Black Mother Earth

Running time 2 hours 40 minutes.
Première: 1 April 2017, ZKM

Director Dora Ruždjak Podolski
Dramaturg Tomislav Zajec
Stage setting Stefano Katunar
Costume design Doris Kristić
Scenic movement Petra Hrašćanec
Music Stanko Kovačić
Sound Miroslav Piškulić
Lighting Aleksandar Čavlek
Assistant director Lea Anastazija Fleger
Assistant costume designer Marta Žegura
Language advisor Ines Carović
Répétiteur Milorad Stranić
Mask designer Slavko Vidović
Drawings Tit Medvešek
Stage manager Milica Kostanić
Drama coaches Tina Orlandini / Arijana Prekazi

Cast
Matija Adrian Pezdirc
Franjo Dado Ćosić
Majka Doris Šarić Kukuljica
Grandma Urša Raukar
Dr Miholjek Lazanin, Hešto Pjer Meničanin
Dr Perković, Pujto Milica Manojlović
Iva Nataša Dorčić
Dina Mia Biondić
Aunt, Lidija, Terezika Kunčec Dora Polić Vitez
Teacher, Dejan's mother Suzana Nikolić
Milica, Suzana Barbara Prpić
Silvija, Franjo's mother Nadežda Perišić Radović
Priest; Zvonko Demokracija Damir Šaban
Mladen Horvat Danijel Ljuboja
Franjo's father, Dejan's father, Brother-in-law, Stankec, Imbro Perčić Zoran Čubrilo
Dejan; Zdravko Tenodi Jasmin Telalović
Krunek; Mario Brezovec Mateo Videk
Musician Stanko Kovačić
Little Matija Nikola Ljutić / Leon Bujanović

The performance Black Mother Earth is a dramatisation of the "Međimurje saga" of the same title by the writer Kristian Novak. It talks about guilt and forgiveness, about deaths and legends, about the unconscious and fears, about suppressed traumatic events and attempts to live with them in the places where people curse a lot and send their grief packing "to black mother earth". Međimurje with its typical dialect comes to life onstage, mythology intertwines with reality, the past with the present, and characters of pronounced gravitas come to the forefront:

Self-deception and escapism reduce pain, but lead to isolation.
Isolation is a fertile ground for demons in the shape of friends.
The feeling of guilt (albeit unjustified) for the death of another becomes visible and attracts the hate of the collective.
The collective gives a rough treatment to the one who feels the guilt, not to the one who denies it.
The narrative of the collective tries desperately to remain self-informative, it gobbles what's useful and spits out the rest.

The anchor of the performance, in the words of the author of the dramatisation and dramaturg, lies in Matej's words from the novel:

"There's too much of everything strange around me and I fear I will get lost in our house or our garden, because the things and furniture and trees and animals are no more like they were before. Like every little thing wants to say me something. They just keep saying all the time. I can't hear no more, I'll go crazy."

A performance about a boy, a loss, a terrible secret and a community whose foundations are shaken; about friendship, love and betrayal; and about how each one of us at times sides with the side that turns its face away. It is an apology to those who haven't been heard. It invites and entices: "Come hither. We will show you how black it is."

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Established in 1948 as the Pioneer Theater, the ZKM developed into a respected contemporary theatre that follows the newest European trends in performing arts. It is renowned internationally because of its complex repertoire concepts and experienced, adaptable ensemble. It is one of the key theatres on the Croatian theatre map because of its tight core of young professionals, theatrically literate audience, openness for non-institutional projects, proclivity for research, genre diversity, trans-disciplinary approach, a solid international network, high accessibility and a sustainable socio-artistic dialogue as a detector of the needs of its environment. In addition to the in-depth reflections about variegated production for a demanding audience, ZKM pays a lot of attention to the performances for the young.