On the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom, the Kaštela City Library organized a performance of the play Tomislav and Adriana on Tuesday at Podvorje Square in Kaštel Sućurac, produced by the Trešnja Theatre from Zagreb. The play, based on a text by writer Hrvoje Hitrec and directed by Zoran Mužić, is a contribution to the celebration of this great anniversary.
The library director, Renata Dobrić, emphasized that the oldest transcript of the Trpimir and Muncimir charters is kept in the Sućurac Castle, so it is logical that the play about Tomislav and his father Muncimir is set in this space. She particularly emphasized the symbolism of the setting and the fact that the entire scene is set in an authentic historical setting, without a stage, so that the walls and courtyard of the Bishop's Palace come to the fore.
– On the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom, the Kaštela City Library, under the auspices of the City of Kaštela and the Ministry of Culture and Media, is organizing a performance of the play "Tomislav and Adriana", for which the text was written by Hrvoje Hitrec and directed by Zoran Mužić. The actors of the Trešnja Theatre, who recently premiered this play in Zagreb, are here. The play tells the story of the boyhood and youth of King Tomislav and his father Muncimir. As you know, it is here in the Sućurac Castle that the oldest transcript of the Trpimir and Muncimir charters is kept. Muncimir was the father of King Tomislav, so part of the play takes place at the royal palace. We have connected all of this with this original and authentic ambience, as well as with this area, which is the cradle of Croatian statehood. The director and crew of the Trešnja Theatre, who were here a month ago, liked this space. The tower was built in 1392, and the play will take place right there, where the Bishop's summer residence was built and expanded. The entire scene will be ambient and playful, and the actors are delighted with the space and will use every bit of the ground and walls, they didn't even want a stage so that the walls could be seen as well as possible - said Renata Dobrić.
The plot of the play includes well-known historical characters, intertwined with fairy-tale elements and fictional motifs. The central theme is the idea that love always finds a way and ultimately wins. Prince Muncimir has mapped out a destiny for his son Tomislav, but destiny, as the play emphasizes, is what happens and what cannot be unfulfilled.
The role of Tomislav was played by Matija Čigir, while Prince Muncimir was played by Krunoslav Klobučar. The character of Adriana, who brings a fairy-tale dimension to the story, was played by Lucija Rukavina.
After the performance, Rukavina shared her impressions:
– A wonderful experience, a wonderful process with Zoran Mužić. And actually, the most beautiful part of all this is the opportunity to play in a real castle, which is really special today. I believe they were looking for beautiful places with historical significance where this could come to life in a new way. Our scenery is usually 2D made of paper, and this stone part is somehow magically arranged. We have four more performances waiting for us, but the only and most beautiful performance was at sea today.
The Bishop's Palace in Sućurac proved to be a unique backdrop - its stone walls and open space created a special scenographic atmosphere, while the excellent acting and natural acoustics contributed to the impression that the audience was witnessing a living scene from the past.
The audience enjoyed every moment of the performance, and one of the spectators said:
– An excellent play, a lesson that love always wins.
The evening in Kaštel Sućurac was thus transformed into a meeting of history and theater, in which fairy tales, love and Croatian statehood found a common language.
Photo: Ivana Topic
