The Great Drama is one of the most ambitious plays by Siniša Kovačević, a renowned playwright, who worked on the text for thirteen years. This is a moving story about re-examining the past and seeing how tumultuous post-war (the Second World War) events reflect on individuals and the way their destinies are set because of it. The author focuses on a Montenegrin family of Vučićs who actively, both ideologically and in every other sense of the word, participate in colonization of Vojvodina. The hero of The Great Drama is Milorad Vučić, who manages to impose ideological illusions of the new time to his traditionally organised patriarchal society. He submits tradition to the communist vision of progress, the future social order in which he heartedly believes to be just and the final one to mend all injustices accumulated over the centuries. However, in his uncompromising and honest following of the high goal Milorad, unfortunately, forgets some of basic values of life and by consciously sacrificing them faces a tragedy; the tragedy will effect his family even the generations to follow. Siniša Kovačević’s text serves as a remainder that the pillars of life are actually the simple wishes – spending the life with the woman you love, in the place you love and by doing what you love. The three “loves” are, unfortunately, unobtainable in the play for the reasons an individual cannot influence. Namely, historical circumstances which, as the author skilfully presents in the prologue and the epilogue (the prologue and epilogue happen half a century after the period 1945-48) events that keep recurring in the country, only with slight variations, and always with same dilemmas for people who live here, indicating that, to put it in simple terms, the happiness is only a dream. The disconcerting realisation about such destiny has a true sobering effect regarding liberation from all sorts of ideological frames and by turning to the essence of being. All these and numerous other issues in the exciting drama have been skilfully incorporated in a clear dramatic action, which becomes timeless owing to the author’s mastery to present an exciting play from the point of seemingly surpassed and many times examined historical events, which is of enormous importance to us. Last, but not least important: The Great Drama has been made of magical catharsical illusion which Racine considers the most important in theatre – emotion!

Željko Hubač

SINIŠA KOVAČEVIĆ

Siniša Kovačević was born on 30 May 1954 in Sremska Mitrovica, where he finished primary and grammar school. At the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade he studied at the Department of Dramaturgy with Professors Ljubiša Đokić, Jovan Hristić, Vladimir Stamenković, Slobodan Selenić and Ratko Đurović. He writes for theatre, film, radio and TV. His best-known theatre plays are Saint Sava, General Milan Nedić, Serbian Drama, King Marko, It Is the New Age, One for the Road, Janez, etc. He won three Sterija Awards. The play It Is the New Age has been taken in the group of 10 best Serbian post-war dramas. He works as a Professor of Dramaturgy at “The Karić Brothers“ Art Academy. His plays have been translated into Russian, Macedonian, Polish, Greek, German and English. He lives and works in Belgrade.

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