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Gang Of Pero Kvržica

Žar Ptica, Croatia

 

The Gang of Pera Kvrzica, Mato Lovrak

 

adapted for stage and directed by: Oliver Frljić

director’s assistant and coreographer: Sandra Banić Naumovski

set design: Leo Vukelić i Iva Matija Bitanga

costume design: Sandra Dekanić

composer: Damir Šimunović

author of the lyrics: Oliver Frljić

lights design: Goran Jurković

 

cast: Zoran Pribičević, Ante Krstulović, Sven Madžarević, Tomislav Krstanović, Andrej Dojkić, Bruno Konterec, Drago Utješanović, Berislav Tomičić, Gorana Marin, Natalija Đorđević

 

 

duration: 50 min

age group: 7+

 

 

 

About the production

 

How could we play The Gang of Pero Kvržica for today’s kids? How can we explain the meaning of unity and selflessness, and that bread does not grow on the shelves of a supermarket? How can we bring back the time in which children took care of cows on a field, in a today’s world when most kids have never even seen a cow in real life?

From the perspective of today, the exotic world of The Gang of Pero Kvržica novel speaks of the values not even familiar to the young generations today. On the opposite side of the world of adults, run by disharmony, greed and shallow personal interests, there are Pero and the gang in the service of general good. Without any compensation, they get together to fix the old water mill. Their venture becomes a sort of a utopian project, an experimental sample of a better, unselfish world. They do something that the adults are not capable of doing.

This play came as an attempt to push these very values of the Lovrak novel on the front line. It develops a theater language that is quick and familiar to the sensibility of the kids of today. Without the idealization of the world they live in, and their little community, The Gang of Pero Kvržica ultimately shows that by joint effort, solidarity and readiness to tackle various difficulties, it is possible, even on short term, to make something better than what we currently have.

 

About the Theatre

 

Founded as a private theatre, it was registered in 1981 as a full time work community, Zar ptica (Firebird Theatre). Situated in the old part of Vlaska street, in a private space owned by one of the founders, Tomica Milanovski, who was also the first manager, the theatre was initially itinerant and performed at kindergartens, schools and toured many locations out of Zagreb. In 1996, the city of Zagreb allocates the theatre their own space, as a sign of recognition for their thus far, turning Zar ptica into City theatre in 1997.  Their repertory is oriented towards national and international classics (as well as works of contemporary writers) of children’s literature, from kindergarten to end of primary school age. In April 2001, Zar ptica Theatre initiated their own festival: „Naj, naj, naj Festival“ (The Bestest Festival) that gathered significant number of theatres from Croatia. City Theatre Zar ptica also takes part in numerous local and international festivals (MDF in Sibenik, Actor’s Festival in Vinkovci, SLUK, PIF, ASSITEJ, „Golden Dolphin“ in Varna, Bulgaria etc).

 

 

www.zar-ptica.hr