Boy, Girl and Grey-Haired Gentleman A theatre poem

Nomination for Slavko Grum Award

The core of this play, subtitled a theatre poem, is a playful questioning of reality versus illusion, the present of the creative (or learning) process and the present of life circumstances versus the absolute theatre illusion. The onstage characters are, just as the title announces, Boy, Girl and Grey-Haired Gentleman, though in the list of characters there are others, but these come on stage only indirectly, through the words and embodiment of Boy and Girl. These two are credible representatives of today’s youth (students), they are caught in their own relationship, additionally weighed down by their shared professional path, with both of them being acting students. Quick, skilfully written dialogue, coordinated and commented by Grey-Haired Gentleman, could easily be taking place either in a theatre classroom or during a rehearsal or even at actual locations in real time and place as they highlight the weight of decisions, apathy, lack of prospects for the young in social and professional environments and the unstoppable need to “be guided”. The search for a mentor or father figure represented by the Grey-Haired Gentleman, is presented in its extremes: as an image of safety on one hand and abuse, exploitation and violence on the other. Hence, Grey-Haired Gentleman represents the absolute force and authority (in its functional sense: god, teacher, father, mentor, director etc.) and the split function of the character and his actions radically changes the fate of Boy and Girl who exist in parallel worlds. This is because Grey-Haired Gentleman demands absolute commitment from them, absolute honesty, he knows their intimate stories (whether real ones or mere learning exercises) so he doesn’t only direct his two students, he directs their life. In this way, the play is also a criticism of theatre, actors and directors as the Grey-Haired Gentleman’s interventions establish a certain distance. Whilst the play in its core walks the edge, this distance acts as a cynical comment of the young (actors) and relationships in the (theatre) world. Its direct and lively dialogue which isn’t easily divided into real and unreal, occasionally reminds of ‘exercises in style’, but each with an ever different theme. This is a paraphrase of the study process at an arts academy, a process constantly intertwined with reality, bending this reality and using the life of millennials as a metaphor.