Albanian monodrama competes in Austrian festival

TIRANA, Feb. 18 – “Fausti prej Tirane” (Faust from Tirana), a monodrama written by Albania’s Stefan ȡpaliku which traces the fate of the Albanian intellectuals during more than two decades of transition to democracy will represent Albania in The Best from East Festival in Vienna.
The monodrama will show in Vienna and Gratz in March 1 and 3 after its premiere in Tirana last year and its Kosovo tour.
Veteran actor Alfred Trebicka performs in the monodrama based on Goethe’s Faust but treating the changes of Albania’s elite psychologically, spiritually and morally since the early 1990s when the communist regime collapsed.
“The script is based on the fate of the independent Albanian intellectual who experienced the moment of transition in 1991 and 23 years later continues reviewing his own history,” says ȡpaliku.
“The whole dramaticity of the work deals with Faust’s disappointment when he recalls his dreams and projects in 1991. Faust from Tirana is completely revolted man who refuses the reality he faces and faces a tragic end,” says ȡpaliku.
Asked about his own dreams that remain unfulfilled, the 48-year-old director has earlier said “nobody had thought that after 22 years Albania would still be out of the European Union. This is unbelievable. It is one of the greatest disappointments that our generation has gone through.”