaturge: Emma Kliman
Assistant stage designer: Lovro Ivančić
Stage manager: Dina Ekštajn
The show relies on short stories translated into Croatian by Ivica Baković: “The Soup,” “Genes,” “Adulterer,” “Man of Habit,” and “Lile” from the collection “My Husband” (published by V.B.Z. Zagreb in 2016) and on short stories “The Vase” and “The 8th of March” from the collection “I’m Not Going Anywhere” (published by V.B.Z. Zagreb in 2020).