The dramaturgical structure of the play is shaped by a somewhat careless selection and accumulation of vitalistic material, primarily from the collection of poems by Miroslav Krleža "Symphonies" from 1933, featuring the poem "Pan." Additionally, it incorporates the poetic abruptness of surrealistic poems from Marko Ristić's "Turpitude," serving as a counterpoint to Krleža's cultivated orgiastic style.
The play emerged in collaboration with the Serbian National Council and the Croatian Engineering Society, supported by the Office for Human Rights and Rights of National Minorities of the Government of Croatia, with backing from the City Office for Culture and Civil Society, the Ministry of Culture and Media, and the Kultura Nova Foundation.
Amidst jovial and intellectually charged gatherings, mundane complications like financial worries, heating debts, and summer holiday escapades, the play propels us towards the greatest tragedy—the summer of 1941, when liberal and party communists were simultaneously executed at the Kerestinec camp: "Trotskyists" and Stalinists: Cesarec, Richtmann, Prica, and a month later, Marija Vinski. Special emphasis is given to Ristić's diary, written from May 27th to June 12th, 1938, during the publication of "Turpitude" in Zagreb. It chronicles impulsive hedonism and fascination with socializing with Krleža and his friends.
The characters in the play embody the personalities that dominated Krleža's and Ristić's diaries and letters: Miroslav and Bela Krleža, Marko and Ševa Ristić, August Cesarec, his wife Marija Vinski, and the "most tragic figure of that time," Zvonko Richtmann. They, with the looming global catastrophe, frequent cafes and restaurants, sing and joke into the night, summer together, and play tennis, all within the bounds of bourgeois presence.
The roles are portrayed by: Fabijan Komljenović, Ivan Simon, Marko Kasalo, Zdenka Šustić, Marina Žižić, Damian Humski, Lovro Rimac, Dora Čiča, keyboardist Maro Morača, and students from the Serbian Orthodox General Gymnasium "Kantakuzina Katarina Branković." Alongside Rajna Racz, who directs and dramatizes the play, the creative team includes composer Marin Živković, movement designer Kasija Vrbanac Strelkin, set designer Tihomir Milovac, costume designer Matija Dijanović MJ, lighting designer Tomislav Maglečić, and technical consultant Ivan Sirotić Grof.
As part of the 34th Days of Marulić, an interactive forum titled "I, the Writer" will take place on the terrace of the Cornaro Hotel at 6 PM. Dino Pešut, Ivor Martinić, Jelena Kovačić, and Ivana Vuković, our most awarded writers, playwrights, and dramaturges, will guide us through their initial creative steps, the courage required for creation, and their sources of inspiration. This delightful evening, accompanied by a beautiful view and the support of the "Cornaro" Hotel, along with the enjoyment of premium Croatian wines, will offer the audience a fresh perspective on the importance of Croatian dramatic literature. Admission to the forum is free.