ABSTRACT
In 1991, in Berkeley, California, a group of professional theatre artists were attempting to create work for themselves by producing a play. One might think that since The Professional was written before the break-up of the Yugoslavian state, it would be dated, but actually, that event served to deepen its resonance. The social statement that the play makes is only a small part of its universality. The questions that Kovacevic explores in The Professional delve deeply into the heart of all change, individual, as well as societal. The story of The Professional, though specific to the reality of Yugoslavian politics, requires no knowledge of these historic details. Of course the Yugoslavian expatriates who saw our production better understood the complexities of the issues, which gave them a more personal and vital perspective. Kovacevic mirrors the Luke-Milosh relationship in Teya’s relationship with his father, who died before they were able to reconcile the division that their political beliefs caused.
