CROATIA
Histrionic Love Woes
by Marijan Oresnik
Histrion Hall, Zagreb
July-August, 2008
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The play takes place in Zagorje region of Croatia where the Kajkavic dialect is spoken, but the language of the play is a mixture of the standard Croatian Stokavian language with elements of the Kajkavic dialect; on occasions, the pure Kajkavik dialect is spoken. The music is a combination of folk songs and composed songs.
Both Cervantes' Spain and Croatia are located in southern Europe. Both countries are Mediterranean countries and their cultures not that different. Due to the fact that there is nothing in the story that is unknown or unfamiliar to Croatian culture, the story was not changed and the adapation follows the original script and scenes. The element of cultural mobility, therefore, is expressed through a new story, through new elements or new experiences. It is expressed through at the level of the language, at the level of music and song texts, at the visual level of both folk and rural costumes, at the social level of local attitudes and of course, at the level of the director's reading of the text. The play is definitely a Croatian Cardenio, but it confirms the universality of the play's themes, set against the immortal Shakespeare and proving that the play can function well no matter what nationality, social or cultural environment. |