Evald Flisar    

What about Leonardo?

Year of writing: 1992
“The current position of man is such that the center for intuition and the center for feeling have slipped from consciousness into the subconscious, so that man connects with the environment only through the center for thinking, and this center is designated by the word ‘I’.”
Total cast size: 13 (5 f, 8 m)
drama, tragicomedy
ethical dilemmas, scientists, absurd, mental illness

The story is set in a psychiatric hospital, where scientists (in this case, Dr Hoffman and Dr DaSilva) try to help patients with a variety of problems and syndromes find their way back to a “normal” world. The text (itself) asks the question of what makes us who we are, and when and why it sometimes happens that the environment or society, driven by greed, simply “swallows” some individuals. It also touches on the issue of ethics and responsibility.

MARTIN (only now becoming aware of the bodies): What’s happening? Where am I?

HOFFMAN: Among friends, Mr. Martin. How do you feel? 

(Everybody’s eyes are on Martin. He takes a few aimless steps and stops. He looks at Hoffman. He wants to say something, but fails to find the words. He is overcome by emotion. He takes a few more aimless steps. Stops. Stares.)

REBECCA: Doctor, why is Mr. Martin so sad?

HOFFMAN: He’s come back from a long journey. He’s come back to the world he left many years ago, and he is not sure that he is still welcome. When he was ill he seemed whole: now, when he is whole again, he is split: between yes and no, doubt and conviction, fear and courage. Now the only thing he really possesses is the freedom to say no.

Evald Flisar

What about Leonardo?

Language of translation: English
London: Goldhawk Press 1992
Hallmar Sigurdsson

Hvađ um Leonardo?

Language of translation: Finnish
Reykjavik: Borgarleikhúsiđ (City Theatre) 1995
Biswendu Nanda, Sunandan Roy Chowdhury

Kemon ache Leonardo?

Language of translation: Bengali
Kolkata: Firma KLM 2002
Dejan Krstović

A Leonardo?

Language of translation: Serbian
Zaječar: Pozorište Zorana Radmilovića 2002
Rangga Bhuana

Kenapa Leonardo?

Language of translation: Indonesian
Jakarta: Yayasan Komadjid 2008
Hidenaga Otori

Leonardo wa doddai?

Language of translation: Japanese
Tokyo: Gessyoku Kagekidan Theatre 2008
Ann Catrin Apstein - Müller

Und Leonardo?

Language of translation: German
Graz: Theater im Keller 2012
Diomira Fabjan Bajc

E Leonardo, allora?

Language of translation: Italian
Salerno: Multimedia Edizioni 2012
Marjeta Drobnič

Y Leonardo?

Language of translation: Spanish
Ljubljana: Litterae Slovenicae, Tres obras de teatro 2012
Maryna Pyatrova

Leanarda?

Language of translation: Belarusian
Vitebsk: Kolas National Theatre 2013
Ann Catrin Apstein-Müller

Und Leonardo?

Language of translation: German
Klagenfurt: Hermagoras Verlag, Gesammelte Stücke, Band 1 2013
Darko Spasov

А Леонардо?

Language of translation: Macedonian
Skopje: Magor 2014
Kamil Valšik

A co Leonardo?

Language of translation: Czech
Ostrava: Janaček Observatory 2018
Ljudmil Dimitrov

А Леонардо?

Language of translation: Bulgarian
Sofija: Erga 2020

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