THE JURY DECISION

The Jury of the 45th Infant was composed of:

Vesna Dragojlov, Professor at the University in Morocco, Chair

Jelena Mijović, dramaturge for the Atelier 212 Theatre

Ivan Pravdić PhD, Professor at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad

Among 11 plays eligible for competition, we watched with pleasure but also with a critical eye carefully examined every one of them, we have had the opportunity to see new trends in the theatre with many elements of originality and innovation in the theatrical context, a variety of approaches, from performance art, plays, music, technologies, well conceptualized directing and the text – behind which there is a recognizable professional and very serious work – and which all of them, to a greater or lesser degree fit the topic of this year’s INFANT – New Paradigms – New Readings. My praise goes to the selector of INFANT, Simon Grabovac as well as his assistants.

The job of the jury to make decisions on the three awarding plays among fierce competition was challenging and daunting, however, all three of us completed our work with great satisfaction.

  1. THE AWARD FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL EXPRESSIVENESS THAT TRANSCENDS THEATRICAL CONTEXT AND INCLUDES OTHER FORMS OF ART, OR CREATION IN THE BROADEST SENSE IS SHARED BETWEEN THE PLAY “MY GREEETINGS AND MY KISSES TO HIM”, BY THE THEATRICAL GROUP, ARTOPIA, FROM MACEDONIA AND “UNDER CONSTRUCTION” BY THEATRE GROUP FROM ISRAEL

The  play MY GREEETINGS AND MY KISSES TO HIM”, BY THE THEATRICAL GROUP, ARTOPIA, FROM MACEDONIAbrings us an extraordinary expressiveness of a young theatre, whose actors, with great enthusiasm, without censorship and in the most cruel but honest way depict current theme based on personal confessions. Documentary theatre of the group Artopia examines not only poetic but also political topics and limitations imposed on young actors. With boundless enthusiasm, very engaging and directly, young theatrical authors speak of the conflicts that many artists in all art forms face. Though in the directing by Biljana Radinoska they use minimalistic mise en scene and stage technology, exceptionally expressive actors, Natasa Petrovic, Simona Spirovska Kostorkska, Nenad Mitevski I Bojan Kirkovski courageously reach a general meaning and successful emotional impact.

The  play, “Under Construction” by theatre group from Israel, is a non-verbal comedy based on the circus skills and is specific by the way the actors use props not necessarily linked with theatre. Existential problems using repetition are built all the way to Beckett’s absurdity. The Introduction of clown/circus elements into the context of the theatrical stage and decontextualized props situates this poetic and philosophically tainted performance at the bordering territory between theatre and other forms of art, as an art creation in its broadest sense.

  1. THE AWARD FOR THE MOST ORIGINAL EXPLORATION OF ONE OF THE SEGMENTS OF THE THEATRICAL LANGUAGE GOES TO THE PLAY, “THE GIRL WITH WIRES’, BY DRAMA SLOVENSKO NARODNO GLEDALISCE, SLOVENIA AND MOVING MUSIC THEATRE, MACEDONIA

This is a play which could be awarded for each segment of the theatrical language. Still, Marjan Necak together with other authors of this play, with individual analysis and an exploration of each one of them, and then synthesizing them into this exceptional performance, creates a specific and yet universal theatrical language – the music which makes up the whole play. The harmony of all elements of this performance – from dramaturgy, directing, music, exceptional acting, costumes, video, intertwining of the Balkan language and the world ones – makes it possible for the audience to encounter  an excellently composed dramatic music with live performance full of emotions and meaning. At the same time, that harmony sharpens our personal experience of the topic: constant struggle with our own demons and socio-economic obstacles, dreams interrupted at the borders, poetry ruined by reality.

  1. THE AWARD FOR THE MOST SUCCESFUL PERFORMANCE AS A WHOLE GOES TO ‘VOLITANT’, DANCE COMPANY GOBI, HUNGARY

The play VOLITANT by Gobi Dance Company from Hungary showcased magical possibilities of minimalism in all its theatrical segments. Only one body of the exceptional Rita Gobi, stripped of its gender qualifications, few light sources designed by Pavle Beranov, almost exclusively monophone music by David Sega, realize an abundance of total metamorphoses of movements in their isolation and as a whole. Every movement transcends an individual body but also the descriptive character of this abstract dance. One of the most difficult, if not impossible way to create an impact on the audience is not to use meaning and context. The performance Volitant by Rita Gobi with ultimate consciousness and professionalism transcends not only traditional but also alternative theatrical production by offering a clear vision of the dance of the future. Thus this dance fits perfectly into the vision and mission of Infant, as a festival that seek and promote new theatrical languages.