Macedonian National Theater (MNT) performs its rendition of Solaris at the Wiener Festwochen festival in Vienna on Friday evening. This theatrical project has been co-produced by the Vienna festival, and directed by internationally renowned Ukrainian director Andriy Zholdak.
This is the second time MNT has cooperated with Zholdak, following their Electra in 2014. This time, the theme is Stanislaw Lem's sci-fi novel, which is being portrayed in Zholdak's traditional theatrical style. The play tells of vain attempts to communicate with alien life, and has led to two successful film editions.
Zholdak says that he sees Solaris as a fascinating and dangerous Odyssey through memory and longings. The Vienna festival presents the play as a "return flight from a distant start to the deepest reaches of one's personal self". Berlin-based director Zholdak has interwoven cyber-punk and science fiction elements in the play and is being announced as "theater of pure rage, that celebrates irrationality and reaches to the stars".
The play took around 40 days to prepare. Following its premiere in Vienna, it will be performed in Skopje in September. The play is starring Darja Rizova, Dejan Lilic, Aleksandar Gjorgjioski, Slavisha Kajevski, Dragana Levenska, Arna Shijak and others. Many are veterans of Zholdak's Electra. Zholdak has also prepared the scenography and costumes, while Vladimir Klikov composed the score.
MNT director Dejan Projkovski says that this premiere is the beginning of the theater's entry into the top league of European theater festivals. The Vienna festival draws about 180,000 visitors each year with an offer of performances from Europe and across the world.
