The play “Montenegrin in Bed” has been making people laugh for a long time in Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, the entire Balkan region, Europe, Australia… And in the spring, the audience in America will also have the opportunity to enjoy this hilarious comedy whose writer, actor Peđa Šuškavčević, is also the holder of one of the two main roles, alongside Ana Šimunđa Selski, all organized by Global Stage Group.
That was the reason to talk with Peđa about the phenomenon of this play, which followed in the footsteps of „Đekna“ and other legendary comedies of the Montenegrin, but also Balkan mentality.
What is it that triggers reactions from people in this play?
– „Montenegrin in Bed“ has been the most visited comedy in the region for a long time. It is the best text I have written, and it took me a long time to come up with the title, which I thought about for days and nights. A famous director of ours told me recently: „When you gave it the title ‘Montenegrin in Bed’, God looked upon you!“ There is nothing more beautiful than a good comedy, and this one seems to be good, because it fills halls and makes people laugh to tears, and that is probably the essence.
„Montenegrin in Bed“ is my life story, which is probably why the play is so popular.
How much are the characteristics of Montenegrin men and women in this play caricatured and how much are they real?
-„Montenegrin in Bed“ is a universal category. The play could have been called „Serbian in Bed“, Bosnian, Macedonian… It is the life of a married couple in their later years, in which people recognize themselves, their parents, friends… It is a folk story very close to all of us, regardless of nationality.
Life in those years is completely the same for us. The play was created in Montenegro, I gave it that spirit of mentality, but it is actually a theme for all of us. That is also the reason for such popularity. It seems it just had to happen, for someone to write it and stage it. And as things stand, I was the one who had that luck.
How much have those characteristics changed in Montenegro in the last few decades, are young Montenegrins like their fathers and grandfathers? And what about young Montenegrin women?
-Everyone watches this play, regardless of age. Young people, of whom there are many, react enthusiastically, among other things recognizing their parents, grandfathers, grandmothers, friends. People of middle and older age, on the other hand, recognize themselves or someone of their own in the play. This play depicts the lives of all of us in a comical way, in a very simple, honest way.
Of course, everything has changed today and young people have a different way of life, but the high viewership of this comedy shows how much this way of life is also familiar to them.
Years have passed since “Đekna” and the films of Živko Nikolić, how much is comedy present in Montenegrin films, series, and plays today? Btw, since we mentioned it, your character in the play also physically resembles Radosav from „Đekna“ quite a bit…
-Well, that is an inevitable homage in a way, because we come from the same areas, the same cultural milieu. There is less and less good comedy today. We have received many compliments, and one of the greatest is that our play „Montenegrin in Bed“ is very similar to the famous play „Radovan III“, in the way of communicating with the audience, but also the duration of the play, because you never know when we will finish, that always depends on the audience.
You have traveled through the entire former Yugoslavia, what were the audience reactions, has anything changed in these 30 years?
-The play is performed in all countries of the former old state. It is received and watched gladly in almost the same way, so we return to some cities several times. People come, see it, and then tell their friends how they had a good time, and then they want to come too. We performed in Novi Sad in October, and on February 14th we will already have our seventh performance there. We also had to repeat Belgrade, and on March 18th we are playing in the MTS Hall again.
In Bosnia, we play in the largest halls, in Croatia as well. In Split, we hold the record with 25 performances, which will be hard for anyone to surpass. And that’s not the end, new dates have already been scheduled! In Skopje, we played in the Universal Hall in front of 1,500 spectators. Slovenia as well. Not to mention Montenegro, we can’t manage to play everywhere we are invited.
You are preparing for America… what do you expect from the guest appearance and what are your experiences with past performances in the diaspora?
-A month ago we returned from Australia, where we performed in packed halls in seven of Australia’s largest cities. We immediately received a request to repeat the tour, this time in a larger number of cities. For our people in the diaspora, this play brings them back to their homeland and the lives they left there.
-After huge viewership in the region, European countries, and Australia, I am sure that this play will encounter a good response and reception among all our people throughout America. I am especially glad that the audience, our diaspora, will enjoy a play that is theirs, which was written for them. After numerous calls from America, here we will finally come to you, our dear people, to perform our hilarious comedy, which you will surely enjoy, as did everyone who watched it, says actor Peđa Šuškavčević at the end.
The audience in the USA can expect the play „Montenegrin in Bed“ in the spring, and for now, the only scheduled date is the one in Chicago on March 29th (Irish Heritage Center, 5PM).
Author: Antonije Kovačević Photo: Crnogorac u krevetu / Global Stage Group