A New Production in Sarajevo Youth Theatre	08. september 2009
"Puss in Boots"
The 2009/2010 Theatre Season at Sarajevo's Youth Theatre begins with rehearsal for the puppet play “Puss in Boots”, directed and adapted for the stage by Drago Buka. Set and costume design is the work of Vanja Popović, and the music the work of Hamdija Salihbegović and Nedžad Merdžanović. The play includes a cast of inhouse actors i.e. from the Youth Theatre: Mario Drmać, Sanin Milavić, Damir Kustura, Elma Ahmetović, Mirza Tanović, as well as guest actors Adnan Goro and Merima Lepić. The text of “Puss in Boots” is based on Charles Perrault's fable, to which Drago Buka has added his own commentary to the life that we lead today, aspects of which can be seen in the plot of the play: three brothers decide to divide their father's estate, and leave their youngest brother Neven only his cat and books. But the cat's wisdom and ingenuity will rescue Neven from a life of misery and give the story a universal happy ending. With its dynamicity, colourful approach and excellent musical numbers, the “Puss in Boots” will certainly be another surprise for child audiences, but not only for them – as this piece speaks out about situations that only adults can comprehend. The premiere of the play is set for 9 October 2009. On a different note, the implementation of other projects planned at the Youth Theatre is extremely doubtful, and will depend only on available funds – which are unfortunately decreasing with every month. The actors and staff of the Sarajevo Youth Theatre hope that they will be able to offer new plays to their child and adult audiences – but this hope will only become a reality if the “powers to be” in this country approach this situation as something tragic, and do something to prevent culture in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina from dying out.
The Sarajevo Youth Theatre announces the premiere performance of	09. march 2009
„THE SHAPE OF THINGS“
Neil LaBute THE SHAPE OF THINGS Direction:                                        Admir Glamočak Dramaturgy::                                  Asja Krsmanović Set and costume design:                Amra Zulfikarpašić Music selection:                              Admir Glamočak Cast: Džana Pinjo                 EVELIN Mario Drmać                ADAM Elma Ahmetović           JENNY Semir Krivić                 PHILIP The Sarajevo Youth Theatre is proud to announce the premiere of “The Shape of Things”, a play that speaks out about manipulating the emotions of others as the cruelest form of manipulation, but also about the possibility that art may become a means of such manipulation. The play, directed by Admir Glamočak, puts, at present, two basic questions for us to answer: are honest emotions possible and do they even exist in our everyday existence, and what in fact is the purpose of art? “The Shape of Things” asks the questions, but doesn’t provide exact answers, leaving instead a space for each of us to feel the real pulse of our position in the world, wherein we are lost in a society that offers everything, but that may also take everything away, giving us thus the opportunity to ponder on how we may behave better towards our fellow man, and also towards our own understanding of art...
The 50th performance of	09. march 2009
“Warrior Square”
After the fiftieth showing of the play Aladin, the Sarajevo Youth Theatre is exceptionally honoured to announce the fiftieth performance of Warrior Square, a play based on a text by Nick Wood, directed by Dino Mustafić, with set design by Dino Mustafić and Irena Žic, costume design by Irena Žic and videoart by Zlatan Filipović. This landmark performance will take place on 11 March 2009 at the Sarajevo's Youth Theatre. Warrior Square, which casts Belma Lizde-Kurt and Mario Drmać as its lead characters, premiered on 29 April 2005. This remarkable play was not only welcomed with acclaim by its audiences, but has also won numerous awards at its many guest performances throughout Bosnia and the surrounding region. For their efforts in the play, actors Belma Lizde-Kurt and Mario Drmać both received awards at the 2005 Pozorišne igre (Theatre Games) in Jajce, Lizde- Kurt with the Acting Award, and Drmać as Best Young Actor. At the 2005 Actor of Europe Festival in Macedonia, Belma Lizde-Kurt received the Actress of Europe Award. Both Lizde-Kurt and Drmać received the 2005 “Tmačin prsten” (Ring of the Tmača) Award, presented by the Tmača Art magazine editorial board for their cooperation on stage, which was also awarded by the jury of the Mostar International Festival of Creative Poetics in 2008. Dino Mustafić was also awarded as Best Director at the 2005 Jajce Theatre Games, where the play was also awarded the Viewers’ Choice Award for Best Play. Instead of offering us a “sketch of a war”, in “Warriors’ Square“, Nick Wood presents us with an incredibly precise portrait of the victims of war. He forces us to poke fun at our own knowledge (or lack thereof), to re-examine once again the frequently used, but seldom born out definition found in crossword puzzles, that war is “a conflict between two or more beleaguered sides”. Wood’s characters and narrators are children, and they simply do not fit into this naive definition. They are the victims, and their perishing a “process”, and not merely a fleeting unfortunate moment. Our naiveté, which some might call goodness, compels us to witness in disbelief that even a science on the subject, given the name VICTIMOLOGY, was recently established. Believe it or not, the science studies “victims, and the ways in which we can become victims”. This production is an opportunity to brush up on what we know, and to recognize that most of us have a fear of “revising” this knowledge. We are, in fact, tested on it every day. THEREFORE, WISH US LUCK!
The 50th performance of…	27. december 2008
„Aladin“
The Sarajevo Youth Theatre has the great honour of announcing the fiftieth jubilee performance of Aladin, a play directed by Kaća Dorić and adapted by Nenad Veličković. The set and costume designer is Vanja Popović, the music was written by Hamdija Salihbegović and Nedžad Merdžanović, and the choreography is the work of Belma Čečo-Bakrač. The performance will be staged on 1 February 2009 at the Youth Theatre. Aladin, featuring a cast of Sanin Milavić, Alma Merunka, Boris Ler, Narda Nikšić, Drago Buka, Ajla Cabrera, Mirza Tanović, Edhem Husić, Damir Kustura, Sead Bejtović and Nermin Tulić, had its premiere performance on 5 October 2007, and is seeing its 50th rerun, after 14 months of outstandingly positive audience turnout and reactions. Critics have also recognised the quality of this performance – the 2007 “Key of Tmača” Award for Best Actor in Theatre was awarded to young artist Boris Ler for his role of Aladin. This playful fairytale, though told not the least naively, is also a fairytale for adults, both enticing the audience with its lively colours, songs and dynamic, and provoking them to think about the world our children live in, and the ways in which we can make this world, ours and theirs, a better place. We would therefore like to invite you to join us in marking this special date, and to see for yourselves why this play is received by children with such good-natured and carefree delight, and by adults with joy and approval.
13th Review of Puppet Theatre in Rijeka	31. october 2008
"Aladin" at the Review
"Aladin”, as directed Kaća Dorić, will take part at the 13th Review of Puppet Theatre, which will be held from 3 to 9 November 2008 in Rijeka. The play will be performed at the Rijeka Hrvatski kulturni dom (Croatian Cultural Centre) on Tuesday, 4 November 2008 at 18.30, as well as on Wednesday, 5 November 2008 at 9.30 at the same venue.
A PREMIERE OF A PUPPET PLAY AT THE YOUTH THEATRE	07.may 2008
William Shakespeare „The Tempest“
Director: Drago Buka Dramaturge: Aida Pilav Stage, costume and puppet design: Dženita Huseinović Music: Hamdija Salihbegović i Nedžad Merdžanović Cast: Elma Ahmetović Ajla Cabrera Damir Kustura Sanin Milavić Boris Ler Mirza Tanović Alma Merunka Adnan Goro Nermin Tulić Yet with my nobler reason 'gaitist my fury Do I take part: the rarer action is In virtue than in vengeance.” (The Tempest, Act V, Scene I) These words spoken by Prospero portray an image of the tempest as a manifestation of the forces of nature, and, at the same time, also a metaphor for the growing dilemma of a man whose conscience is still alive and speaking out. But how are we to present the world of Shakespeare’s “Tempest” to children? How do we bring young minds closer to the significance and genuineness of Prospero’s aim to forgive and not seek revenge? Drago Buka´s direction of this play, based on playful, intricate and perpetually magical puppetry, presents the world of “The Tempest” as a world of fairytales. As we have daily proof, and ever more of it, the world around us is increasingly becoming an extreme manifestation of good and evil, just as is the case in a fairytale – with the exception that, in the fairytales that are our lives, good does not always prevail. In fact, most of us, regardless of age and experience, have ceased believing in the dual reality in which good sometimes overcomes evil. This puppet play was created in the aim of portraying to the young a reality that, regardless of all its tempests, conflicts and horrors, always leaves room for man to remain human, which is how Prospero characterizes himself at the end of this wonderful Shakespearean tale. Regardless of time and place, the only real magical “good guys” of our, plainly fairytale, reality are those individuals who know how to forgive or how to admit to their own mistakes, or those who know how to love with all their heart or how to pass that knowledge to others… In the words of director Buka: “I will be happy if at least one child changes leaves this performance convinced that we should forgive, love, learn…”. The play premieres:23.may 2008.

A New Production	25. february 2008
„S. U. R. Sajgon“ (The Saigon Pub)
Based on a text by: Emir Imamović Directin: Lajla Kaikčija Set design: Darko Miličević Costume design: Amela Vilić Music: Dino Šukalo Dramaturgy: Aida Pilav Cast: Safet - Mirvad Kurić Meliha – Elma Ahmetović Mrki – Edo Husić Deniro – Semir Krivić Švabo – Miraj Grbić Neno – Mirza Tanović Nina – Alma Merunka It is the last night before the Saigon Pub is torn down. As the night progresses, we realise the the pub's last night is slowly becoming the last night in the lives of its guests. Transition, decadence, crime, human emotions deformed into animal instinct by a difficult existence – all these elements are present in the atmosphere and behaviour of the people in the Saigon Pub, and are subtly and consistently enforced, enabling us to understand that pubs have always been a reflection of ourselves, of its visitors. The mere coincidence that the Saigon Pub will be demolished on the following morning stops being a coincidence as soon as we realise that, for each of the visitors, death is an option that never ceases to exist, but that they are, like everyone else, happy to forget it.
The 50th performance of…	21. January 2008
"The Sky High Pine"
The fiftieth anniversary performance of the play “The Sky High Pine” will take place on Sunday, 27 January 2008 at 11 am at the Youth Theatre, This puppet play, written by Stevan Pešić and directed by Drago Buka, premiered on 15 April 2005, and includes the following cast: Narda Nikšić, Suada Ahmetašević, Elma Ahmetović, Sead Bejtović and Mirza Tanović. The puppet, set and costumes were designed by Vanja Popović, and the music composed by Nedžad Merdžanović and Hamdija Salihbegović. Furthermore, one cast member, Narda Nikšić, also received an award at the “Lutfest” Festival in Istočno Sarajevo for her portrayal of the role of Petar in the play.
A New Production	27. September 2007
"Aladin"
On 5. October 2007, the Sarajevo Youth theatre will see the premiere performance of “Aladin”, a play – musical directed by Kaća Dorić. The play was from the original story by Nenad Veličković and Kaća Dorić. Its set and costume design are the work Vanja Popović, and it also features music by Nedžad Merdžanović i Hamo Salihbegović, and choreography by Belma Čečo. The cast of the play includes Sanin Milavić, Alma Merunka, Boris Ler, Narda Nikšić, Drago Buka, Ajla Cabrera, Mirza Tanović, Edhem Husić, Damir Kustura, Sead Bejtović and Nermin Tulić.
A New Production	24. September 2007
"CREEPS/NAKAZE"
Author: Lutz Hűbner Direction: Dino Mustafić Dramaturgy: Marko Kovačević Set design: Tanja and Stjepan Roš Costume design: Lena Stefanović Choice of music: Hamdija Salihbegović and Nedžad Merdžanović Cast: Belma Lizde-Kurt, Alma Cabrera, Irma Alimanović and Nermin Tulić Three girls with three different lifestyles end up together in the alluring, closed surroundings of a television studio. They are brought together by a common goal- the wish to become the hostesses of teen show „Creeps“- and are willing to use all kinds of means to succeed. Surrendering themselves to the power of the camera, the girls lay their souls bare, discover the emptiness of a life only seemingly fulfilled with fashion, clubbing and MTV´s newest videos... The desire to be popular prevents them from developing their personalities. Desperate to outdo each other, they become creepy and beastly, ready to deliberately hurt and cause problems for one another. In doing so, they inadvertently reveal the desperate state of today’s youth, devoid of ideals, ethical principles and faith in a future that would offer them the chance of a better life. Circumstances have forced them into an arena where one can survive only by pushing, backbiting and ruthlessly trampling over anyone in our way, and which greatly resembles a cruel and callous reality show. Playing on their dissatisfaction with their own lives and on their desire for popularity, the television cameras manipulate the girls in an unscrupulous game with their illusions. The play premieres: 16 November 2007.
For the role of Dino in the play „THE CNN CHILDREN“	24. November 2006
Semir Krivić named Best Young Actor
By unanimous decision of the expert jury of the 23rd Gathering of Theatres in Bosnia and Herzegovina, held in the city of Brčko, actor Semir Krivić was proclaimed the festival's Best Young Actor. Krivić recieved this recognition for his portrayal of Dino in the play "DJECA SA CNN-a" (THE CNN CHILDREN), based on a text by Amir Bukvić and directed by Aida Bukvić. This is Semir Krivić's fourth award for his interpretation of Dino. Before the award from Brčko mentioned above, he also received awards from the B&H Festival of Drama, held in Zenica, as well at the Theatre Games held in Jajce!