The provincial government has informed Shakespeare Festival that this year Villa Stanković in Čortanovci was closed for them.
"Due to the planned works, we are unable to provide you with the use of Villa Stanković", they wrote.
It was not possible to find out what kind of work was involved, which had to be performed in the very first days of July, at the time of the Shakespeare Festival.
Unique in Serbia
The Shakespeare Festival is unique in Serbia. It was founded by the director Nikita Milivojevic with the intention of showing contemporary world productions of Shakespeare's works. The 13th Shakespeare Festival was supposed to take place this July. So far, over 60 plays from 24 countries have been performed, there have been numerous concerts, exhibitions, films, seen by more than 25.000 visitors, and many awards have been received.
Photo: PromoShakespeare Festival last year
"The idea of founding a Shakespeare festival was born in the right place: in Shakespeare's Globe Theater in London. It was there that I learned more about the numerous Shakespeare festivals that take place around the world, and somehow intuitively thought of Villa Stanković as an ideal place for such a festival in our country," said Nikita Milivojević at the beginning of the festival.
Now, for "Vreme", he briefly replies that he does not know anything more than what was written in the statement.
"I will try to organize the festival by the end of the year - where and how, I don't know yet," says Nikita Milivojević. He also confirms that "the program for this year has been ready for a long time."
We talked while he was rehearsing Euripides Co-ownership in Athens, for the summer festival there. "Medea after the premiere in Athens, it goes on a summer tour all over Greece, it will have more than 40 performances in various open ancient scenes. During the summer, around 150.000 spectators will see the play," Milivojević announces.
It seems that it would be simpler to transfer the Shakespeare festival to Greece, where it has been working the most for the past several years, than to look for a new space in Serbia.
Last year
Last year, the festival was held without state aid. For the last two years, the municipality of Inđija has been behaving as if this festival did not teach the people of Čortanovce and did not make them publicly known. The city of Novi Sad had no money for the Shakespeare festival this year, and the Ministry and Provincial Secretariat of Culture they have not yet announced the results of the competition.
Photo: Shakespeare FestActors, indices, audience
They also ended the last festival with words of support for the students of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts who canceled their performance A lazy night's sleep, because of the arrested students.
"We hope that your A Midsummer Night's Dream to be performed at the next Shakespeare Festival, in a better and different reality than the one we currently live in," they told them last year.
Now they see that it will not happen.
"But we still believe the same thing. Because like many times before: everything will pass - Shakespeare will remain!"
Until then: to be or not to be?
Of course, to be!", it says at the end of the Shakespeare Festival announcement.
What will happen to the New Fortress Theatre?
In addition to the Shakespeare Festival, another theater festival is held in Vila Stanković - the New Fortress Theater, at the end of August. It was founded by Vida Ognjenović, director, writer, professor. The question is whether the municipality of Indjija will be able to finish the works by then, or whether it will refuse to host that festival as well.
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