Selector’s Introduction

Standing by a principle, established in the beginning of 2003, that “POZORIŠTE ZVEZDARIŠTE” is a theatre festival for children and with children, especially with children, and being a part of it for the first, … fourth, fifth, sixth time, we have witnessed its upward trend of success.
Judged by children’s standard, we turn seven in 2009 and we are ready for all kinds of temptations in order to satisfy their vast imagination.
We are happy to say that 28 theatres from nine countries ( Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Romania, Slovenia, Serbia and Croatia), with 39 plays, applied for our festival. But we are sad that only 13 plays got the invitation for “Pozorište Zvezdarište”. Children deserve to see all the plays because they are truly note-worthy. I say this from the heart, and I really mean it.

It is in artist’s nature to disagree with the world around him. Some artists are rebels, wanting to step forward into the new, avant-garde, perfect. Making a step into the world of children’s imagination, where everything is possible, where good always prevails over evil, where justice and love triumph, and joy is the crown of entire impression after the play, all of a sudden, even for just a moment while we are away from everyday life, we realize that something better is waiting for us. These are the challenges of an artistic creation which initiates a heartfelt dialogue with other authors, with children, with reality. I believe that all the artists, including the actors, children’s writers, directors and everyone who frets over the fortune of the play, will equally, just like the children, be able to fell the joy during the festival “Pozorište Zvezdarište”.

Selector’s criterion is always a personal view bounded by aesthetic standards. I’ve journeyed through 39 plays from twenty towns ( Ancona, Bacu, Eupen, Belgrade, Velika Gorica, Vršac, Zagreb, Zenica, Zrenjanin, Kragujevac, Kruševac, Ljubljana, Niš, Novi  Sad, Pančevo, Penedo, Sisak, Skadar, Slavonski Brod, Subotica), seen numerous masters, puppeteers, actors, composers, dancers, costume designers, set designers, directors and writers, seen their work and learned from them. All the time having in mind the basic slogan of ” Zvezdarište” festival : “Theatre - for children and with children”, I’ve chosen 13 plays which represent their skills as best as possible.
We know the attitude towards children’s theatres. Until recently, there were none in theatrical studies which deal with analysis and historiography of theatre repertoires. Only the greatest ones deserved the attention. It was natural for any actor, an artist who serves in a children’s theatre, to strive to get hold of the great one as soon as possible, even at the cost of blending and losing his personality in a big mass.

It is my belief that, slowly but surely, that will all change. We have to think about the changes because reality longs for them. Amongst such efforts, “Pozorište Zvezdarište” festival, motivates us to think deeply.

Мomčilo Kovačević
(Леон Ковке)