EX/odus to joy

Director: Eva Hribernik
Conductor: Jelena Susnick
Set and costume designer: Nastja Mezek
Lighting designer: Anže Kreč
Producer: Katja Konvalinka
Photographer: Nastja Mezek

From the directing concept:
“Everything changes in an instant – the past is gone, the future is unknown... Only the present moment remains. The artist leaves her homeland and embarks on a journey, in the faith(fulness) of finding personal happiness and freedom again. The protagonist of the play is the archetype of all artists, who seek their path where they can fully express themselves. The antagonist in our play, who personifies the social system, is always one step ahead of the artist. She is her future. She places obstacles and limitations in her way, hindering the artist's path and expression. The performance offers the audience an opportunity to accompany the artist on his journey, to encounter his story and at the same time confront their own selves. Are we ready to accept the otherness of the artist? Are we, full of distrust for each other, helping to build a social system that inhibits creativity, thereby imposing limitations on our own selves?”

From the review:
“The play Ex/Odus to Joy was created on the initiative of Maja Gal Štromar, who encouraged Jelena Susnick to write A Diary of a Migrant. A migrant during the last wartime conflict in Belgrade, she left her city to seek peace and new opportunities in Slovenia. Maja adapted Jelena's Diary as a performance for the stage with the music contributed by Natasha Bogojevich. And so, according to the makers, with a lot of improvisation, adaptation and artistic freedom, a 'performance that is not a performance' was created. Director Eva Hribernik skilfully adapted to the features of the space. Otherwise, she regularly collaborates with the Slovenian Chamber Music Theatre and finds her feet equally well in performances that are often very different in content and style.” (Tomaž Gržeta, SIGIC, 25 September 2019)