The Frog – A Restorative Dream Without Dreams

The Frog (Orig. Žaba) by Dubravko Mihanović is a contemporary text that not only retains its relevance over time but also deepens it. It primarily addresses war and post-war traumas in a time of inverted values, where war takes on a mythical place of division. The play vividly exposes the demons and traumas deeply etched into the faces of all the characters. Three friends in a barbershop, a symbolic place of masculinity, will open up their fractured souls on Christmas Eve—a time when families and friends gather, striving, even if momentarily, to forget the harsh reality. This narrative, set in a time of societal upheaval, resonates with the challenges we face today.

But can fractured souls be mended? Souls exhausted by unimaginable traumas and daily struggles, deeply scarred with wounds that never heal, isolated in their inner battles. The almost classical structure of the play, with its unity of time, space, and action, overshadowed by the tragic guilt of the main character, demands a cinematic acting style—sharp, fast, and direct in the vein of psychological realism, constructing the mental space of each character. In what resembles a hostage situation, Zeko, Toni, and Grga are trapped in the barbershop, but most of all, they are trapped within their skin, unable to escape. In the atmosphere of Christmas Eve, which calls for an attempt at peace and tranquility, a "small evening prayer" is invoked for our protagonists to strengthen them and return them, fortified, to the cruel reality. The appearance of a young man selling books offers us a glimpse of hope and salvation.

Is it possible to change one's life? Is it possible to overcome trauma? Is it possible to change oneself? These are the profound questions that The Frog grapples with. While we may wish to believe in the possibility of change, the truth is that the answer lies deep within fractured souls, who, in the solitude of their introspection, make their own decisions. This is why The Frog, like a “small evening prayer,” is more necessary than ever in its simplicity, warmth, precision, and even humor—as a restorative dream without dreams.

— Aida Bukvić