Slovensko narodno gledališče Nova Gorica

Neda R. Bric

Eda – the Rusjan Brothers Story

Eda - zgodba bratov Rusjan

A baptismal production

on programme

This performance doesn't have any called terms at the moment.

co-production

Co-production with Slovensko mladinsko gledališče Ljubljana

Performing

premiere

10. September 2009, SNG Nova Gorica
Second premiere 06. May 2009, Slovensko mladinsko gledališče Ljubljana

about text

Most everyone born in the territory of the former Yugoslavia knows our first aviator Edvard Rusjan, who crashed at the young age of 25 and became the first Slovenian, Yugoslavian and Austro-Hungarian casualty from flying. But few know that his success was also the work of his older brother Josip, who was indeed the initiator and constructor of their planes, but was afraid of flying and ended up forgotten after Edvard's death. Edvard, however, with his
rise and fall, became and remained “the eternal youth”, the air god, who rose in the air more than he could ever have had he stayed alive, and left his brother way down below, forgotten and overwhelmed by guilt.

An ancient story of courage and fear, a story of two brothers, one of whom is victorious and the other a victim. Who is Cain and who Abel?

The performance follows a young woman who, while looking for her roots, stumbles upon the Rusjan brothers story, through which the questions open about her own life: how much are we willing to risk when making life choices, and how much to compromise because of circumstances, fear, responsibility? When, how, and if at all do we want to step across the line that separates a mediocrity from a winner? Are those at the top there by chance?

Neda R. Bric's performance Eda is the final performance for her master's degree in theatre directing at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (University of Ljubljana) under the mentorship of Matjaž Zupančič.

in media

With Eda – the Rusjan Brothers Story [the author and director Neda Rusjan Bric] delves not only into the history of the Primorska region, but also into the history of her own family, the Rusjans. [The history of the] Famous brothers, Josip, the airplane constructor, and Edvard, the well-known first aviator. […] However, the decisive and interesting part of the performance is the superstructure: the inclusion of the Rusjan brothers' story into a film of their young relative Eda and her search for the traces of her famous ancestors, the search that is not merely nostalgia or genealogical curiosity, but above all a search for self in the relation to a dominant mother, or, even more so, the search for that divine spark of creativity, courage, perseverance that touched the Rusjan brothers, and that Eda would want for herself. The non-aggressive, thoughtful intertwining of the film with the performance onstage creates two paths of research leading from the outside inwards: from the glory of the first aviator to his relationship to his brother; and from the making of a film about illustrious ancestors to family relationships. These are the dualities, the dilemmas that the performance opens, subtly, through different media, placing in front of the audience an extraordinary web of times and people within these times who remain always the same with their fundamental life questions.
Radio Slovenija, 7 May 2009, Tadeja Krečič

View complete schedule for the show

  • 11. 10. 2011 at 11.00. SNG Nova Gorica
  • 11. 10. 2011 at 20.00. SNG Nova Gorica
  • 14. 09. 2012 at 10.00. SNG Nova Gorica
  • 14. 09. 2012 at 12.00. SNG Nova Gorica