For more than a decade, the Goražde Youth Theater (TMG) has been serving as a safe space and a second family for young Goražde men and women who want to step onto the theater scene and do amateur acting. Although over time it is faced with the change of generations and the departure of members from Goražde for studies or work, and taking into account that today’s young people watch more than they create, TMG continues to gather both old and new actors.
The first audition and the formation of the Theater
Goražde Youth Theater was founded in 2012, when the first audition was held. It operates as one of the sections of the Youth Cultural Association (KUM) of the Bosnian-Podrinje Canton of Goražde, in addition to the Rock School and Elza Fest. In 2012, the story of TMG was started by Amra Prutina, a young actress who passed away in the middle of 2021, and Dženan Hendo. At that time, they were engaged in theater and acting in the theater in Mostar.
Arman Bešlija is one of the founders of TMG and fondly remembers the first audition. Through his activities in the Theater and KUM, he wanted to create and motivate other young people to engage in music and acting, and to affirm their cultural creativity.
“That night, the hall was full of young people of all backgrounds. That was so interesting to watch. It had to be decided who would be accepted into the first cast of the Theater and in the end Amra said that everyone was accepted. So initially some 20-30 people were involved. Later, when we started working, more and more young people came”, said Arman, adding that at one point there were 50-60 members who were actively working.
Aldin Džananović came to the first audition of the Theater only to support his friend Uška from school. Today he is the leader of TMG.
“It was like this for you, was it like a monologue, they had something to prepare and then they can bring out someone from the audience to act as a couple. Uška was not ready for that part. She prepared that monologue as if she were speaking to her mother. And they said: “Okay, now let’s find your mother so you can act it out.” I was a mother too. I enjoyed myself a bit. And Amra, Dženan, and Arman are sitting in the jury, I think he was, and I see them crying with laughter, and then I would have preferred to act and relax”, Aldin remembers the audition after which he was invited to join the Theater, even though did not register.
Adnan Čelik, one of the former members, at that time was more involved in music, but he was interested in trying to act as well, and he also participated in the first audition of TMG.
“I went out and did that scene from the movie “Dead Ladan”, the one when they hung him on the fence of that dead man, “Alas Milunka…”. Afterwards we started rehearsals. We did that first play “I was born in Goražde”, which is a story by Isak Samokovlija, and there we all wore black, performed some performances, read excerpts from Isak and brought stories from his books to life. That was my first role”, Adnan recalls, adding that the good thing about acting is that he can reach deeper parts of his personality through various roles.
Through working with TMG, Aldin realized that theater is not only what happens on stage, but that it is a possibility for social action. At that time, he was among the youngest members of the Theater.
“That’s how rehearsals, performances, acquaintances began. Over time, as is always the case in Goražde, a change of generations takes place. So I also fell out of style, then came back, but I was always there, as I am now. I’m not acting, now I’m someone there… the master of light,” Aldin says with a laugh.
Through cooperation with the Association of Dramatic Artists “Altteatar”, members of TMG were able to travel, collaborate with other theaters and learn acting skills from university professors and assistants. It was Aldin’s wish to ensure that the new generations had what the older TMG team lacked.
“These professors were delighted with our children and youth and they first mentioned their discipline. There was room for a joke, but they knew when it was done – it was done. They also highlighted our Gorazdan humor. A colleague, when he met us, said that now he understands where Laki (Elvir Laković) gets his humor from, adds Aldin.
“The Last Unemployed”, a play that was talked about even in factories
In his amateur acting career, Aldin played in 7 premiere plays, and he points out that the play “The Last Unemployed 2” marked him, and that it may have also marked the work of TMG so far. In these two plays, he played the function of the mayor of Goražde in a satirical way.
“With that show, we got to the point that “The Last Unemployed 2″ was talked about in the factories, which is what we wanted. People didn’t watch the play, but they talked about it because they heard that some young people have an ear for workers, for their fellow citizens. That was our satisfaction,” explains Aldin.
“The Last Unemployed”, a play that was performed in two parts, was created as a response to the marketing of a distorted media image of Goražde as a city where there are no unemployed.
Arman says that at that time some members of the theater were unemployed or graduated from university and could not find a job, and that with this play they wanted to encourage critical thinking in the audience and send a message that not everything is wonderful and beautiful.
“There, we took a short passage of a text that we read somewhere on the Internet and made a play out of it. It was our game and our creativity, it had a great response and people enjoyed that show. And she shook up politics and society in the city, that’s why it’s important that we also have a theater in the city, so that it’s the young people, who will be the ones who change society tomorrow, to actively deal with these topics, to get involved in social life,” he recalls. Arman.
Hamza Žuga has been a member of TMG since 2016, when he and his friends came to an open rehearsal of the Youth Theater. That’s when he stepped on stage for the first time, and today, even though he’s employed, he’s still at rehearsals and performances. He had his first stage performances in front of the audience in the play “The Last Unemployed 2”.
“It is one of the most successful performances of the Goražde Youth Theater, which will never happen again, which I will always remember fondly. Just preparing that play was exciting because I had the role of a Turkish investor. I watched Turkish series, followed and wrote down the words, learned Turkish, it doesn’t matter what the sentences meant, the only thing that matters is that he has Turkish”, recalls Hamza, adding that he was very nervous before that performance.
He describes to us how he sat behind the curtain and listened to footsteps and small chats before the premiere, thinking that not many people would come to the show.
“And then there was a call where our Čela (Adnan Čelik) said: “there are no more tickets, what am I going to do now?”, to which we told him to let the audience go. Then chaos ensued in my head. When you can no longer hear yourself and your thoughts from those tiny voices coming from the audience. Fortunately, I didn’t peek, but it was enough for me to hear the voices of the audience and the very feeling that there are a lot of people sitting on the other side of the curtain, you can feel it”, explains Hamza, and adds that despite the stage fright, this performance motivated him to continue working at TMG -in.
Is anyone acting today?
There are currently 16 permanent members in the Theatre, but there is also “paradise that never left the Theatre”. In the coming period, they plan to work on two plays.
At the last amateur performance of the Theater “Do you hear footsteps behind you?!” young actors bravely portrayed the exploration of the depth of human emotions. The characters struggle with their own fears and inner conflicts, facing painful experiences and looking for an opportunity to rediscover hope and re-accept themselves and their past. In addition to Hamza, Ilma Karović also played in this performance. She has been a member of TMG for the second year, driven by her love for art, especially acting and painting. He says that this is how he expresses his emotions and excess energy.
“At the audition when I signed up, it was very interesting, first we got to know each other, then we did some exercises. Then we acted a little, did improvisations. First of all, I’m glad that we got to know each other really well, because these are people I thought I’d never hang out with, and it turned out that they’re all interesting and lovely,” Ilma describes.
She worked with TMG on the plays “Do you hear footsteps behind you?!” and “Awakened City”, which they worked with Altteatro.
When she first stepped on stage, she says that “there was a lot of trepidation and nervousness, when I enter the stage and all the seats are full. That was a little scary for me, lest I make a mistake, whether everyone would hear me. But all in all, it’s that adrenaline that fills us and then we just go, because theater is a game”. She adds that she gained a lot of self-confidence through the workshops and educations with the Theater and realized how much art brings young people together.
The older ones are happy to pass on their knowledge and experience to new younger actors and actresses. Aldin says that this way he feels useful to himself, the Theater, and the community.
“All of them have already developed personalities, but when you see that you give additional color to their lives, which they will continue to color, it’s a really nice feeling. Prompted by all this, I said one sentence that I think no one has said before me: “Take the first step so that the generations after you will run a marathon”, and I was really guided by that,” he describes.
Arman says that the continuity of TMG’s work has continued, and that through the festivals and seminars they went to, they gained a lot of knowledge and experience that they share with young members today.
“We became leaders and lecturers to new generations, so that continued in continuity. But young people don’t have the same enthusiasm as there was in previous years. Today, they would not be able to issue a public call for auditions because they would be afraid if anyone would come. Now you have to come directly to a class and choose a team from the class, which are already active, and they are the ones who join the Theater. There is no such breadth to include a slightly larger number of young people from different schools, spheres and backgrounds”, explains Arman.
Thus, the young men and women of Goražda, united by acting, entertainment and art and “showing off their style”, left behind many amateur performances that point to the problems of young people and the fears they face. They also highlight the good appearances and characters of Goražde, such as Isak Samokovlija. They will continue to study together, hang out, create, act and prove that theater and art are not dead in this city on the Drina.
Written by: Alem Bajramović
This story was written thanks to the generous support of the American people through the “LOCAL WORKS” program of the American Agency for International Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina (USAID). The author and “Network for Peace Building” are solely responsible for the content of the story. The views expressed in the story do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
