Tales of wisdom, Hvar youth drama studio
Director: Jure Radnić
Dramaturgy: Jure Radnić + izvođačice
Music: Tvrtko Hopek
Lighting Design: Klement Zaninović
Cast: Martina Carić, Katarina Karević, Jelena Mićić, Rozarija Lasić i Nađa Salom
„Deeper meaning resides in the fairy tales told to me in my childhood than in the truth that is taught by life.“ – Schiller
Fairy tales, fables and tales are some of the oldest forms of oral folk narratives. They still bring joy to children, showing them that any kind of transformation is possible and delivering some important messages.
They teach us about happy endings, eternal love and never-ending lifetimes, providing each listener, child and/or adult the meaning that serves that particular moment in their life. Whether by reference to a supernatural phenomenon or something real, they remind us about ethical values and virtues anyone should have in order to make their everyday lives filled with captivating moments, magical experiences and intuitive understanding.
Similar to tales and fairy tales, “Stories of Wisdom” are scenes which are recognizable through a few simple outlines that leave more than enough space for the viewer’s imagination, allowing it to go beyond the symbolism of what they represent. The scenes are played out by the female ensemble which is the main narrator and actor. Freed from any unnecessary burdens, the ensemble places an emphasis on what is really important: telling their stories. With the magical touch of music, the fluidity of moves and simple utterances, the ensemble plays out a number of events in which characters are looking for a “place where people are strong and joyful and where there is plenty of Light.”
But these are not just characters. These are people, all of us. Looking for the land of their dreams. – Jelena Mićić
Hvar Youth Drama Studio was founded in 1994 and in 1997 it got the status of a professionally led amateur theatre for children and youth by becoming a member of The Croatian Centre ASSITEJ. The Studio conducts three workshops which deal with three different age groups: elementary and secondary school students and college students.
The studio’s department in Hvar is led by a theatrologist and playwright Dolores Kolumbić, a member of The Croatian Association of Dramatic Artists, whereas the students located in Zagreb are led by Jure Radnić, a recent member of the Studio and an actor and a teaching assistant at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. In this way, the wish of us, people from Hvar who love theatre and young talents, comes true in the way that we create conditions for the revival of Europe’s oldest public theatre, the one this town coexists with since 1612.
With its promotion of Chakavian dialect on stage, the Studio nurtures the native speech of this region oriented to exploring the island’s heritage and it proves how exciting and familiar one’s heritage can be, especially to young people, when it is not approached to from the conservative perspective but rather from the curious one: with the intention to get to know it, and consequently, to tap into one’s own creativity.
For their plays, the Studio was awarded first prize several times on Assitej festivals: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet; Tin Kolumbić’s Cvit u žepiću, written on Hvar’s Chakavian dialect; Tin Kolumbić’s Materine lipe riči; folk songs from Croatian coastal region Ljuba Ivanova; female folk songs from the island of Hvar Hvarkinje.
Hvar Youth Drama Studio was also awarded for preservation of cultural heritage and for the leading and the supporting actors. Dolores Kolumbić, a Studio’s director, received a lifetime prize for her pedagogical work and artistic achievements of young actors.