Sonny I Performance

A woman is a sack made to endure. – the Kanun, the Code of Lekë Dukagjini from the Middle Ages, north Albania and Kosovo.

#Unwanted. That’s a common girl name in our Montenegro. – a Women’s Rights Centre poster of a campaign against selective abortion practice, Montenegro, 2017

Montenegro’s last “virgina” has died. Her last wish was for her family-grave epitaph to describe her as her father’s only surviving son. – Blic, 2 August 2016

Sonny! – says a close relative when I visit her in Montenegro.

Sonny is an attempt at an anthropological research of a specific phenomenon in a performative form. It is an amazed fascination with images and stories of sworn virgins or “virginas” from the remote parts of Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo and Metohia. It is a hole in the system which maintains that same system. It is drag in relation to the question of surviving in a man’s world asking us in what world we live.

Author and Perfomer: Nataša Živković

Also performing: Daniel Petković, Loup Abramovici

Space design and scenography: Lenka Đorojević

Lighting design and technical direction: Špela Škulj

Photography: Nada Žgank

Advising: Teja Reba

Executive Producer: Eva Prodan

Production: City of Women

Co-production: Bunker – Old Power Station

Special thanks to: Maska and Mladinsko Theatre

Nataša Živković is a versatile artist creative in different fields of performing arts, from contemporary dance and theatre to performance. She is a self-employed dancer, actress, choreographer and mentor.