CROSSROAD

Non-verbal communication is the focus of Teatar MIMART’s work, promoting a higher goal of crossing borders of countries, nations, religions, languages and ethnic identity. This group has been developing their own stage language for more than twenty years, building it on the fact that symbols and movement speak a universal language. Crossroads are one of the most important places of ritual in mythological systems, the parting of the ways representing a place of magic and transformation. Rituals and human ritualistic acts take place in imaginative, symbolic form, in epic, narrative and dramatic creativity. MIMART takes this view of the philosopher Sreten Petrovic as the starting point for their productions, which transcends all categories.

For the experimental nonverbal physical theater process as a starting point we took the text of our famous philosopher Sreten Petrovic, book "Mythology of crossroad":
"The crossroad is one of the important ritual places in mythological and magical systems of many Indo-European people and people from all around the world. Charms and magical works happened on the crossroad. Ritual and cult works are in imaginative-symbolical forms: in epic, narrative and dramatic creativity. Phenomenon of crossroad is an element of collective, archetype structure of most different origin and culture people. Beside a cult of stone, water, fire, circle, wood...becomes an important fact of spiritual potential and today.”

Foto: Srđan Veljović

Author of project/director: Nela Antonović
Dramaturgy:  Ivana Koraksić
Costume:  Ana Spasić, Anđelija Marković i Miša Petrović
Masks:   Anđelija Marković
Scene and properties: Nela Antonović
Music:
Choice of music:  Lidija Antonović
percussien live: Predrag Radovančević

Performing on premiere:
Nela Antonović / good witch- coordinator /       
Nikola Vranić,  Marina Bukvički, Ivana Joksimović, Uglješa Ijačić, Predrag Radovančević, Nenad Milošević, Ivana Koraksić, Maja Maksimović, Ana Božić,  Radmila Radovanović, Rade Radovanović,  Nikolina Vučetić

Performers in project:
Lidija Antonović, Aleksandra Dejanović, Ana Bastać, Tanja Damjanovski, Branislav Jeremić

Production:  Teatar Mimart i DOB
Suported by:  Sekretarijat za kulturu, Skupštine grada Beograda.

Visiting:
PLAY OFF festival, 04-19.07.2006., Germany:
06.07.06. Gelzenkirchen
13.07.06. Herne
07.10.06. EX-TEATARFEST, Pančevo
21-28.10.07. Man-In Fest, Cluj, Romania

Performance “Crossroad” is a three-year project and it’s performed in a different way from time to time, because ocassionaly new actors take part in the project. Crossroad was a challenge to us, because it’s the meeting point including many associations (knowledge, experience, religions, technique of dance, nations, customs,..)

For the  research  laboratorium a cross is taken as a stage space. In the centre of the cross (crossroad) actors meet and communicate using human rituals. Live music- drums on stage, is support to performance.The witch of Balkan guides through the story. In the beginning of the performance, Foremother-Gea and Forefather construct an atmosphere of Genesis. Afterwards, centuries are revealed bringing certain symbolics till today. Story is build through encounters of the actors up to the moment  when people meet from four sides of the world (Germany England, France, Italy, China, Russia,..) speaking different languages. The end is catharsis through the trans ritual where actors change their costumes in white symbolizing relieving oneselves. Symbolical cleaning out human mind and body visionary brings people into communication and empathy on global level.

We believe that "Crossroad" is very important in the beginning of the 21st century, as a simbol of choice and also meeting point for people from all over the world.