Utrinski Vesnik, 05.08.2003) - Director Slobodan Unkovski is returning to the Ohrid Summer after ten years. His latest play, “Father,” by August Strinberg will be performed on the stage of Dolni Saraj at 11.00 p.m. today. This is an independent theatre project supported by the Ministry of Culture which Unkovski is carrying out in collaboration with actor Bajrus Mjaku, who plays the main character.
“When we first discussed to do the play, we wanted to make it for the Ohrid Summer because the Albanian Drama takes part in the event once in ten years, Mjaku says. “We are very happy that we have encircled this cooperation successfully.”
Strinberg’s play reflects the tragedy of a man and woman who fight for the custody of their child. “Father” is a monumental text which marked its time with the subtle and psychological way of dealing with the complex relations in a family,” Mjaku says. According to Unkovski, this is one of the most important texts of late 19th century. “If some details on the time are erased, we get an active modern play, exciting and touching in many ways. I read Strinberg’s text as an antique drama: a conflict of Gods, conflict of two worlds, of genders. The military aspect seems unimportant to me today. As in the Greek tragedies and in Shakespeare sometimes, war is waged over a child, over proprietorship and influence,” Unkovski says.
This is the second play Unkovski is setting in Macedonia in the past eight years after “Closer” with the Drama Theatre. “Although I have worked plays in many languages, I am first doing a play in Albanian. I have an extraordinary cooperation with the participants in the play and I am really happy to return to the Ohrid Summer after ten years.”
“Father” is a specific projects meant for a limited number of audience (only 21 visitors will be able to see the performance), and they will be direct participants in the plot. The play is in Albanian and will mark a jubilee in a symbolic way - 30 years on the stage by Bajrus Mjaku. Besides this evening, “Father” will be produced within the Summer Festival in Budva on August 9. In Macedonia, it will start its theatre life in October on the alternative evening stage in a newly constructed building of the Children Theatre Centre - Skopje. “I hope that I will produce some of my works in future within the Children Theatre Centre, Unkovski says.
The play is realized with an acting ensemble from the Albanian Drama within the Theatre of Nationalities. The cast includes: Bajrus Mjaku (Captain), Amernis Noksiki (Berta), Visar Viski (Doctor), Vebi Kerimi (Pastor), Musefere Lozana (Margareta), and Sabedin Selami (Nejd) as well as a guest from Pristina, actress Arta Mucaj (Laura). The stage design, which is funded by the Dutch Embassy in Skopje and costumes are the work of Blagoj Micevski. Robert Budina has made the translation of the text.

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