A Triumph in Vršac: Six Awards for the National Theatre in Belgrade at the 29th “Vršac Theatre Autumn” International Festival of Classical Theatre

The National Theatre in Belgrade, with its plays "War and Peace" and "Nora", won six out of a total of eight awards at the 29th “Vršac Theatre Autumn” International Festival of Classical Theatre 

The jury, chaired by the theatre expert and director of the Sterijino Pozorje Festival, Miroslav Radonjić, whose members were also the actress of the "Zoran Radmilović" Theatre from Zaječar, Nataša Petrović, and the director, actor and manager of the "Újvidéki Színház" Theatre, Valentin Wenzel, decided that the Best Play Award should go to the play "War and Peace", based on the famous novel by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, dramatized by Fedor Šili and directed by Boris Liješević.

The Best Director Award went to Boris Liješević, the Best Actor Award was presented to Hadži Nenad Maričić (Pierre Bezukhov / "War and Peace"), the Best Actress Award was given to Nada Šargin (Nora/ "Nora"), and Teodora Dragićević received the "Tomislav Pejčić" Award for the Best Young Actress/Actor for the role of Natasha Rostova ("War and Peace").

The ensemble of the National Theatre in Belgrade uniquely and precisely conveyed director Liješević’s idea to tell an anti-war story in a war-troubled time through the play "War and Peace", and as a crowning accomplishment came another recognition at this festival, the sixth one - the Audience Award for Best Play.

The jury made all the decisions unanimously.

The performance "War and Peace" also is was get the Audience Award.

“Vršac Theatre Autumn” International Festival of Classical Theatre was held from September 25 to October 1 at the “Sterija” National Theatre in Vršac, under the slogan “The Testimony of Time”. 

Henrik Ibsen's famous play "Nora - A Doll's House" about a woman who, perceiving patriarchal hypocrisy, leaves her husband and comfortable home, was performed on September 27. In that play, directed and adapted by Tatjana Mandić Rigonat, the roles were played by Nada Šargin (Nora Helmer),  Nenad Stojmenović (Torvald Helmer, lawyer, Nora’s husband), Hadži Nenad Maričić (Doctor Rank), Katarina Marković (Mrs. Christine Linde), Goran Jevtić (Lawyer Nils Krogstad) and Jelena Blagojević (Maid).

Two days later, on September 29, the Festival audience could see the play “War and Peace” in which cast members are Hadži Nenad Maričić (Count Pyotr "Pierre" Kirillovich Bezukhov), Miodrag Krivokapić (Prince Nikolay Andreyevich Bolkonsky), Danilo Lončarević (Andrey, his son), Zlatija Ocokoljić Ivanović (Maria, his daughter), Zorana Bećić Đorđević (Liza, Prince Andrey’s wife), Dušan Matejić (Count Ilya Andreyevich Rostov), Bojana Stefanović (Countess Natalya Rostova), Teodora Dragićević (Natasha, their daughter), Nemanja Stamatović (Nikolay, their son), Nina Nešković (Sonya, their cousin), Slobodan Beštić (Prince Vassily Sergeevich Kuragin), Kalina Kovačević (Elena, his daughter), Petar Strugar (Anatole, his son), Vučić Perović (Boris Drubetskoy) and Nedim Nezirović (Napoleon Bonaparte).

The Festival selector, dramaturge Branislav Nedić, said that, when choosing the plays, he was guided by the desire to reconcile the professional public and the "ordinary" viewer who loves coming to theatre.

In the Main Competition Program, the plays "Larry Thompson - The Tragedy of a Youth" ("Sterija" National Theatre in Vršac), "A Month in the Country" (National Theatre in Užice) and "At The Eternal Tap" (Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad) were performed.