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13.11.04 | 18:30 | Schauspielhaus (Studio)
THE BEAR - Slovenia
By Anton Chekhov

With: Zijah A. Sokolovic
Musicians: Primoz Simoncic (saxophone), Iztok Vidmar (bass), Jelena Zdrale (violine), Marjan Stanic (drums)
Director: Zijah A. Sokolovic
Duration: approx. 70 min.
Language: Slovenian

The Bear is a short play about Smirnov, a rude merchant who turns up at the estate of Elena Popova to get money owed to him by Popova’s late husband. Popova, however, does not have the money and asks him to return in a few days. Smirnov, who considers all women “affected and deceitful”, refuses to leave, insisting to collect his debt immediately. Against his better judgement, Smirnov is smitten by the widow. And also Popova, who upon her husband’s death vowed “never to look at the light of day again”, warms to the crude creditor.
In the year of the 100th anniversary of Anton P. Chekhov’s death, Zijah A. Sokolovic and his musicians present the Russian playwright’s famous farce in a very unusual form. The musicians and their instruments take over the roles of the characters in the play and translate Chekhov’s dialogue into sounds and melodies. The most jazzy Bear ever shown premiered 1997 during the Month of Culture in Ljubljana and has been repeatedly awarded ever since.