Performing were Croatian theatre troupes from Hrvatski Jandrof and Čunovo, the Vladimir Nazor Croatian Culture & Arts Society of Sombor, the HAK Travnik troupe out of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Picollo Teatar troupe from Stari Grad on the island of Hvar and the Pučka Scena troupe of the Croatian Reading Room of Hercegovac.
The packed auditorium of the Croatian Rural Civic Centre in Hercegovac was the venue from the 27th to 28th of February of this year of the wonderful tradition of the Days of Croatian Folk Theatre, now in its 21st reincarnation.
Performing were Croatian theatre troupes from the Slovakian villages of Hrvatski Jandrof and Čunovo, the Vladimir Nazor Croatian Culture & Arts Society of Sombor in Vojvodina, the HAK Travnik troupe out of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Picollo Teatar troupe from Stari Grad on the island of Hvar and the hosts, the Pučka Scena troupe of the Croatian Reading Room of Hercegovac.
The event organiser is the Croatian Reading Room of Hercegovac, with the institution’s president Zrinka Cjetojević proving to be an excellent organiser. The event co-organiser is the Croatian Heritage Foundation, joined by sponsors the Croatian Ministry of Culture, Bjelovar-Bilogora County and the Municipality of Hercegovac.
Eminent Zagreb-based theatre director Nina Kleflin staged a theatre workshop for the participants, offering her professional contribution to the acting and directorial achievements of the amateur theatre members from neighbouring countries. Joining the large audience at the festival was Đurđica Ištef Benšić, deputy country prefect for Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Boro Bašljan, municipal mayor of the Municipality of Hercegovac, Dubravka Severinski and Ivan Zeba, representing the State Office for Croats Abroad and Nives Antoljak and Marija Hećimović of the Croatian Heritage Foundation.
The many active theatre troupes in the Croatian minority communities of Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia and the great enthusiasm of the hosts give us reason to believe that the Days of Croatian Folk Theatre will continue to have a bright future.
Text by: Marija Hećimović
