The play “Tonight We’re Alone,” a hilarious comedy about the marriage and love life of a Serbian woman and a Bosniak man, is coming to America, with premiere performances scheduled in Chicago and New York on November 20 and 22. (CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR CHICAGO*, AND HEREeventbrite.comFOR NEW YORK!)***
Through witty dialogue, unexpected situations and familiar moments from everyday life, audiences enjoy a story that is both entertaining and a reminder of the complexities of interethnic relationships in the Balkans.
The leading roles in “Tonight We’re Alone,” which has already been performed with great success throughout the former Yugoslavia and in several countries around the world, are played by Nataša Aksentijević and Semir Gicić.
The play was directed by Ivan Vujović, while its author, who also performs one of the two leading roles, Semir Gicić, explains how he came up with the idea for the play:
-The foundation of this production is a text I wrote back when I was 18 (in 2009), which won numerous awards at the time and received outstanding praise from dramaturges. Although many people wanted to bring it to the stage, fate had it that I would adapt it myself, reduce the number of characters and turn it into a new comedy. Although it appears to be a classic romantic comedy, the play contains a specific phenomenon that is appearing for the first time in our domestic dramaturgy, Gicić tells Serbian Times.
How would you describe the plot of the play in one sentence?
-It is a mirror of everyday life. The play is conceived as an entertaining, truthful and timeless reflection of everyday relationships between men and women, with a touch of distinctive humor because it revolves around a mixed marriage between a Bosniak man and a Serbian woman — something that was once commonplace but is no longer such a frequent occurrence today. It features familiar life situations, ranging from passionate devotion to minor marital disagreements that everyone in the audience can relate to.
A HILARIOUS DUO: “After the first rehearsal, I knew Nataša was the right partner”
How did you and Nataša hit it off?
-It is simply amazing how God brings you together with someone you understand with just a glance, without saying a word. After the first rehearsal, I knew that was it and that Nataša was the right acting partner for “Tonight We’re Alone.” We joined forces — a woman from Zemun and a man from Novi Pazar — and it turned out to be a fantastic experiment. The fact that theaters are packed wherever we perform speaks for itself: in Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia, Germany, Austria and Canada, people everywhere recognize themselves in our characters and have a good laugh for the hour and a half that the play lasts.
How does an author feel when their play comes to life among the people?
-Well, I am an actor. I am here to make people laugh, help them relax a little and make their lives more enjoyable. But I always try to make sure it is quality humor and entertainment, without cheap tricks or swearing.
What would you like to tell audiences ahead of your performances in America, in Chicago on November 20 and New York on November 22?
-Come and see us and have a laugh. You won’t regret it. And let me add that we are also negotiating a performance in Miami on November 21, which we will announce to the audience in due course.
Source: Antonije Kovačević Foto: Privatna arhiva
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