The Conference of the Birds

Drama of Slovene National Theatre Maribor

Running time 2 hours. No interval.
The performance is subtitled in English.
Première: 24 September 2011. Mali oder, Slovene National Theatre Maribor

Titles of originals: Manteq Al-Teyr, La Conférence des oiseaux

Director Jernej Lorenci
Translator Danica Geršak
Set designer Branko Hojnik
Costume designer Belinda Radulović
Composer Branko Rožman
Assistant director and choreographer Gregor Luštek
Lighting designers Jernej Lorenci, Branko Hojnik
Language consultant Janez Bostič
Make-up designer Mirjana Djordjević

Cast
Heron Eva Kraš
Peacock Mateja Pucko
Parrot Mirjana Šajinović
Nightingale Zvezdana Novaković (as guest)
Falcon Matevž Biber
Pigeon Davor Herga
Hoopoe Branko Jordan
Sparrow Viktor Meglič
Owl Matija Stipanič
Bat Vladimir Vlaškalić

In 1777 the Persian poet, theoretician of Sufism and hagiographer Farid ud-Din Attar wrote the poem The Conference of the Birds in which Hoopoe as Sufist teacher takes the birds to the bird king Simorgh, which is to say, to enlightenment. The birds’ flight through the desert reveals our fascination with the earthly, with existence. We may identify with the weaknesses of the Falcon who is devoted only to his master’s hands, or with the Peacock’s vanity, enthrallment with the material, or the narrow mind of the Parrot, who sits unfettered in her cage without particular needs … The birds do not want to leave the safe haven of the known world, similar to us humans who find it hard to cross the familiar boundaries of life and self-sufficiency.