Beginning with Saturday 17 March at 19:30 hours, it is also Water that will flow in Rijeka, with its premiere at the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc.
Vladimir Nazor wrote his autobiographical short story Water between the years 1923 and 1926, its main theme being a three-month long drought, namely, the thirst felt by members of an island’s community.
This work has been adapted for the Rijeka Croatian drama and ballet by Goran Ferčec, who is also the dramaturge of this production of Water, while Matija Ferlin is the director and choreographer. Set design has been signed by Mauricio Ferlin, costume design by Desanka Janković together with with Matija Ferlin, lighting design is by Alan Vukelić and music by the Marinada band. The cast features Jelena Lopatić, Dean Krivačić, Marija Tadić, Jasmin Mekić, Aleksandra Stojaković Olenjuk, Denis Brižić, Anastazija Balaž, Nikola Nedić, Edi Ćelić, Aleksandar Cvjetković, Maria del Mar Hernandez, Ksenija Duran Krutova, Hélias Tur-Dorvault, Ali Tabbouch, Nika Lilek, Ricardo Campos Freire and Michele Pastorini.
«In our programme we cover a wide spectrum of genres and generations, which means that performances for children and youth are not only our obligation but mission as well», said the CNT Ivan pl. Zajc general manager Marin Blažević. Matija Ferlin, one of the leading and most interesting artists of contemporary theatre, dancer, choreographer, actor and director, winner of Croatian and foreign awards, directs for the first time in Zajc, for the first time a play for children and youth, also for the first time working with two completely different ensembles in one production, with Drama actors and dancers of the Rijeka Ballet. «This is a story of community and collective suffering. All are equally important, there are no formal differences, the structure is coherent, while on stage we managed to achieve a proper synergy of actors and dancers. I can hardly wait Saturday and all of this to start flowing», said Matija Ferlin.
The multiple winner of awards, writer and dramaturge Goran Ferčec, pointed out that the story is universal, with the theme that addresses all, and although the system recommends it for children, it communicates at many levels with different generations, while all understand what it is about. He underlined, «It happens rarely that the big stage is provided for children. Productions for children usually end up on smaller stages, while the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka has given its big stage and auditorium for children and youth, thus conveying the message – this Theatre is actually yours!»
The Croatian Drama director Jelena Kovačić spoke about the authors’ and production team, also about the performance itself: » Artists of impressive biographies in combination with Vladimir Nazor and, most importantly, Croatian Drama and Ballet ensembles, have all managed to create a truly significant performance. One of the reasons for this production is the forthcoming World Water Day on the 22 March, however, we should also mention that the World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People is two days earlier, on the 20 March. I think that on the one hand, at the level of its content, this production will introduce the audience into the world of a small island community that for already three months has been suffering drought and remind us of how important water is for our lives, of how important it is to know that we all thirst equally, while, on the other hand, it will affirm the right of the young audience to a true artistic experience».
Jelena Kovačić also reminded of numerous activities that began already on the 9 March with the Theatre Parliament devoted to the way in which children and young people experience the theatre art and also what it is that they expect of it. It was then that young people as well became our theatre MPs. She announced the lecture «Brač Cycle of Vladimir Nazor (Brački ciklus)» by Olga Perić, PhD, at 18 hours on Friday the 16 March, devoted to a specific part of Nazor’s works devoted to the island on which he was born and where he spent his childhood. In co-operation with the NGO Benčić Council of the Young, workshops will be organised on the 14 and 15 April, when children and young people will be able to sightsee locations in our town concerning water sources, water reservoirs, safe keeping of historical data on the water pumping in Rijeka, as well as express themselves creatively.
After the performances on the 21 and 22 March, there will be a discussion at the Teatro Coffee House. The radio play Water will be recorded and played in the sound tent of Mauricio Ferlin for the islanders of those Quarner islands for whom the CNT is difficult to come to. Activities that encourage the active participation of audience are organised in the co-operation of the CNT Ivan pl. Zajc with the organisation Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture, its Children’s House Programme.
Mara Anjoli Vujić, Culture director of the Rijeka 2020 ECoC, commented on the partnership of the ECoC 2020 and the Rijeka CNT, through which programmes are developed, in this case around one of the three top ranked themes of the ECoC, i.e. water. «In order to build audiences we find it important to include young people and children, while workshops and activities will be taking place not only in Rijeka but on islands as well», said Anjoli Vujić. The Croatian Drama actress Jelena Lopatić, in the role of boy Vlado, spoke about the work with the director and choreographer: « Matija pulled the ground under our feet, but it was a new acting journey that we all needed!».
Marking the World Water Day, the CNT Ivan pl. Zajc and the Utility Company Water and Sewage Rijeka, in co-operation with the City of Rijeka, will organise a several-day long manifestation comprising numerous activities and lectures regarding this year’s theme of the World Water Day – «Nature for Water». Vojko Obersnel, Mayor of the city that its citizens proudly call the city that flows, said that on the occasion of marking the World Water Day, an important associating has taken place, namely that of the Utility Company with the Theatre and the ECoC 2020, with the aim of warning and making citizens aware of the significance of water and preservation of drinking water sources, as well as the rational water management. The Mayor also mentioned the presentation of the renewed water reservoir – the interruption chamber Križ with a viewing plateau on the roof, the lecture on the theme of «The Search of Water in our Solar System», as well as the questionnaire on how much we know of water by the «Our Children» association and the exhibition of the Young Guardians of Environment.
The general manager of the Utility Company Water and Sewage, Andrej Marochini, announced the lecture «Rijeka is water, water is Rijeka’s water» that will be given to the secondary school students of the city by representatives of the UC Water and Sewage Company in the foyer on the 21 April, also the exhibition «To the H2O Water of Rijeka and Rijeka’s Ring» that will be opened on the Korzo promenade on the 22 March, staying open until the 29 March, when representatives of the Teaching Institute of the Public Health Department of the PGC will give a lecture on the significance of water, taking all to a visit of laboratories with expert guidance.
Utility Company Water and Sewage Rijeka is the general sponsor of this project. Croatian Water Pollution Control Society and Water Supply and Drainage Cres Lošinj Company are sponsors of this production.
Reruns of Water are at 12 hours on the 19 and 22 March and at 19:30 hours on the 21 and 22 March in the CNT Ivan pl. Zajc.
PRODUCTION GENERAL SPONSOR
SPONSOR
