Tesla Anonymous

Writing about the play ‘’Tesla Anonymous’’, the author and the director says: ‘’Starting from the fact that Tesla’s contribution to our civilization and humankind is at the same time recognized and quite unrecognized, I will try to shed some light on a few lesser known events in the life and work of this incredible inventor. Thinking about the consequences of Tesla’s work and about the influence of his discoveries on the awareness of people and the development of society, I sometimes wonder whether Tesla was perhaps wrong in his endeavours to make the world a better place. What I mean to say is, the inventions he left behind, which he intended to be available to every one of us, precisely these inventions, whether he wanted it or not, ended up in the hands of the biggest industrial magnates in the world, strange characters who under the aegis of – ‘’progress’’ – reap profit for themselves, widening the gap between the rich and the poor even more in the process. I am almost certain that Tesla himself, at one point, had to become aware of that fact and that he left most of his inventions ‘’for himself’’, without documenting them. Bearing that in mind, one could portray Tesla as a true hero of time.’’ The cast: Marko Petrić, Andrej Dojkić, Antonija Stanišić Šperanda, Natalija Đorđević, Tara Rosandić, Đorđe Kukuljica, Filip Šovagović and Fadil Abdulov Fafa.

‘’There is something primal, from the dawn of humanity, in the magic that Filip Šovagović brings to the stage. ‘’Tesla Anonymous’’ is the theatrical event of the year. Such synesthesia of voices, the play of light and darkness, actors’ bodies, movements, silence and dramatic tension has not been seen in Croatian theatre for a long time. At the moment, no one in Zagreb is able to direct with such precision, with such unconventionality and I would also add – no one is so cool, yet sophisticated and gentle, like Filip Šovagović. With Šovagović, everything is twisted, yet firm, postponed, yet precise, modest, yet strong. This is pure art.’’ (Tomislav Čadež, Jutarnji list)

‘’It is impressive that Šovagović is not creating the cult of Tesla. It would be more accurate to say he approaches him as a fellow gifted child, with all the implications of modern psychology, which claims that it is equally hard for the gifted to survive in the system as it is for the incapacitated, since both those who think too much, as well as those who think too little equally annoy the dominant blur of the average. (...) Marko Petrić was an excellent choice for the leading role of Tesla. He presents to the audience a focused and dedicated face of a young enthusiast whose strongest convulsions occur at the very mention of new ideas. His brother Dane, and later Tesla, is portrayed by a vehement and warm Andrej Dojkić. The pair of Tesla’s detested ‘’aunts’’ are played by Antonija Stanišić Šperanda and Natalija Đorđević with just the right amount of twisted nuances of ironic bravado, while Tesla’s mother and a series of femmes fatales is played by Tara Rosandić, who also performs the songs. (...) Đorđe Kukuljica achieves a surprisingly high level of acting playfulness, sense of humour and dark burlesque in the roles of Tesla’s father, business associate and Hitler.’’ (Nataša Govedić, Novi list)

‘’Šovagović is telling us that Tesla realised his invention of ‘’electricity’’ earned money for a just few people and that is why a part of his work disappeared with him. Could he be right? It is impossible to say, but he sure gives a convincing argument.’’ (Bojana Radović, Večernji list)