Directed by: Sofija Ristevska

Dramaturgy: Biljana Krajčevska

Choreography: Kire Miladinoski

Art direction and design: Daniela Dimitrovska

Costume design: Andrej Gorgievski, Viktorija Arsovska

Stage manager: Goran Spasevski

Producers: Aleksandar Lozanovski, Bojan Stefanovski

Cast: Joana Popovska, Ivan Jerčik, Ilina Čorevska, Ognen Drangovski, Borče Gakovski, Nikola Projčevski, Petar Spirovski, Aleksandar Stefanovski, Zdravko Stojmirov

Production: Mal dramski teatar, Bitola (MK)

Running time: 70'

The Performance

The House of Bernarda Alba, subtitled Women Without a Man and Nothing Else, is a drama about the air-tightness, confinement and tyranny of a family community. It is a drama about the social norms, values and moral laws that an individual is forced to submit to, even at the price of their own values, aspirations and desires. It portrays the gap between personal freedom and social convention. A dominant autocratic mother confines her five daughters within the four walls of the family home and imposes on them an eight-year mourning period. The performance explores the psychology of personalities functioning in an ambience of household tyranny, matriarchy, evil and plotting. Harmful relations between characters, psychological repression and abuse handicap them, both emotionally and physically. The Small Drama Theatre of Bitola actualises this story of a rural Spanish environment from the early 20th century through contemporary issues surrounding the determination of sexual identity. Bernarda Alba’s daughters are neither women nor men; they are merely a culturological metaphor for the imposition of family and social restrictions and moral laws.

In May 2012, the performance was given a special award for the best modern interpretation of a classical drama at the 23rd National Small Scene Festival at Vratsa, Bulgaria, which was also the venue of the 3rd NETA Festival (New European Theatre Action).

The Director

Sofija Ristevska graduated in theatre directing at the Bulgarian capital’s Krsto Sarafov National Academy of Theatre and Film. She went on to complete her MA studies in set design at Belgrade’s University of Arts. To date, she has directed over 20 performances in Bulgarian and Macedonian theatres. The performance House of Bernarda Alba by F. G. Lorca is her third collaboration with The Small Drama Theatre of Bitola. Her performance The Border by Venko Andonovski, produced by the same theatre, was awarded second prize at the 2009 Ex Ponto Festival. She worked with Eugenio Barba on his performance Ur-Hamlet in 2006, which was performed at the Hamlet Festival in Kronborg Castle, Elsinore, Denmark.

The Theatre
The newly established Small Drama Theatre from Bitola was born of a huge desire for theatre productions focused on the most relevant element – acting (actors' performance) and the specific site in which acting takes place. The theatre's goal is to discover new sites where appealing, powerful and engaged performances addressing issues of contemporary life will be staged.