The Macedonian National Theater will start the new theater season 2024/2025 with the opening of the new summer stage "Slavisha Kajevski", and trips and guest appearances outside the country, guest appearances at MNT, as well as the realization of several premier performances have also been announced.

After being named acting the director of our largest theater company, Nikola Kimovski, works dedicatedly and focused on raising the intensity of the activities at NU Macedonian National Theatre. The cultural public will be able to witness the initial results of the work already on September 17, when the opening of the new summer stage at MNT is announced.

With what ideas do you establish (or renew) the summer stage of the Macedonian National Theatre?

- The summer scene is a novelty and at the same time the opening of the upcoming theater season. For me, it is important that our loyal audience gets a new space in our city, with an offer that includes the most popular performances from the regular repertoire of MNT, famous musical performers and DJs from the Macedonian scene.

What prompted you to name the stage after the actor Slavisa Kajevski (1982-2021)?

- The idea for the summer scene was shared with the actor Slavisa Kajevski, who, above all, was my dear friend and colleague. For many years we have wondered why there is no stage in that space that will be part of the cultural and entertainment life of the city of Skopje. Finally, that common idea of ​​ours came true and that's why that scene bears his name. The entire team of MNT, with great joy and dedication, works on the implementation and realization of the summer scene.

The program that will be performed on the summer stage includes several diverse activities. With what intentions does MNT expand its activity?

– This event represents the beginning that will traditionally be held every year in the same period, but at the same time the opening of the new season. The theater under the open sky in one of the most beautiful locations in the city, next to the quay of the Vardar river. The program will begin on September 17 and end with a closing ceremony on October 1. Tickets can be purchased online on the website of the Macedonian National Theater and at the ticket office, every working day from 12:21 to XNUMX:XNUMX.

The summer stage will be officially opened with the musical-dramatic work "Crnila Remix" directed by Jordan Simonov. The repertoire is filled with the most popular plays from our regular repertoire, for which there are technical possibilities to be staged on an outdoor stage, such as "My term", "Ace of ten", "Don't bet on English". Then a guest appearance from the theater "JHK-Jinot" from Veles with the play "Dinner for Fools", as well as a performance of the play "The Crippled from Inishman" by students from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts from Skopje.

Big musical names will also perform, such as LD Pistolero and DJ Gotse, Igor Djambazov and Guru Hare and Pijan Slavey. The closing ceremony of the summer stage will be a performance by the National Jazz Orchestra with a "Beatles Tribute".

You recently had a meeting with President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova in Ohrid. What was the purpose of the meeting?

- The purpose of the meeting with the president Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova was to discuss and discuss the preparations for the new season, the grand opening of the summer stage "Slavisha Kajevski", as well as the upcoming anniversary - 80 years of MNT, which will be celebrated in 2025 year. The meeting was significant and in a positive atmosphere with the aim of restoring the shine and prestige that the Macedonian National Theater deserves.

What are the plans for the official start of the 2024/2025 theater season?

- At the very beginning of the new season, we are implementing parallel preparation of three new theater performances: "White Nights" directed by Zvezdana Angelovska (co-production project), "12" adapted and directed by Sinisha Evtimov, with a powerful theater cast. The play 12 is based on Reginald Rose's 12 Angry Men and tickets will go on sale soon. The third play is "Marta" based on a text by Dragana Lukan Nikoloski and directed by Nina Nikolić (co-production project).

From November, we start the realization of two more new projects, namely "People's MP" by the important Serbian director Egon Savin, based on a text by Branislav Nušić, and the play "God of Slaughter" (co-production project) based on a text by Jasmina Reza, directed by Vesna Petrushevska.

Preparations for the new play "12" for the regular repertoire of MNT have begun

On September 4, the preparations for the play "12", adapted and directed by Sinisha Evtimov, officially began. The story follows a jury of 12 as they deliberate whether to convict or acquit an 18-year-old defendant based on reasonable doubt, forcing the jurors to examine their own moral values.

The defense and the prosecution have finished their work, and the jury is sent to a separate room to decide whether the young man is responsible for the murder of his own father. What seems like an easy decision soon becomes a storm of emotions in which all the flaws and prejudices of the jurors come to light. The only one who opposes the death penalty and doubts the evidence presented by the prosecution is juror number 8.

The play, which is part of the annual program of the national institution MNT for 2024, features a powerful male cast: Tony Mihajlovski, Nikola Ristanovski, Igor Djambazov, Jordan Simonov, Vlado Jovanovski, Sashko Kotsev, Oliver Mitkovski, Senko Velinov, Gjorgi Jolevski, Aleksandar Mikić, Gorast Cvetkovski and Blagoj Veselinov. The director's assistant is Borjan Stojkov, the costume designer is Aleksandar Noshpal, the scenographer and lighting designer is Martin Manev, and the music is by "PMG Kolectiv". The premiere is scheduled for October.

(The interview was published in "Cultural Press" number 246, in the printed edition of the newspaper "Sloboden Pechat" on 07-09.09.2024)