Page 128 - Vinkler, Jonatan, Ana Beguš and Marcello Potocco. Eds. 2019. Ideology in the 20th Century: Studies of literary and social discourses and practices. Koper: University of Primorska Press

Ideology in the 20th Century: studies of literary and social discourses and practices

ever, it rather seems that the current political struggle between the Left

and the Right in Slovenia echoes in this performance, rather than the ar-

tistic intentions or a penetrating interpretation of the political controver-

sies. A comparison with the agitation play would be appropriate. By using

this notion, I aim at certain features of a part of (partisan) drama during

the World War II and after it—namely, its emphasized agitation-propa-

ganda function, black-and-white picture of the world and uniform ideol-

ogy (cf. Troha 2015, 29).
The performance The Republic of Slovenia (anonymous authors;
co-production Slovensko mladinsko gledališče and Maska Ljubljana,

première: April 2016 as the celebration of 25th anniversary of the Slove-

nian independence) is based on the use of the documents, too. Its theme

128 are ‘the Depala vas affair’ (an affair in 1994 with the involvement of Slo-
venian politician Janez Janša) and power struggles in the Slovenian state

during the 1990s. The most suggestive in terms of theatricality are the

variations of the Depala vas events. In the performance, the authors di-

rectly address the issue of the construction of truth by performing a (se-

cret) document (that by definition always lacks ‘something’ to achieve

an ultimate truth). They also raise the issue of truth and lies in politics

and public speaking. When approaching the end of the performance, the

question of truth and lies gradually shrinks into the question of lies and

truth relating to the speaking and operating of Janez Janša until it finally

culminates in condemning him and his politics of glorifying the nation.
In its use of postdramatic elements, The Republic of Slovenia is certain-
ly more interesting and original compared to Black Holes. But similar-
ly as Black Holes the performance is not interested in the systemic doubt
of (state) power, its institutions or authority in-itself, but rather performs

the selected chapters of a specific political agenda or even agitation for a

certain political party and the condemnation of a competitive one.

Simona Semenič’s approach to social issues is quite different. Decen-

tralization and de-hierarchization are the key features of her ‘no longer

dramatic texts’. In her works, we are dealing with hybrid, transient, ‘im-

pure’ formations, with kind of ‘texts in movement’ that employ diverse

textual tactics, not only limited to drama dialogue but also appropriated

from the other literary genres, for example description, narration, meta-

fictional techniques, poetry, bureaucratic language etc. The author has as-

sumed the role of a narrator or a DJ of stories, images and scenes; in her

texts no sharp demarcation between dialogue and stage directions exists
(especially in the text mi, evropski mrliči [we, european corpses], 2015).