Štoos theatre was founded in 2022. by 3 actors from Velika Gorica, Croatia. We named it after Pavao Štoos, a local poet and cultural worker of the Illyrian Movement (Croatian National Revival period 1835–48). The word Stoos or štos in Croatian and German has similar usage; often meaning pun, trick, hit, punch, joke. We explore dramatic works – old and new, avantgarde and classic, our theatre production ranges from social satire and theatre of poetry to didactic plays for kids and youngsters. In our town we organize an annual poetry event called Art Soiree and are co-founders of the annual “Oglede” festival of performance and street art. Štoos often performs on international festivals in Europe and beyond; this year Turkey and Tunesia.  We do drama workshops for kids and adults, public readings and other creative projects, in Velika Gorica and Zagreb County. The founders and core members are Ana Katulić, Mirel Huskić and Luka Kuzmanović.

Small funeral home in a small town. A town so boring that your car navigation yawns as you pass through it. Who was Martin? A lover or a fighter? A nice person? An artist or an amateur? Perhaps he liked music. Probably he liked to fish. How well do we know our dead and what do we think of them, really? They say in Latin; De mortibus nihil nisi bene!

Written by Luka Kuzmanovic, the play is set in a funeral home, 2 actors play several characters; friends, neighbors, family members of the deceased Martin. Who was Martin? As a person, as a painter, as a lover and as a friend? How well did we know him? His Italian neighbor, his mother, his high school bully turned friend, his drinking companion, his driving school instructor, his uncle and his mentor will try to answer these questions in a 50-minute metaphysical and esoterical search for Martin… The play is about death and love in a small town, about our relationship with the deceased. Small towns, small destinies, small deaths. Do we live simply to die? Is death “the final development phase of Man”, as a famous doctor once said

This play is a small coproduction between Theatre DeeL, based in Lodz House of Literature and Stoos teatar, an independent theatre group from Croatia. Originally played in Polish by a Croatian and Slovak actor, both based in Poland, the play is played also in Slovak. The play also has a Croatian version, directed by Mirel Huskić and played by Stoos teatar in Velika Gorica and Zagreb.

Language: Croatian and English / Duration: 50 min

Author: Luka Kuzmanovic / Director: Luka Kuzmanovic, mentor Adam Wrzesinski / Cast: Luka Kuzmanovic, Martin Jamrich