- Source: Jeton Neziraj
Jeton Neziraj is a playwright from Kosovo. He was the Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Kosovo and now he is the Director of Qendra Multimedia, a cultural production company based in Prishtina.
Background
Neziraj has written over 25 plays that have been staged and performed in Europe as well as in the USA. His plays and his writings have been translated and published in more than 20 languages, such as: German, English, French, Italian, Slovak, Macedonian, Iranian, Slovenian, Croatian, Romanian, Bosnian, Spanish, Turkish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Greek etc.
As a playwright, he has worked and had his plays shown in various theatres, including La MaMa in New York, Volksbühne Berlin, Volkstheater Vienna, Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Vidy Theater in Lausanne, National Theater of Kosovo, City Garage Theater in Los Angeles, National Theater of Montenegro, Turkish National Theater, etc.
"The plays of Jeton Neziraj are raucous, irreverent and absurdist. They invoke Ibsen, Molière and Kafka...”, The Guardian wrote about his work. While the German theatre magazine Theater der Zeit and the German Radio Deutschlandfunk Kultur have described him as ‘Kafka of the Balkans’. Los Angeles Times called him “a world- class playwright who challenges our complacency at every twist and turn”.
Neziraj is the author of many articles on cultural and political issues, published in local and international magazines and journals. He is also the author of various books, including a book on the famous Kosovar actor Faruk Begolli. Neziraj is the founder and the director of Qendra Multimedia, a cultural production company based in Pristina. He was also Professor of Dramaturgy at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Pristina during the year 2007–2008. He has given speeches and has run theater workshops at several festivals, conferences and universities throughout the world.
He is member of the European Cultural Parliament and Kosovo coordinator of the EURODRAM network. He was board member of Dokufest (Prizren), and Kosovo patron for the New Plays from Europe Festival in Wiesbaden.
Awards
With his play Lisa is Sleeping he won the first prize at Buzuku competition for the best Albanian Play in 2006.
He is the 2011 winner of the INPO prize for Accelerating the debate.
His play One Flew Over the Kosovo Theater won the Special Award at the 8th edition of the JoakimInterFest (2013).
He won the Best play award in the National Drama Festival in Ferizaj, 2016, for the play A Theater Play with Four Actors....
In 2018, the European Union Office in Kosovo awarded him with the European of the Year award. This award is granted to individuals whose work and achievements have promoted European ideas and values.
His play The Windmills (Die Windmühlen) was nominated for the German award Deutschen Kindertheaterpreis 2018.
Neziraj is the winner of the EuropeCultureAward 2020
He is winner of the International Theatremakers Award (2021) which is given by Playwrights Realm based in New York.
His play The Handke Project won the French theatre award "Journées de Lyon des Auteurs de Théâtre".
Selected staged plays
= 2023–2024
=Balkan Bordello - Uppsala Stadsteaater (Sweden), 2024
Richard III - Qendra Multimedia (Kosovo), 2024
Audience by Vaclav Havel - Tiyatro Teras Oyunculuk Atolye (Turkey), 2023
Negotiating Peace - Qendra Multimedia in association with: Teatro della Pergola (Italy); euro-scene Leipzig (Germany); Prague City Theaters (Czech Republic); R.A.A.A.M (Estonia); Mittelfest (Italy); Kontakt (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Black Box Teater (Norway) and My Balkans (USA/Serbia), 2023
GADJO (The Young Europeans) - Qendra Multimedia (Kosovo) and National Experimental Theatre "Kujtim Spahivogli" (Albania), 2023
Peer Gynt from Kosovo - Tetovo City Theatre (North Macedonia), 2023
One Flew Over the Kosovo Theatre - Kumanovo City Theatre (North Macedonia) , 2023
Audience by Vaclav Havel - National Experimental Theatre "Kujtim Spahivogli" (Albania), 2023
= 2021–2022
=A.P Department Acındırma Propaganda Birimi - Oyun Atölyesi, Istanbul, Turkey, 2022
The Handke Project - Qendra Multimedia in association with Mittelfest & Teatro della Pergola (Italy), Theater Dortmund (Germany), National Theater Sarajevo & International Theater Festival - Scene MESS (Bosnia and Herzegovina), 2022
Audience by Vaclav Havel Audients - RAAAM Theatre (Estonia), 2022
Father and Father - Integra, Prishtina, Kosovo, 2022
The Sworn Virgin - Qendra Multimedia, Prishtina, Kosovo, 2022
Marxists-Leninists of Switzerland - Adriana' City Theatre, Ferizaj, Kosovo, 2022
A Play with Four Actors and Some Pigs and Some Cows and Some Horses and a Prime Minister and a Milka Cow and Some Local and International Inspectors - Collectif7, Lyon - France (2021 - 2022)
Balkan Bordello - La MaMa Theatre - New York, in association with Qendra Multimedia - Prishtina and Theater Atelje 212 - Belgrade
Audience by Václav Havel (Radio play) - HRT - Hrvatski Radio Archived 2021-11-27 at the Wayback Machine, 2021
Yue Madeleine Yue - (Το περιστατικό της Μαντλέν), Rialto Theatre - Θέατρο Ριάλτο, Limassol, Cyprus, 2021
Kosovo for Dummies - City Theater, Gjilan, 2021
Peer Gynt from Kosovo - (ΠΕΕΡ ΓΚΥΝΤ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΚΟΣΣΟΒΟ), Theatre Skala - ΘΕΑΤΡΟ ΣΚΑΛΑ, Larnaka, Cyprus, 2021
= 2019–2020
=The Bridge [Most] - Bosnian National Theater in Zenica, Bosnia and Hercegovina, 2020
AUDIENCE BY VACLAV HAVEL - Qendra Multimedia, 2020
ΠΤΗΣΗ 1702 08 ΚΟΣΣΟΒΟ [One Flew over the Kosovo Theater] - Θέατρο Τσέπης, Limassol, Cyprus, 2020
The Return of Karl May - [Volksbühne Berlin, Qendra Multimedia, National Theater of Kosovo], Berlin, 2020
Swiss Connection - Theater Winkelwiese, Zürich, 2020
Şehir Büyüyor [Yue Madeleine Yue] - Tiyatro Tezgah, Istanbul, 2020
a.y.l.a.n - City Theater, Gjilan, 2019
In Five Seasons: An Enemy of the People - Qendra Multimedia, 2019
Department of Dreams - City Garage Theatre, Los Angeles (2019)
The Internationals - Between the Seas Festival and Theaterlab, New York (2019)
55 Shades of Gay - La MaMa - New York (2019)
= 2017–2018
=Peer Gynt from Kosovo (Kosovali Peer Gynt) - Turkish State Theater in Istanbul (2018)
Lisa Is Sleeping Günah Çıkarma - Dina Tyiatro Turkey, 2018
The Hypocrites or the English Patient - Qendra Multimedia, 2018
Sworn Virgin - forever productions Zurich & Schlachthaus Theater Bern & Theater Winkelwiese Zürich & Kleintheater Luzern & Kellertheater Winterthur (2018)
The Windmills (Mullinjët e erës) - CTC - Skopje/Shkup (2018)
Mbreti Gjumash - City Theater - Kumanovë (2018)
Patriotic Hypermarket - Théâtre de l’Opprimé // Théâtre national de Syldavie / Maison d’Europe et D’Orient - Paris (2017)
55 Shades of Gay - Qendra Multimedia (2017)
Peer Gynt from Kosovo - Qendra Multimedia (2017)
The Windmills (Die Windmühlen) - Theater Heilbronn (2017)
Bordel Balkan - National Theater of Kosovo (2017)
= 2015–2016
=Carla del Ponte Trinkt in Pristina Einen Vanilla Chai Latte - Jochen Roller, Berlin, & FFT, Düsseldorf & Qendra Multimedia, Prishtina (2016)
A Play with Four Actors and Some Pigs and Some Cows and Some Horses and a Prime Minister and a Milka Cow and Some Local and International Inspectors - Qendra Multimedia, Prishtina (2016)
Lisa Is Sleeping (Lilza UYUYOR) - Menfi Tiyatro - Istanbul (2016)
Yue Madeleine Yue (Şehir Büyüyor) - Tiyatro TEMAS - Istanbul (2016)
KOSOVO FOR DUMMIES - Schlachthaus Theater Bern, Theater Winkelwiese Zürich, Kleintheater Luzern (2015)
The Bridge - Spinning Dot Theatre - Michigan (2015)
War in Times of Love (La Guerre au Temps de l’Amour) - THÉÂTRE DU GRENIER - Bougival / Compagnie GRAINS DE SCÈNE (2015)
o.rest.es in Peace - National Theater of Montenegro (2015)
General of the Dead Army (adaptation of the Ismail Kadare's novel) - Istanbul Municipal Theater (2015)
War in Times of Love - Qendra Multimedia (2015)
= 2013–2014
=In Paradise Artists Can Fly - Qendra Multimedia, Prishtina (Kosovo) & Pisa (Italy), 2014
One Flew Over the Kosovo Theater [Geçtim Ama Tiyatrodan] - Istanbul State Theater (Istanbul) / 2014
A P ДeПartament - Skampa Theater, Elbasan Albania & City Theater, Ferizaj, Kosovo & Skampa International Theater Festival / 2014
War in Times of Love (La Guerre au Temps de l'Amour) - GARE AU THÉÂTRE & TERMOS (Paris, France) / 2014
Peer Gynt from Kosovo - Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden (Wiesbaden, Germany), Teater de Vill (Stockholm, Sweden), Qendra Multimedia (Prishtina, Kosovo) / 2014
Yue Madeleine Yue (Büyük Şehir) - Aatiyatro & BO SAHNE (Istanbul, Turkey) / 2014
The Demolition of the Eiffel Tower - Qendra Multimedia (Prishtina, Kosovo) / 2013
Yue Madeleine Yue – Luzerner Theater - (Luzern, Switzerland) / 2013
The Hustler – Qendra Multimedia (Prishtina, Kosovo) / 2013
The Around The Globe Chain Play - Lark Play Development Center / USA 2013 (co-written with: Dominique Morisseau (USA), Bekah Brunstetter (USA), Van Badham (Australia), Mixkaela Villalon (Philippines), Janice Poon (Hong Kong), Abdelrahem Alawji (Lebanon), John Freedman (Russia), Ulrike Syha (Germany), Enver Husicic (Netherlands), Zainabu Jallo (Nigeria), Beatriz Cabur (Spain), Sarah Grochala (UK), Sigtryggur Magnason (Iceland), Noe Morales Munoz (Mexico) and Caridad Svich (USA).
= 2011–2012
=One Flew Over the Kosovo Theater - 2012 - Qendra Multimedia, Pristina / National Theater of Kosovo, Pristina / National Theater of Albania, Tirana / CTC, Skopje / CZKD, Belgrade
Yue Madeleine Yue - 2012 - Volkstheater - (Vienna, Austria), Qendra Multimedia (Prishtina, Kosovo)
The Bridge (Die Brücke) - 2012 - Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden (Wiesbaden, Germany)
The Demolition of the Eiffel Tower - 2011 - Gerald W. Lynch Theater – (New York, USA)
The Demolition of the Eiffel Tower –2011 - SARTR Theater - Sarajevo / MESS International Theater Festival – (Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Patriotic Hypermarket (co-author) – 2011 - Bitef Theater / Kulturanova/ Qendra Multimedia - (Belgrade and Pristina)
= 2009–2010
=War in Times of Love – 2010, Yale Drama Coalition (USA)
The Demolition of the Eiffel Tower - 2010, Fabrique Ephéméride (Paris, France)
The Odyssey Project - 2010 - (co-author with Sebastien Joanniez (France), Sigtryggur Magnason (Iceland), Joel Horwood (England), Ozen Yula (Turkey), Nikolai Khalezin (Belarus) - The Internationalists - (New York, USA)
The General of the Dead Army - 2010 - (adaptation of the Ismail Kadare's novel) –Albanian Theatre – (Skopje, Macedonia)
An American Tune – 2009 - (co-author) National Theatre of Macedonia (Bitola, Macedonia)
= 2007–2008
=Punch and Judy Murder Love – (co-author) 2008, Theatre of Prizren (Prizren)
The Bridge – 2008, Children's Theatre Center (Skopje, Macedonia)
The Bridge – 2007, Qendra Multimedia / CCTD (Pristina)
Liza is Sleeping – 2007 - National Theatre of Kosovo (Pristina)
War in Times of Love – 2008 - Nomad Theatre (UK)
The Last Supper – 2007 - Qendra Multimedia & Markus Zohner Theatre Company, (Pristina / Lugano)
Madeleine's war – 2007 - Oda Theatre (Pristina)
= 2005–2006
=Aeneas Wounded – 2006, Qendra Multimedia & 2007 Glej Theatre (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
The Subversive Donkey – 2006, National Theatre (Gnjilane)
Speckled Blue Eyes – 2005, Albanian Drama Theatre (Skopje, Macedonia)
Le Roi, Le Clown, L`homme au Fouet et le Barbier – 2005, Gare au Theatre (Paris, France)
The Longest Winter, 2005, CCTD & OMPF (Pristina)
= 2002–2004
=Forbidden Lesson – 2004, CCTD & Dodona Theatre (Pristina)
Voyage to Unmikistan (co-author) 2002, L`espace d'un instant (Pristina / Paris)
The Well – 2002, City Theater Gjilan
Existing translations of his plays
Negotiating Peace - English, German, Czech, Croatian, Italian, Norwegian
Gadjo - English
The Handke Project - English, Serbian, Italian, German, French, Slovenian, Czech
Father and Father - English, Serbian, Turkish
Audience by Václav Havel - English, German, Persian, Croatian, Serbian, Turkish, Estonian
The return of Karl May - English, German, Serbian, French, Romanian, Polish
Swiss Connection - German, French, English
a.y.l.a.n - English, German, French
In Five Seasons: An Enemy of the People - English, German, Turkish, French, Serbian
The Hypocrites or the English Patient - English, German, Turkish
Wales Gets a King - English, Macedonian
Sworn Virgin - German, English, Italian, Serbian
55 shades of Gay - English, German, Serbian, Hungarian, Macedonian, Slovenian, Polish
Department of Dreams - English, Turkish, Dutch
The Internationals - English, Greek, German
A Play with Four Actors and Some Pigs and Some Cows and Some Horses and a Prime Minister and a Milka Cow and Some Local and International Inspectors - English, German, Croatian, Italian, French, Finnish
The Windmills - Albanian, German
Kosovo for Dummies - German, English, Macedonian, Polish
Bordel Balkan - Montenegrin, English, German, Slovenian, French, Italian, Macedonian, Polish, Swedish
Peer Gynt from Kosovo - German, English, Serbian, Turkish, Italian, Macedonian, French, Greek
One Flew over the Kosovo theater - English, Greek, French, German, Serbian, Turkish, Italian, Slovenian, Macedonian
Yue Madeleine Yue- German, English, Turkish, Croatian, Greek
The Demolition of the Eiffel Tower - Italian, Bosnian, English, French, German, Turkish, Macedonian, Polish, Czech
War in Times of Love - English, German, French, Turkish, Bulgarian, Serbian, Polish, Italian, Spanish
In Paradise Artists can Fly- English
Aeneas Wounded - Albanian, English, Slovenian, Serbian, Romanian, Turkish
The Hustler - English, Turkish, German
“The Bridge” - Albanian, English, German, Bosnian, Turkish
Patriotic Hypermarket- Albanian, Serbian, English, French
“The General of the Dead Army” - Serbian, Turkish
Speckled Blue Eyes - English, Macedonian, Spanish, Turkish
Liza is Sleeping - English, Bulgarian, Turkish, Kurdish
Voyage to Unmikistan - Albanian, French
References
External links
Official website