Play: “The Father”

The play “The Father” will be performed on November 26 at 8 p.m. at Park Hall. The play is produced by Nikšić Theatre.

Directed by: Nataša Poplavska

Cast:

• Andre – VLADAN GAJOVIĆ
• Ana – ANJA DRLJEVIĆ
• A Man – JOVAN KRIVOKAPIĆ
• A Woman – MAJA STOJANOVIĆ
• Pjer – NIKOLA VASILJEVIĆ
• Laura – ANDREA DRAŠKOVIĆ

Creative team:

• Translation: Ivana Dimić
• Costume design and music selection: Nataša Poplavska
• Set design: Vesna Sušić
• Design, photography, and video: Emil Petrov
• Lighting design: Bojan Bojanić
• Music: Abel Korzeniowski – W. E. (Music from the Motion Picture)
• Promotional music: Saša Latuka

Director’s note:

“The Father” by Florijan Zeler is a drama about the loss of identity, time, and reality. Through the story of Andre, a man gradually sinking into dementia, the play brings the audience closer to an inner world in which the boundaries between reality and imagination are erased. The stage becomes a space of memories, fear, and illusions, where the audience experiences disorientation and instability alongside the protagonist. This intimate family drama speaks of human frailty and love.

At the heart of the play is the relationship between father and daughter, Andre and Ana. Their love and closeness intertwine with misunderstandings, pain, and a sense of helplessness. Ana, guided by love and responsibility, bears the burden of care, guilt, and exhaustion. Her character shows how the illness of one family member becomes an ordeal for everyone, undermining relationships and strength while also revealing the depths of human connection.

Dementia represents a medical, social, and personal challenge that affects many families, as well as the broader understanding of old age and helplessness. The play explores this experience through a story of family, illness, and changing relationships.

Together with the Nikšić Theatre ensemble, the director worked with demanding and emotionally powerful material, as well as a work of contemporary world drama such as Zeler’s “The Father.”

The play is dedicated to the director’s family—her father and brother, who are no longer with her, and her mother, who, as she says, continues to walk bravely on her own.