Dušan Jovanović

THE LIFE OF PROVINCIAL PLAYBOYS AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR OR WE WANT WHAT’S NOT OURS – WE WON’T GIVE UP WHAT’S OURS

Producers:

Mestno gledališče ljubljansko (MGL)

Grad teatar Budva – Festival (GTB)

Belgrade Drama Theatre (BDP)

Drama Theatre Skopje (DTS)

The comedy The Life of Provincial Playboys or We Want What’s Not Ours – We Won’t Give Up What’s Ours stands out in Dušan Jovanović’s early dramatic work by faithfully maintaining the form of comedy. It even draws on a template titled Three Cuckolds by an unknown author, which belongs to the tradition of commedia dell’arte. Playboys was written in 1972 and premiered at MGL a year later.

The play was written in the spirit of the sexual revolution and the Spring of ’68, and under the influence of conditions in then-Yugoslavia, to which the youngest generation of creators responded. A new phenomenon appeared in their works, called ludism — a unique response to the “heavy” themes opened by the post-war generation. Ludism is characterized by a complete withdrawal from any search for meaning, answers, or solutions for human existential troubles; it rather accepts things as they are and, instead of seeking ways out of troubles, surrenders to the flow of events through relaxed play.

All of this applies to Playboys as well. The play is a whirlpool of lively eroticism, youth, and unrestrained, never-satisfied desire. However, between the lines, one can also sense the emptiness, vanity, and selfishness of a society constantly chasing pleasure. Even today, half a century after ’68, emptiness and aimlessness remain relevant, joined now by the chase for money and existential fear.

Playwright, director, and essayist Dušan Jovanović (1939) contributed to Slovenian and broader regional theatre for over five decades. In his early years, he gained a reputation as an enfant terrible, but after 1970, his creative path began to rise sharply. As a versatile author, he is a key authority in the renewal of modern dramatic and stage language. He directed more than a third of the premieres of his own works, as well as many others—over ninety in total. He received numerous awards for his work, including seven Borštnik Awards for directing and four for best overall production, the Prešeren Fund Award, and the Grand Prešeren Award for lifetime achievement.

Ivan Penović (1992), a young Croatian playwright, dramaturge, and director, is already making his way among the most exciting authors in the region with his comprehensive and engaged approach. From 2012 to 2016, he worked as a dramaturge on numerous productions in various Croatian theatres. Since 2014, he has regularly directed his own texts. A milestone in his career was the award-winning play You Know Who I Am produced by the Croatian National Theatre (HNK) Zagreb. All his projects have been enthusiastically received by both critics and the public, and have toured renowned domestic and international festivals. Ivan Penović will take over as director of HNK Split next season.

The performance is dedicated to the fifth anniversary of Dušan Jovanović’s death.