ful <strong>in</strong>dependent <strong>the</strong>atre companies <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>. Founded <strong>in</strong> 1991 by JadrankaAnđelić and Dijana Milošević, Dah teatar has grown <strong>in</strong>to a <strong>the</strong>atre <strong>of</strong> worldrenown. They performed throughout all Europe, America, as far as NewZealand and Australia... Their success was confirmed by <strong>the</strong> importantOtto Rene Castillo Award for Political Theatre (its former recipients be<strong>in</strong>gartists like Robert Wilson, Liv<strong>in</strong>g Theatre and many o<strong>the</strong>r significant contributorsto <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>atre history <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> XX century).Dah teatar’s poetics is grounded <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir firm social engagement, and <strong>the</strong>irau<strong>the</strong>ntic and orig<strong>in</strong>al aes<strong>the</strong>tics. The artists assembled around this <strong>the</strong>atrehave chosen it to be <strong>the</strong>ir sole occupation. They work ceaselessly, try<strong>in</strong>gto develop as artists on many levels. Although director’s credits usuallygo to Dijana Milošević, it should be noted that all members <strong>of</strong> Dah teatareventually become creative contributors. From <strong>the</strong> research and writ<strong>in</strong>g,to conceiv<strong>in</strong>g and perform<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> music score as one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> elements<strong>in</strong> all <strong>the</strong>ir projects, Dah teatar people work toge<strong>the</strong>r, keep<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d that<strong>the</strong>atre is, above all, a collective creative act.Dist<strong>in</strong>ctive language and style <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> frameworks <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>n <strong>the</strong>atrealternative was articulated by Plavo pozorište (Blue Theatre) under <strong>the</strong>artistic leadership <strong>of</strong> Nenad Čolić. This company, formed with <strong>the</strong> aimto reform <strong>the</strong> world, start<strong>in</strong>g from oneself, has been <strong>in</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess for 13years, shap<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir own expression, and trac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> world <strong>the</strong>atre heritageleft by <strong>the</strong> great reformers like Grotowski, Artaud, Barba, Giannetti,Stanislavski… Along with <strong>the</strong> <strong>TkH</strong> or Dah teatar, Plavo pozorište <strong>in</strong>vestsconsiderable time to education <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>atre pr<strong>of</strong>essionals (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g amateurs<strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> alternative perform<strong>in</strong>g arts). These three companies (organizations)can thus be regarded as most pr<strong>of</strong>icient <strong>in</strong> educat<strong>in</strong>g, not onlyyoung artists, but also <strong>the</strong>atre audiences <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>. Speak<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> audienceeducation, we come to <strong>the</strong> most important function that <strong>the</strong> ‘different’,that is, alternative <strong>the</strong>atre, acquires nowadays <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>n society.All patriotic sentiments aside, <strong>Serbia</strong> can not be deemed a <strong>the</strong>atre ‘superpower’.For various reasons, least important seem<strong>in</strong>g to be <strong>the</strong> mostconspicuous ones: economy-wise, average citizens <strong>of</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong> do not ev<strong>in</strong>cehigh demand for <strong>the</strong>atre. Theatre-go<strong>in</strong>g is not a ‘normal’ part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> localcultural life. It can be regarded as an exceptional or, ra<strong>the</strong>r, exclusive activity– not a habitual or deep-seated cultural need, or <strong>in</strong>dispensable element<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> middle-class social life. It is hard to tell a cause from consequenceto this. However, it would at least be <strong>in</strong>appropriate to blame <strong>the</strong> publicfor leav<strong>in</strong>g most <strong>of</strong> our <strong>the</strong>atres empty-seated. There must be a deepercause to this… The cause is <strong>in</strong>deed deeper and does not only come from<strong>the</strong> poor artistic accomplishments <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>stream <strong>the</strong>atre. What this isr a s [19]t e r
about is total absence <strong>of</strong> public <strong>the</strong>atre education. While <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>stream<strong>in</strong>stitutions fail to provide any solution to this problem, alternative <strong>the</strong>atregroups diligently work on education and awareness-rais<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>ir spectators. In that sense, development and advance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> O<strong>the</strong>r<strong>Scene</strong> <strong>in</strong> our country can only positively affect <strong>the</strong> classical, traditional<strong>the</strong>atre. It can be correctly comprehended only <strong>in</strong> its relations to <strong>the</strong> alternative.Likewise, <strong>the</strong> alternative can only be acknowledged through its relationsto <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>stream <strong>the</strong>atre.The Alternative must exist and <strong>the</strong>re is no alternative to it !Translated by Irena Šentevska
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