Amateur theater

The first performance of the Amateur Theater “Janko Veselinović” – “Suspicious Face”, by Branislav Nušić, directed by Božidar Vlajc, was performed in March 1950. years. This year is taken as the year of the foundation of the Theater, which today, according to theater critics, has gone beyond the scope of amateurs and approached professional theaters.

Outside the territory of Bogatić municipality, the theater appeared for the first time in 1954. at the KUD exhibition “Podrinje” with the play “Extinguished Hearth” directed by Milivoj Martinović. In 1972 with the play “Koštana”, the theater participated in the festival of amateur theaters of Serbia in Smederevska Palanka and in the same year won first place at the First Festival of Dramatic Amateurs of the Villages of Serbia (FEDRAS) in Mali Crnić. The same thing happened again with the play “Greet someone” in 1973. Both performances were directed by Milivoj Martinović.

The theater achieved its greatest success in 1975. in the performance of the play “Blizzard” directed by Milivoj Martinović at the amateur theater festival in Čačak, where it won first place for direction, scenography, leading male and leading female roles.

Such results gave the amateurs even more enthusiasm, already in 1977. In 2008, with the play “The Ring in the Source”, Dobrica Erić, directed by Milivoj Martinović, won the first prize at the Regional Review of Dramatic Amateurs of the Podrinj-Kolubar region in Valjevo. The following year, the play “Wind over Serbia” represented Serbia at the “Meetings of Brotherhood” in Prizren.

The theater shone and drew all the attention of the cultural public to itself, with the plays “Battle of Kolubar”, “Saint George Kills the Dragon”, “Rose of the People in Two Parts”, “Professional”, “Hilarious Tragedy”, “Traveling Theater Šopalović”, “Tre Sorrel”, “Bokeski D minor”… Most of the plays in the most successful period in the history of the theater, the eighties and nineties, were directed by Zoran Đonlić.

A special curiosity of this amateur theater is the fact that professional actors often participated as guests in its performances. Mija Aleksić’s guest appearances remained in the memory of the local audience.

The history of the “Janko Veselinović” Theater was written by many actors who spent part of their lives “on the boards that mean life”: Milivoje Martinović, Zvonko Berić, Dragoljub Đenadić-Đena, Dragoslav Dakić-Daka, Raša Vukomanović, Rajko Pavić, Revizor Nešić, Dragojlo Ninković, Ruža Radovanović, Dragan Srnić, Zoran Đonlić, Branislav Ković, Desa Kovačević, Milenko Ljubinković, Ninko Kovačević, Slavišsa Perić, Klara Kakučka, Anita Ercegovčević, Ivana Terzić, Miroslav Perić, Mina Šanković.

Preserving the memory of Milivoj Martinović, one of the founders of the Theater, director, actor, the Theater organizes a memorial exhibition “Theatre days of Milivoj Martinović” every fall, in which amateur theaters from Serbia, Croatia and Republika Srpska participate, by invitation.

Judging by the loyalty of the audience to the Theater and the support of the local authorities, the Theater in Bogatić will live for a long time. Since 2008 In 2010, the youngest actors gather at the Children’s Stage directed by Zoran Đonlić. With their first play “News from Madness”, by Ljubivoj Ršumović, directed by Zoran Đonlić, members of the Children’s Scene toured several cities in Serbia and Republika Srpska. The play has been shown several times in Bogatić for the youngest theater art lovers in the villages.

The children’s stage of the “Janko Veselinović” Theater from Bogatić will be happy to accept any guest invitation.

Contact e-mail address: koc@gromnet.net