The performance, through the biographical story of Mira Stupica, thematizes theater and the acting vocation, and is conceived in the form of an interview that provides an overview of her rich artistic and personal life, as well as encounters with significant figures who marked her career.
The performance in Sarajevo was staged in the year marking the tenth anniversary of Mira Stupica's death, as a homage to her artistic legacy. The authorship and performance of the play are credited to Jelena Čović and Nebojša Šurlan.
Actress Jelena Čović emphasized that she prepared for the role of Mira Stupica by following her interviews, performances, and monologues, striving to faithfully portray her manner of speech and behavior.
"Mira had a special kind of simplicity, so sometimes you couldn't tell if she was acting or speaking privately. She was exceptionally charming, and such greatness and simplicity are hard to achieve," said Čović.
Actor Nebojša Šurlan highlighted that the Sarajevo performance held special significance.
"This is our fifth performance of this play. Before this, we performed it in Prijedor, Banja Luka, Bijeljina, and East Sarajevo. Last year, I performed my monodrama about Andrić in the beautiful garden of the Museum, and the people from the Museum really welcomed and helped me then. Since I had already performed here, and given that it is the Museum of Literature and Theater Arts, it immediately occurred to me that we could also perform the play about Mira Stupica, because there is a natural and beautiful connection," said Šurlan.
He added that at the time, he learned from the media that the Museum was in a difficult financial situation, so he and his colleague Jelena Čović decided that this performance would be their gift to the Museum.
"This is a beautiful space, and wonderful people work here who always welcome me. I believe that young actors in Sarajevo, if they don't have the opportunity to work or enough space to work, should gather right here, create performances, work on new texts, and develop new theater projects in collaboration with the Theater Museum and the people who work here. I believe the Museum could extend a hand to young actors and open up space for new theatrical energy," said Šurlan.
Mira Stupica remains remembered as an actress of exceptional artistic reach, a recipient of all relevant acting awards, and an artist whom many rightly called the actress of the 20th century. She also had a special connection with Sarajevo, where she won three Laurel Wreaths at the MESS festival.