Merak - Steven Ljubović
Steven Ljubović @stevenljubovic
Merak @merak_physical_theatre
I was lucky enough to sit down and have a chat with Australia’s newest physical theatre company Merak’s creator, Steven Ljubović. They shared their insights and experience creating the company and their journey towards their first show Mortel, also created by Steven and the cast. Physical Theatre, much like Shakespeare is something that many people actors and audiences alike tend to shy away from, claiming that its pretentious, hard to understand, and unattainable for those who haven’t studied or have an indepth knowledge of it. Steven and the cast of Mortel aim to break down this barrier. Physical theatre is for everyone, no matter who they are, what they look like, and where they come from.
Casey: How did Merak come about?
Steven: Movement has always been a big part of my life, growing up in a Serbian family where traditional folklore dance was a part of every celebratory event. Every family member from grandparents, aunties, cousins to even my father who is a double leg amputee, would get up and dance the Kolo (Serbian folk dance).
The name of the company is derived from the Serbian word, Merak which has no direct translation to English. It refers to the feeling of bliss and sense of oneness with the universe that comes from life’s simplest of pleasures. For me, that feeling and connection with something greater is at its strongest when I MOVE and the connection with my Serbian heritage helped me discover the name.
Knowing that there are other performers who don’t fit the brief of what it is to look like a physical performer, but experience ‘merak’ when moving, made the concept of creating this company even more enticing. Merak was created on the basis of the love of movement and body inclusivity.
The company was created with a hypothesis in mind: “All body types can create physical performance that is affective, powerful, and engaging”. During the rehearsal period, even before the show opens to an audience, I feel as if I have already succeeded as I have proven the hypothesis right. There is a place for all body types in the world of physical storytelling and movement doesn’t have to live in the world of the elite and untouchable.
Casey: What is Merak’s mission for physical theatre, audiences and their actors?
Steven: While studying at drama school, I realize that 99% of the movement pieces I was seeing were made up of performers that all met the societal standards of an ‘ideal’ body. The world of physical theatre predominantly was made up of bodies that don’t necessarily reflect the stories being told.
I feel there is a lack of audience connection in the work as the audience are not seeing themselves “normal people” being represented in this artform. Merak aims to create theatrical and film content that challenges the norms of body image and beauty standard in the world of dance/physical theatre by championing unconventional body types and casting people who would not necessarily be seen as “movers”. My aim for the company is to create movement from bodies that represent the people watching.
Merak is not simply a physical theatre company. It is a feeling, a movement, a moment, a sensation, an unapologetic portrayal of imperfection, the collision of wavelengths and a vehicle for artistic expression. For an audience to experience an iota of this… to feel the feeling of merak… our mission is achieved.
Casey: What was the inspiration for Mortel & the how was the development process?
Steven: What better way to launch a company that celebrates the individuality of a performer than to create a show about life and what it means to be human. The concept of this show was created from the very reason the company was founded. Mortel delves into the essence of being mortal and explores life in nine stages. The nine stages of life are loosely based off Erik Erikson’s 9 stages of Psychosocial Development, and this became a guide for devising the work. By exploring the sweep of life’s 9 stages, the performers are able to delve into the beauty and grotesque attributes of life while challenging societal expectations and taking ownership of the marvel that their bodies are, in this moment, right now.
Photography: Abraham de Souza Instagram: @abrahamdesouza
Published by Casey Anne Martin July 2022
