Dundo Maroje (Uncle Maroje)[1] is a comedy by Croatian playwright Marin Držić. Dealing with the misunderstandings between the older and newer generations during the Renaissance, the comedy is considered a staple in Croatian theatre, and one of the greatest Croatian-language literary works.[citation needed]

Dundo Maroje published in Zagreb, 1939

Background

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It is said to have been first performed in 1551 in the main hall of the Grand Council of the Republic of Ragusa by the company Pomet.[2] Taking place in Rome with characters from Dubrovnik, the play consists of two prologues and five acts, from which the ending did not survive.[3]

Critical plaudits

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George Thomas, a professor at McMaster University wrote that it is the author's "best-known work" and "the most enduring work in the history of Croatian drama".[3] Renato Kragić of Slobodna Dalmacija describes Dundo Maroje as "among the top of dramatic literature in Croatian" and that "should be in the pantheon of European Renaissance literature"[4] Ante Kadić wrote in Slavic Review about Dundo Maroje being Držić's main work. (need detail inside this book)[5]

Notable adaptations and presentations

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The play by the Maribor Slovene National Theatre in 1964

In 2008, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) reported that Dundo Maroje had been translated to 18 languages.[6]

In 2011, the Gavella Drama Theatre presented its version of Dundo Maroje.[7] It was directed by Marco Sciaccaluga and starred Žarko Savić, Amar Bukvić, Ozren Grabarić, Živko Anočić, Franjo Dijak, Sven Medvešek, Zoran Gogić and Sven Šestak.[citation needed]

In March 2018, Filip Krenus and a group of actors did a reading of the play as translated by his team in English at Conway Hall in London for the 450th anniversary of Držić's death.[8] In November 2018, an English-translated performance of the play took place at the European Parliament in Brussels.[9]

References

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  1. ^ Thomas, David; Chesworth, John A. (eds.). Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America (1500-1600) – Marin Držić. Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History. Vol. 7. Leiden, The Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill NV. p. 270-271. ISBN 978-9004298484.
  2. ^ Gassner, John; Quinn, Edward, eds. (2002). The Reader's Encyclopedia of World Drama. Dover books on cinema and the stage. Courier Corporation. p. 930. ISBN 9780486420646.
  3. ^ a b Thomas, George (2000). "A Diachronic Approach to Sociolinguistics: Language use of selected plays in Croatia". In Tomic, Olga Miseska; Radovanovic, Milorad (eds.). History and Perspectives of Language Study: Papers in Honor of Ranko Bugarski. Amsterdam Studies in the Theory and History of Linguistic Science. Vol. 186. John Benjamins Publishing. pp. 235–253. ISBN 9789027236920.
  4. ^ Kragić, Renato (9 September 2011). "Novac, seks, iće i piće:" [Money, sex, drinks and drinks: "Dundo Maroje" in Gavelli]. Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  5. ^ Kadic, Ante (March 1962). "The Croatian Renaissance". Slavic Review. 21 (1). American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies: 83–84. doi:10.2307/3000544.
  6. ^ "IFLA National Libraries Section Newsletter" (PDF). International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. December 2008. p. 7. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
  7. ^ "Dundo Maroje - Gavella". www.gavella.hr.
  8. ^ Simmonds, Lauren (5 March 2018). "Marin Držić Presented in London!". Total Croatia News. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  9. ^ ""Dundo Maroje" na engleskom predstavljen u Bruxellesu" ["Dundo Maroje" in English, presented in Brussels]. Dubrovnik.net (in Croatian). 21 November 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2019.