'Zvijeri i Ljepotice' in Youth Center Srebrenica at 13 September 19:30

Invitation for activities in September

Live band

This week three musicians joined the group: Aleksandar (rap+percussion), Marko (guitar) and Sasa (drums). It’s great to have live music within the performance of ‘Beasts and Beauties’. 

Sasa, Aleksandar and Marko

20/08/10 Props and filming

This training day started with the making of props in the Cultural Center. After it the team went, together with Dado, up to the Guber to make a small movie. This movie will be part of the performance. 

First rehearsal in big hall

Maja

Verica, Filip and Marizela

Jana

Observations of Seth, an American student

As an American student who has been fortunate enough to spend three days observing the actors prepare their play, I’ve been struck by their immense creativity and imagination. Choosing the classic Beauty and the Beast, the youth threw out any idea of a “classic” play and began to synthesize the story with their ideas about a heavily non-verbal theater. With the mentoring of Serbian theater teacher Nela and English theater teacher Rosie, this production of Beauty and the Beast has become a progressive and alternative theater performance combining percussion, rap, video, dance, acrobatics, and carefully created lines.

Musicians without Borders has provided the youth a space to express themselves and their ideas, and the actors have quickly filled the space with their creativity. The youth have chosen not to have fixed roles, instead exchanging characters throughout the play. Carefully analyzing each scene they created, the youth decided which emotions they wanted to illustrate throughout the play and they’ve artfully communicated each of these feelings.

Each day I have spent with the actors and directors, I have seen ideas exchanged and discussed among them. Each day Beauty and the Beast acquires newer and deeper meaning thanks to their energy.   

Seth (right) helps with making props

MwB in local media

Our partner organization 'Prijatelji Srebrence' made an item about Musicians without Borders in their monthly 'Video Zurnal'. The item starts after 3:45min.

Interview with Nela Antonovic (Theater Mimart Belgrade)

How is it to work in Srebrenica?

Working in a new town is always very special for me. I’m transferring my knowledge to youth in a new situation. This is always a challenge. I start with asking the group what they want from me.  Every group is different. I give them what I know.

Can you tell something about the play?

We are not following the script of Beauty and the Beast, but we are working with different phenomenons that are connected to the play. For example we worked around the number 4. There are four sisters in the play. We transferred this to the situation where four persons are walking very slowly with bread on their head. The bread is symbol of the poorness of the family from the Beauty.

How is the group spirit?

I see a team that feels very free. They work as a team but still everybody has his own freedom. I also liked the way they talk to each other. The discussions are very good. They ask good questions.

The group learned a lot about discipline. I really see a difference in concentration and discipline. The first days there was a lot of talking and laughing. But after two days working with me they are used to my way of working and they became very disciplined.

When we work we work hard and in the breaks there is time to relax.

Which special memory will you take home?

The group is very open. They are open to learn new things. Remember the exercise with seeing the different colours. With other groups this takes mostly 3 days till they understand what I mean. This group understood it already after 3 hours of working. 

Result of todays workshop

Physical theater training in Srebrenica

Nela Antonovic, trainer from the Mimart Theatre, Belgrade, gave workshops for the 2 past days about physical theatre with lots of exercises and interesting approach. The team had an opportunity to learn more about the role of their own body on the stage and how to use the body more when performing.  They were fascinated about how they could use none-verbal communication with the audience and express their emotions on the stage.  Many of them were not aware of the power of the usage of their body regardless on the type of the performance. Usage of the space, rhythm of the movements and communication within the performers on the space is very important and they could all learn about it. Nela gave them interesting insight into street theatre on witch they will be working on more in the following period. Also,  the combination of the music, light and sound effects is something that the team will work on in the next five days. 

Dialogue exercise: I see ...

I see a beauty – I see a beast
I see a bank – I see a bed
I see a river - I see the sea
I see a star - I see the sun
I see a radio - I see sold
I see a cable - I see electricity

I see a fridge - I see a computer
I see a pink bar - I see a green wall
I see light - I see darkness
I see a girl – And I an old lady

I see ...

Beauty and the Beast

At Saturday 11 September the Children’s Music Theater and the Youth Theater B-Smisio will perform their own version of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in the Youth Center. The performance will be the outcome of one month of intensive training, organized in partnership with Opera Circus, by theater directors Nela Antonovic Teater Mimart, Belgrade, Serbia, Rosie Russell, youth theatre director, Dorset, England, Giselle Vegter, theatre director and writer, Netherlands and Ilil Land-Boss, actress and drama therapist, Germany.