Gypsies are Found Near Heaven

BIOGRAPHY

Desimir Stanojević (born in Niš in 1950), an actor at the National Theatre in Niš between 1970 and 1990, had over 80 roles (selection: Đido– Milić, Ivko’s Feat – Neko, Eternal Students– the Chief, The Forest – Nesrećković, Zona Zamfirova – Mane, The Adventures of Nikoletina Bursać – Nikoletina, Don Juan Returns from War– Don Juan, When Father Was Away on Business– the Father).
Since 1990 he has been engaged in Theatre on Terazije, where he has had over 30 roles (selection: Zorba the Greek– Zorba, Fiddler on the Roof– Tevye, The Marathon Family– Laki Topalović, Ivko’s Feast– Kalča, The Three Musketeers – Richelieu, Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven – Talimon and father Sobar, Jubilee – the Champion). He also played in other theatres in Belgrade (Belgrade Drama Theatre, Slavija Theatre, Little Theatre “Puž”).
He played in TV series, drama and movies of both local and foreign production (Happy People, The village is burning and the Grandmother is Combing her Hair), We Will Be World Champions, Lager Niš; RAI – Toulouse Lautrec, Caravaggio, Lo Scandalo Della Banca Romana, Paura di Amare, Restauratore).
He recorded 5 full-length TV show programs for RTS and RTV (Let the Song Hurt, My Beautiful Dreams Came Crashing Down, Evening in the Theatre, Musicals for All Times, Kalča’s Stories, children’s songs), as well as 4 albums for PGP RTS.
He directed over 10 performances (selection: Fiddler on the Roof, first musical in the history of the Theatre in Niš, Kafana kod svi, Sima Returns Home, Fishing on the Asphalt).
He participated in 8 festivals of pop, “old urban” and children’s music („Manager“ in Belgrade, „Belgrade Spring Fest“, „Tamburitza“ in Novi Sad, „Niš Autumn Fest “ – double winner). He won several prizes and awards for theatre, television and music.

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Guided by the experience in musicals at the Theatre on Terazije, and after the success of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” in Niš, which I directed and in which I acted, my wish was for Niš theatre scene to continue working on musicals and, in addition to Belgrade and Novi Sad, to continue having this popular genre on the repertoire. At the invitation of the ensemble and management of the Niš Theatre, I have chosen the musical Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven, because Niš has the potential to realize this demanding form (National Theatre, Puppet Theatre, choirs, ballet groups, SKC Academic Theatre, drama schools, music experts, sound design, choreographers, arrangers).
Stage script outline for Gypsies are Found Near Heaven was created  in cooperation with Nada Stanojević inspired by the short story Makar Chudra by Maxim Gorky. Gorki created „his“ Gypsies following the unusual romantic love between Rada and Sobar throughout the spacious steppe of Russia. Our wish was to complement their Gypsies with camps without the humble or the weak, but with people who love life, freedom, singing, playing. Such Gypsies can only „ find themselves near heaven“. The earth is too tight for them.
Russian Gypsy traditional music, full of passion and making the heart and the body dance to it, complements this unique love story and places it alongside Romeo and Juliet.