Olga Odanović: “Theatre Is a Mirror of Life and Essential to Everyone”

Love at first sight—that is how we might describe the encounter between Olga Odanović and the “Theatre at the Crossroads” festival. Niš already had a place in her heart, as she spent part of her life in nearby Aleksinac, while she received applause and awards on the Summer Stage. Now, the National Theatre has found its way into her heart as well. She is especially happy, she says, to have come to Niš with The Bald Soprano by Jagoš Marković, her great friend whom she misses dearly and who was one of the “pillars of theatre art.”

Olga Odanović leaves no one indifferent, whether she is speaking from the small screen, the big screen, the “boards that mean life,” or simply in private. The Niš audience experienced this on the fifth evening of the fifth “Theatre at the Crossroads” festival, and to complete the symbolism of the number five—she gave it a five-star performance.

It is her first time at this still-young festival, and she hopes that one day they will celebrate major anniversaries together.

– My heart is always full when I see productions from across the region and when I see that this is an international festival. I am happy. Niš must have a serious theatre festival. I hope this festival will last for a very long time and that we will celebrate some wonderful anniversaries together. I absolutely support every kind of engagement when it comes to its organization. Theatre is essential to everyone, regardless of which social group you belong to. Theatre is a mirror of life, something that points to many of the things we experience. I believe that every kind of festival, especially in Niš, which deserves one, has my absolute support, and I hope you will last for a very long time – says Olga Odanović.

Olga and Niš are strongly connected. She lived and attended school in nearby Aleksinac, and has appeared in numerous films screened at the Filmski Susreti festival, where she has also received awards.

– I have a strong emotional connection to Niš. I love Niš and I love coming here. I love being at the film festival, and this theatre festival is particularly dear to me. I must emphasize how especially happy I am that we are in Niš with The Bald Soprano, by my favorite director and friend, Jagoš Marković – adds Olga Odanović.

Olga Odanović spoke about Jagoš Marković, her great friend and a director whose work she deeply respected and loved, with particular emotion, sparing no words of praise and occasionally struggling to hold back her tears.

– The entire cast of six in The Bald Soprano are great admirers of Jagoš’s theatre. There are many of them, but the six of us have a particularly strong connection with Jagoš. I am not saying that we were the only ones who belonged to him, but we are great admirers of his theatre. So many people loved him, which makes me very happy. I am happy that I lived in Jagoš’s time. I am happy that I met him, that we grew together, both as people and in our professions—me as an actress and him as a director. We were truly inseparable from our third year at the Academy, when he first saw me during an exam in Ancient Tragedy. I played Medea, and from that moment on we never parted ways.

There were productions that were less successful, of course, but Jagoš also created unforgettable, extraordinary productions that will absolutely be remembered for a very, very, very long time. Those are things that cannot be erased. I thank him for that. He taught me what theatre is, how to be happy when I come to the theatre, and he taught me so much. I had a wonderful professor, Milenko Maričić, who was an outstanding teacher, but when Jagoš appeared, along with the practical experience of working in the theatre and working with him, many things came together that benefited my acting career, as well as his career as a director – said the actress.

Olga Odanović describes him as a “pillar of theatre art,” and now that pillar is deeply missed. Jagoš will live on for a long time, as long as his works remain on theatre stages and as long as great people like these continue to share the most beautiful stories about him.