The Macedonian National Theater (MNT) together with the Wiener Festwochen (Vienna Festival) is co-producing Solaris, a play based on Stanislaw Lem’s novel, which is being directed by Ukrainian director Andriy Zholdak.
The play will be premiered on 10, 11 and 12 June at the Wiener Festwochen, one of the most prestigious theater festivals in the world. Its Skopje premiere is scheduled this coming September.
Minister of Culture Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska, who attended Wednesday a rehearsal of the play at MNT, said Solaris’ world premiere in Vienna was of ‘exceptional importance’, first and foremost for the Macedonian National Theater.
After directing Electra, Solaris is Zholdak’s second collaboration with MNT.
“Excellent experiences have been created with the cast and all the institutions. I’m glad that I’m able to cooperate with MNT and with Macedonia,” Zholdak said calling MNT ‘probably the best theater in the Balkans.’
Wiener Festwochen, considered one of the leading festivals in the world, is cooperating with MNT for the first time, according to the festival’s selector Marina Davidova, who also attended the rehearsal.
She said MNT’s Solaris was part of a ‘strong and quality’ program alongside some of the greatest theater companies from around the world.
MNT director Dejan Projkoski thanked the Ukrainian theater director for choosing Macedonia and MNT to stage his vision of Solaris and the Ministry of Culture for supporting their efforts to present MNT’s plays abroad.