Krleža: A 'Sacred Cow' Reimagined for Modern Times

On the 133rd anniversary of his birth, Miroslav Krleža, often hailed as Croatia's greatest writer, playwright, or literary figure of the 20th century, is being recognized for his enduring impact. His plays, particularly, continue to captivate audiences, offering a theatrical experience that feels both timeless and remarkably prescient.

What makes Krleža's work so compelling, even today, is the uncanny sense that his writings anticipated the complexities of our own era. Whether it's the stark social commentary in "Glembajevi" that seemed to mirror Croatia's post-war realities of wealth disparity, or the prophetic undertones of "Baraka 5B" in an age of global conflict and nuclear threats, Krleža's insights into the human condition and the turbulent nature of the Balkans feel perpetually relevant.

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Every new staging of Krleža creates excitement not only out of respect for the classic, but from the fact that each of these performances gives the viewer the impression that Krleža knew our time, as if he had an incredible insight into what would happen in this 'cursed' land of ours, bordered by bloody wars.

This continued relevance is partly due to a new wave of theater directors who are daring to approach Krleža not as an untouchable classic, but as a living text. For too long, Krleža was treated as a "sacred cow" in Croatian literature and theater, revered but perhaps not fully explored in dynamic ways. The past decade, however, has seen a shift, with younger directors embracing modern staging and finding strong connections to contemporary life.

A significant moment in this reinterpretation occurred in May 2023, when director Ivan Planinić and dramaturg Dubravko Mihanović presented a powerful, modern, and thrilling rendition of Krleža's work in the Grič tunnel in Zagreb. This production, along with others, demonstrated that Croatian theater now possesses artists capable of engaging deeply with Krleža's text and motivations, while simultaneously presenting his themes in a manner that speaks directly to today's audiences. This approach respects Krleža's legacy while ensuring his works remain vibrant and thought-provoking.

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For a long time, Krleža was the 'sacred cow' of Croatian literature and for too long we looked at him in the theater (let alone film) only as a classic. Only the generation of younger directors has broken the rule of untouchability and put the bard on stage differently; primarily performatively modern, but also with strong connections to the reality in which we live today.