21.02.2025

The life of Woyzeck is a painful poem of individual tragedy, an endless experience of humiliation and mistreatment that leads to disintegration and self-destruction.

Through the transformation of Georg Büchner’s play, adapted by playwright Jack Thorne, Zana Hoxha brought a contemporary and universally poignant version of this story, turning Woyzeck into a symbol of dehumanization and alienation.

On February 21, 2025, at the “Hadi Shehu” Theater in Gjakova, the performance offered a profound reflection of the dehumanized individual, where every scenic detail mirrored the torment of a man losing his grip on reality. Hoxha’s direction focused on the psychological state of the protagonist, illustrating how, through an endless cycle of violence, he loses not only his identity but also his ability to act as a free individual.

Woyzeck’s fate is predetermined: the violence and trauma he endured from childhood lead him toward a tragic end. He becomes an object of experiments and a voiceless soldier. Woyzeck is a victim of a world that uses him but refuses to accept him as an equal.

In the stage design conceived by Grace Rumsey, everything is shrouded in an invisible darkness. Cold colors, plastic materials, and objects create a rigid atmosphere, symbolizing the imprisonment of the individual. This is a place where freedom does not exist, and every step is trapped in the gears of a system that excludes a person from any possibility of living as a complete individual.

Despite the tragedy it portrays, the performance is not just a portrait of Woyzeck but also an alarming call to society. It reflects the consequences of what can happen when humanity loses its connection to humaneness and fundamental rights.

“Woyzeck” left a deep resonance with the audience, raising important questions about social injustices, violence, the alienation of the individual, and, above all, the importance of mental health and the collective responsibility we bear as a society.

Around 580 people in the audience had the opportunity to attend the premiere of “Wojzeck”.

This performance is a co-production of the “Hadi Shehu” Theater and Artpolis supported by the Municipality of Gjakova and UNFPA.

Rilind Beqa