The play Waiting for the Rain: Ageism in 6 Scenes, produced by the troupe Drž’ ne daj, will be performed on February 13 at Novosadsko Pozorište – Újvidéki Színház, starting at 7:30 PM. This socially engaged play is part of the European project Age Against the Machine, led by the Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture Foundation.
Waiting for the Rain is the result of a six-month creative process, portraying different forms of ageism—structural, social, and institutional—through six scenes. By depicting everyday situations in which elderly people experience marginalization and indifference, the play highlights how social and systemic mechanisms affect their lives and dignity.
This socially engaged performance features citizens of Novi Sad aged 17 to 79, inviting the audience to reflect on their attitudes toward the elderly and the challenges of aging. The play emphasizes the importance of social responsibility and intergenerational solidarity, calling for active participation in the fight against ageism.
Directors: Lazar Jovanov, Demir Mekić, Branka Bajić Jovanov
Dramaturgy: Svetislav Jovanov & Lazar Jovanov
Creative Process Leaders: Branka Bajić Jovanov & Demir Mekić
Composer: Lazar Novkov
Lighting Design: Stefan Milošević
Costume Designer: Nataša Vranešević
Expert Consultant: Ivica Klemenc
Ageism Experts: Nataša Todorović & Milutin Vračević
Cast: Natalija Marinković, Milka Dmitrašinović, Svetlana Selaković, Stanka Parać Damjanović, Jasna Kartalović, Dragica Letić, Mirjana Milankov, Milena Marinković, Zoran Ivković, Predrag Veselić, Borislav Sakač, Kristina Dorić, Dubravka Cimeša, Mina Vitasović, Jelena Lujić, Milena Lazarević, Anamarija Dimitrijević, Anđela Savić, Demir Mekić / Branka Bajić Jovanov, Lazar Jovanov.
The play Waiting for the Rain was created as part of the European project Age Against the Machine, led by the Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture Foundation. Other partners in the project include Nordisk Teaterlaboratorium (Holstebro, Denmark), Teatr Brama (Goleniów, Poland), University of Évora (Portugal), Red Cross of Serbia, Compagnia Il Melarancio Cooperativa Sociale Ets (Cuneo, Italy). The project is supported by the European Commission (through the CERV – Network of Towns program), the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, and the City of Novi Sad.
