Besedilo je zvrstno težko opredeljivo. Avtorjevo izhodišče je Evripidova tragedija z istim naslovom. Prek burke, parodije, groteske in travestije jo je pripeljal nazaj v resne vode, v tragični razplet in zaključek, ki pa predvsem zaradi besedne komike še vedno izziva smeh. Dramo sestavlja 16 prizorov. Čas in prostor v tekstu zanemarjata tudi najbolj ohlapne gledališke konvencije.
DRAMSKE OSEBE: 10 in ženski ter moški zbor (2ž, 8m)
Besedilo še ni bilo ne objavljeno ne uprizorjeno. Tipkopis v knjižnici Slovenskega gledališkega inštituta ima 55 oštevilčenih strani v A4 formatu (sig. t 3111)
Writer and playwright Emil Filipčič (1951) is a versatile artist with an extremely extensive literary oeuvre. Even before his first literary publications, he burst onto the scene with his provocative series Butnskala on Radio Študent (together with Mark Derganc). Also his first prose work Kerubini was written in tandem (with Branko Gradišnik).
Filipčič's style is characteristically relaxed, playful and humorous, full of mythological, political, literary, philosophical and even sporting references. Intertextual and metafictional references create a sense of anarchy, which comes to life in the chaos of genre and the constant breaking down of stereotypes. With her first stand-alone novel Grein Vaun (1979) established himself as one of the leading protagonists of the so-called new Slovenian prose, with his debut play Kegler (1981), however, with unusual and radical satirical gestures, he indicated the main characteristics of his theatre writing. In the background of the author's literary world, one can suspect the hippie movement, communes, experimentation with drugs, beatnik literature and the sexual revolution. But it all starts with a parodic attitude towards the literary canon and ideologies, even though the literary tradition is ever present in the author's plays and we cannot imagine them without Pirandello, Jarry, Beckett and, above all, Ionesco. In Filipčič's texts we can recognise the influence of the films of Luis Buñuel and, above all, Federico Fellini, and in his writing we can also see traces of popular culture, from Monty Python's Flying Circus to Alan Ford. Filipčič's playwriting adopted Slovenian attempts at absurdist drama and theatrical experimentation of his time (Glej Theatre, Pekarna and its predecessors). His writing is cynically destructive and at the same time parodically burlesque. The original use and combination of grotesque elements creates humour with a touch of absurdity, anguish and sadness. In a surrealist manner, it tirelessly combines the fantastic and the real and achieves humour through travesty, parody and persiflage. It also shares with the drama of the absurd a subversive verbal comedy: language games, trivial declarations, a Babel-like confusion of languages and linguistic registers, loose speech, illogic, semantic emptiness, patheticism and a Beckettian disintegration of meaning. His literature contains many of the characteristics of postmodernism: the fusion of the seemingly incompatible, the rapid alternation of the sublimely euphoric and the banal, the mixing of high and low literature, pop culture and the classics, the introduction of metafiction, and an all-round stylistic looseness.
The playwright's plays had a great resonance in the Slovenian cultural scene, as eight of his works were staged soon after their creation. According to Kegler (SNG Maribor, 1981) took the theatre stage in Prisoners of freedom (SMG Ljubljana, 1982), Altamira (SNG Ljubljana, 1982) and Sick Bride (SMG Ljubljana, 1984). The following text Atlantis (SMG Ljubljana, 1988) and File - baron Münhausen, which was staged as A divine tragedy (PG Kranj, 1989), drama 20th Century Fox (radio play entitled Stampedo, 1990), Psyche (SMG Ljubljana, 1992) and Merry home (SMG Ljubljana, 1996). In the following decade, a puppet play was staged King Alcohol (LG Ljubljana, 2002). Some of the texts are still waiting to be realised on stage: Bakhantke (1992), Indestructible (1995), Slave to the campaign (or King Peter the Sixth, 1997) and Pastor (2002). More recently, a theatre version of the Butnskale (co-production SMG Ljubljana and PG Kranj, 2016) and comedy Figaro is getting married (1994, reading performance, SNG Ljubljana, 2016).
Roman Ervin Kralj (1986) is a true literary-genre mix, as the author also included a play Altamira and Sick Bride, novel Autumn is (1995) also contains a comedy Psyche. In the meantime, a novel X-100 (1988). They follow: Keops pyramid (2005), Problems (2009, Prešeren Fund Prize), Mojstrovka (20123), The secret of pleasure (2013) and Seraph of Šarhova 2 (2015). The author has also published several short story collections and written screenplays for Three contributions to the Slovenian frenzy (Chronicle of Madness, 1983), youth film May and the little spider (1988) and Butnskalo (1995). He has also acted in the last two (in Butnskali the main character Ervin Kralj). He also starred in films by František Slaka (Eva, Crisis period) and in productions of his own plays: he appeared as Dingo in Altamiri, Adolf in Divine tragedies, Emil Filipčič in drama Merry home and in a puppet play King Alcohol. He has also acted in plays by other authors. La discreta enamorada Lope de Vega (MGL, 1988), in Feydeau's Fleas in the ear (SNG Ljubljana, 1996), in Gogol's To the Auditor (1997) and in Jovanović's Kozarcky Clinics (SSG Trieste, 1999).
PUBLICISTS, CRITICS AND LITERARY HISTORIANS ON THE PLAYS OF EMIL FILIPČIČ
In presenting the writings on Filipčič's drama, we have focused, due to the vastness of the material we have in the Slovenian Theatre Institute, mainly on texts that deal with the author's dramatic oeuvre as a whole or that attempt to place it in a broader literary-historical context. Some of the articles presented in the SLOGI library are also available online. Here we also provide some links to articles that are only available in electronic form.
The first comprehensive account of Emil Filipčič's dramatic texts was published by Taras Kermauner in 1984 in Problems (The last stage of Luddism, 22. 1984, No. 9-11, pp. 112-122).
The text is under a revised title (The limits of Luddism or the renewed quest for national power) also printed in the book History of Lipizzania, Today's Slovenian Drama 4 (Slovenian Theatre Museum, 2001).
Kermauner also dealt with Filipčič's texts in his last work on drama, which he published (Between drama and memory, subtitle Between dreams and wakefulness, 2008).
Posthumous publication of the work is available at the Digital Library of Slovenia Medved's Dramatics (Priests, townspeople, workers 4Among other playwrights, Kermauner also discussed Filipčič:
Kermauner's article is also linked to a thought by Tomaž Toporišič:
"Filipčič's subsequent comedies of the 1980s, or the outlandish black comedies such as Atlantis, were, in the opinion of Taras Kermauner, whom we join, a complement to Filipčič's drama with a concrete analysis of the 1970s in Slovenia. And just as Atlantis, in a particular, Filipčič-esque paratactic way, subverted the political 1970s (we continue to use Kermauner's argument), namely that of the partisan generation and its adolescent opponents, who found themselves on the verge of crime, drugs, appearance, play, nothingness, Psycho, ten years later, reckons with a different and different historical period, or the present: with the for self-development Slovenia." (Zvon, 10. 2007, No. 3, p. 54)
Tomaž Toporišič, ten years younger, in his analysis of the relationship between dramatic texts and different media, also discusses all four "incarnations" of other Slovenian playwrights or their works. Butnskale, radio play, film, comic strip and theatre production (Slavic magazine, 65. 2017, No. 1, pp. 53-64).
The 12th issue of the theatre magazine is also largely dedicated to Filipčič's drama. Masks (III. 1988-89). In addition to the print Atlantis and images from performances of the author's texts (17 photographs and posters), an analysis of some of Filipčič's plays entitled The Pathology of Modern Drama, written by Simon Kardum (pp. 29-39).
In the Proceedings Postmodern and contemporary Slovenian drama Tina Kosi analyzes the author's plays in relation to postmodernism (Dramatika Emil Filipčič, AGRFT, 2005).
In the book Slovenian drama in the second half of the 20th century author Silvija Borovnik dedicated a separate chapter to Filipčič's drama (Slovenska matica, 2005).
In his writings, Matevž Rudolf considered Emil Filipčič as a representative of the drama of the absurd:
»Filipčič builds his plays primarily on grotesqueness, which is one of the basic characteristics of the drama of the absurd. With grotesque, Filipčič discovers the truth in things, which is either hidden or most often taboo. His comic milieu is, as we have already mentioned, an associative comedy of the intellect, based on unusual word connections and the merging of their meanings with the unexpected, even bizarre."
This is the thought of Matevž Rudolf in an extensive article in the magazine Language and literature (Emil Filipčič between Luddism and the drama of the absurd, JiS 53. 2008, no. 5, p. 61). Matevž Rudolf already discussed the author's plays in his diploma thesis (Emil Filipčič and the drama of the absurd(Faculty of Arts, 2005).
Rudolf also published an analysis of Filipčič's drama in the theatre magazine that was published at the time of the performance. Butnskale (Absurd? Absurd!, Theatre list of the Prešeren Theatre Kranj and the Slovenian Youth Theatre 2015/16, p. 18)
Blaž Lukan is with the record Drama as (self)creation accompanied the publication of nine of Filipčič's dramatic texts (Dramas, Cankar Publishing House, 2014, pp. 701-715).
The aforementioned edition was also reviewed by critics Anja Radaljac, Matej Bogataj and Aljaž Krivec, among others:
- – Anja Radaljac is about Drama pens in the online edition Literature (19. 3. 2015).
- – Matej Bogataj is the result of the Filipčič family Drama presented in Youth (6. 11. 2015, No. 45, p. 70) and in the broadcast From the book market on Radio ARS.
- – Aljaž Krivec published his account of Filipčič's drama in magazine Modernity (79. 2015, No. 10, pp. 1395-1397)
In his research on the Slovenian reception of Pierre Corneille, Tone Smolej also wrote about Filipčič's adaptation. Psyche, which he treats as an example of a travesty of a classical text.
At the premiere Butnskale were organized in Kranj on March 29, 2016 symposium on Filipčič's dramaSome of the participating authors published parts of their contributions in the theatre magazine that came out during the performance, and Aldo Milohnić adapted his into an article. Filipčič's Atlantis, which was published in the journal Literature (29. 2017, no. 307-308, pp. 215-225).
Two parts of the radio show are also dedicated to the symposium on Filipčič's drama. The stage: in the first, with the title On the (no longer) drama of Emil Filipčič, the contributions of Aldo Milohnić and Muanis Sinanović are presented. It was broadcast on April 19, 2016 on Radio ARS..
Text by Matevž Rudolf entitled Emil Filipčič, the crazy creator of the world, was broadcast a week later (Radio ARS, The stage, 26. 4. 2016).
The Slovenian Theatre Institute also has theatre lists and reviews of performances of Filipčič's plays, interviews with the author, and presentations of his works published in daily newspapers.
EDITIONS, TYPESCOPES AND MANUSCRIPTS
- Magazines, theater lists, monographic publications
The book edition of nine of Filipčič's plays in 2014 filled a major gap: for more than two decades, some of his drama texts were only available in magazine editions and theater lists, while most of them remained in typewritten form. The author included three plays in his novels Ervin Kralj and It's autumn.
The first Filipčič dramatic text to be printed was a play entitled File - baron Münhausen (Mentor, 1986, No. 2).
In the same year, in the novel Ervin Kralj (1986) games released Altamira and Sick Bride.
In three years it will be in the magazine Masks The drama Atlantis was published (March 1989, issue 12, pp. 103 – 116)
As an original contribution to the mixing of literary genres, we should also mention the text How should I respond to France Pibernik? Instead of answering the literary historian's questions, Filipčič sent France Pibernik an excerpt from Atlantis, which is also partially published in the book Relationships in contemporary Slovenian drama (1992, MGL Library, no. 114).
Theater play Psyche was first published at the premiere in the theatre magazine (Gl. list SMG, 1993/94). Psyche was published for the second time as part of Filipčič's novel Autumn is (1995).
In the fortnightly Views The fifteenth scene from Filipčič's novel was published in 1996. Bacchante (6. 3. 1996, No. 5, p. 28) with accompanying text by Boris Pintar (Bacchantes in the bird grove). When the play Veselja dom was performed at the Slovenian Youth Theatre, the text was printed in the theatre's newsletter (1996/97, no. 1). In the magazine Dialogues the first three acts of the drama were published in 1998 Slave to the campaign (36. 1998, no. 11-12, pp. 79-110). A selection of the author's plays was published in 2014.
- Typescripts and manuscripts
Filipčič's plays were frequently performed, and the Slovenian Theatre Institute has amassed a considerable number of typescripts of his plays. Here we present only typescripts of unpublished works and typescript versions of published plays that are titled differently from their final printed versions.
On February 16, 1989, the premiere took place at the Prešeren Theater in Kranj. Divine Tragedies, which is a remake of the game File – Baron Münchhausen and is also published on our websites.
Among the author's unpublished and unperformed texts are: Bakhantke (sig. K t 3111) and Indestructible (sig. K t 3386). Both are published on our website.
In the SLOGI library we have a copy of the manuscript of the last, fifth act of the play Slave to the campaign (1997, sig. K t 2789):
Unstaged drama Pastor We have two versions in the library, and the newer one has also been published online.
On December 21, 2002, the premiere of the text took place at the Ljubljana Puppet Theatre. King Alcohol (with subtitle delirium with puppets and live music in three acts). The play, co-designed and directed by Barbara Bulatović, was not published.
The same applies to the adaptation of the work of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. Enchanted place, which was written by Emil Filipčič together with Barbara Bulatović, also the director of the production. The premiere took place at the Šentjakob Theatre on December 29, 2003.
Also a theatrical version Butnskale, which was created in 2016, has not yet been printed, but is available on our website and in our library.
Bakhantke tako kot avtorjevi igri Psiha in Ujetniki svobode črpajo snov iz grške mitologije, vendar jo temeljito transformirajo. Nizka dikcija in vulgarizacija zgodbe sta pripomočka, ki parodirata značaje Evripidovih junakov, tako bogov kot ljudi.
Šumijo gozdovi domači je naslov pesmi, ki jo prepeva zbor med bakhanalijami (str. 49). Že v prvem prizoru nas avtor postavi na trg z vaško lipo, gostilno in cerkvijo, šmarnica in harmonika pa nas dodatno utrdita v prepričanju, da gre za dogajanje v našem prostoru in v današnjemu času. Bakhova vas je slovenska vas: orgije se odvijajo na (na videz) nedolžnih prizoriščih nedeljskih izletov ljubljanskih meščanov: na Šmarni gori, na Joštu, na Katarini in Toškem čelu, najusodnejša pa na mračnem Krimu.
Anahronizmi utrjujejo občutek, da se usodna zgodba odvija v današnjem trenutku in da gre za aluzije na sodobne politične razmere. Turbulentnemu dogajanju dajejo dodatne pospeške – če naštejemo le nekatere – filmske projekcije, letala, avtomobili, smetarski vozovi, helikopterji, moderne tovarne, brzostrelke, filmske kamere, mikrofoni, televizijski oddajniki in reportaže v slogu CNN.
Film, tv, propagada, reportaža in celo snemalna ekipa so v drami pogosto del dogajanja. Ne samo da besedilo – tako kot večina Filipčičevih tekstov – spominja na filmski ali TV scenarij: dogajanje na odru sproti snemajo ali pa protagonisti poročajo o dogajanju na drugih prizoriščih v slogu TV reportaže oziroma novic.
Cilj posvečuje sredstva je motto vseh tiranov. Medtem ko si je tebanski kralj Pentej domišljal, da bo zmanjšal pomen Dionizovega kulta in civiliziral svoje kraljestvo s prosvetljevanjem ljudstva in višanjem izobrazbenega nivoja, si je njegov nasprotnik Dioniz izbral hitrejše in zanesljivejše metode: laž, prevaro in umor. Čeprav Pentej posluša nasvete in pristane na kompromis, je Dioniz nepopustljiv. S pomočjo bakhantk naščuva Pentejevo mater in svojo ljubico Agaue, da zverinsko umori svojega sina.
Tiran, ki ga je izbralo ljudstvo, oblasti ne bo delil z nikomer. Ko se Agaue vrne v Tebe z odrezano Pantejevo glavo, jo Dioniz zavrže in pošlje v izgnanstvo. Po uspešno izvedenem atentatu na vladarja nastopi trenutek streznitve za ljudstvo, ki je bilo tako navdušeno nad revolucijo. V želji po orgiastični anarhiji je dalo oblast v roke samodržcu: »Ne veste več, kaj bi s sabo, to pa je nevarno, kliče po nekom, ki ve, kaj hoče, ki je pripravljen ukazovati.« (Kegler, Drame 2014, str. 86)
Dioniz brutalno uvaja kapitalizem in štiriindvajseturni delavnik, kar tudi znanstveno argumentira, saj je prebral prvih 37 strani Kratke zgodovine časa Stephena Hawkinga. Uporabljati je potrebno »celotno možgansko kapaciteto, zato, ker gre razvoj znanosti naprej, delo se z delom množi, ozrite se okrog sebe in se učite, kako se dela, število ur se praviloma povečuje, ne pa zmanjšuje.« (str.53-54) Socializem in konceptualno delo iz Atlantide sta preteklost: zdaj bodo vpeljane drugačne metode in principi. Dioniz šestinosemdesetletnega Kadmosa pod prisilo pošilja osvajat svet in to s štiriindvajseturnim delavnikom. Ko se ta upira, mu Dioniz odgovarja: »Medicinska znanost bo poskrbela zate. Dobil boš novo srce, nova jetra, nova pljuča, novo kri in tudi nove možgane…« (str. 54). Zasanjani in zakajeni hipi je postal neskrupulozen, vzvišen in nedostopen politik, ki odplava v višave: »Jaz sem zdaj Deus ex machina. Na nebu bom do konca dni.« (str. 55).