by Jovana Stanković
photo: Stefan Zdraveski
On the second evening of the 29th Art Trema Fest, Štoos Theatre from Velika Gorica, Croatia, presented Naught-E-ness, an authorial one-man show performed by Luka Kuzmanović. The concept — if one can call it that — has Kuzmanović already on stage, greeting the audience as they take their seats. When the performance officially begins, he steps into the first character, putting on a plastic pig nose and dark sunglasses. Costumes for all other characters hang on a coat rack, which he takes from one by one, telling each character’s story.
The idea of inhabiting characters in full view of the audience is potentially engaging, but here it remains superficial. The transformation ends the moment the actor puts on a new costume, signaling a new character without adding depth. The author describes the play as being about evil, and this is convincing during the first ten minutes, when broad ideas of evil are introduced. Later, in a scene where Kuzmanović plays a company employee deciding whether to hire Dina, the play touches on racism and the superficial evil of human nature—the tendency to judge someone by origin, skin color, or religion. These moments build expectations that the play will explore the mechanisms of evil more deeply.
However, these expectations remain unfulfilled. The ideas presented in the first ten to fifteen minutes remain static and underdeveloped. It is clear the author intended to examine evil from multiple angles, but the concept is never fully realized. The program mentions nine characters on stage, but the execution is confusing; it is unclear whether all nine are actually represented. A yellow reflective vest, left on the coat rack and said to belong to a character who refuses to appear, adds to the confusion. A simple gesture—picking it up, deciding not to wear it, and returning it—would have made this concept immediately clear.
Throughout the performance, phrases like “it should have” or “the program says” come to mind, reflecting repeated disappointment in unfulfilled expectations. In the end, this is less a theatrical performance or monodrama and more a literal one-man show. Kuzmanović stands on stage, delivering lines that echo in the space, while changing costumes rapidly, entering new stories, and attempting to embody new characters. The performance ends to the mutual relief of both performer and audience. Despite the potential of its concept, the play offers nothing new or groundbreaking. Yet the central truth remains undeniable: evil is everywhere. Truly, everywhere.
“Naught-E-ness”
Written and performed by Luka Kuzmanović
Štoos Theatre, Velika Gorica, Croatia
The “Criticism” Programme is an initiative by Spam Studios, developed in partnership with Art Trema Fest as part of its 29th edition, and carried out with the financial support of the “Culture for Democracy” programme of the Swiss Embassy and the Hartefakt Fund in Serbia.
