Serbian actor Tihomir Stanić expressed his embarrassment at the detention and subsequent expulsion of Montenegrin director Danilo Marunović from Serbia, as reported by N1.

Stanić noted that the longer the authorities delay calling elections, the fewer votes they will garner, and described the appointment of Dragoslav Bokan as the director of the Board of Directors (BO) of the National Theater in Belgrade as a “shambles of the authorities,” who appear to be sinking into quicksand.

“I happen to be a close friend of Slobodan Marunović, the father of the detained director Danilo Marunović. We had arranged to meet today. Tonight, I plan to attend the play ‘Gospoda Glembajevi.’ His father, a retired actor, is proud that the play directed by his son is being staged in Belgrade. He called me today to inform me about Danilo’s detention. I spent the day with Slobodan Marunović and was present when, accompanied by a BIA inspector, Danilo Marunović came to the hotel to retrieve his belongings. Tonight’s play at the National Theater in Belgrade was scheduled six months ago and has no connection to tomorrow’s protest,” Stanić told N1.

Vijesti reported earlier today that Montenegrin director Danilo Marunović was released from the Serbian Security Information Agency (BIA) after interrogation and was instructed to leave Serbia immediately.

Another source informed Vijesti that BIA agents would escort Marunović to the border with Montenegro.

Marunović was detained this morning around nine o’clock for questioning at the BIA facilities in Belgrade.

Vijesti gathered from sources in theater circles that BIA agents accessed Marunović’s hotel room, where he was lodged for tonight’s guest performance of “Gospoda Glembajevi,” produced by the Montenegrin National Theater (CNP) at the National Theater in Belgrade.

Stanić commented that Marunović’s detention probably relates to “his other activities,” specifically his columns on the “Analitika” portal.

“He writes for the ‘Analitika’ portal, so it’s assumed that was the basis for his detention,” Stanić stated.

He emphasized his sense of shame regarding Danilo Marunović’s detention.

“As a citizen of Serbia, I find it shameful what those in power are doing,” Stanić remarked.

“They have big eyes in fear”

He assessed that the authorities acted out of fear.

“They have big fearful eyes that label children as terrorists and arrest them. They are consumed by the anxiety of clinging to their positions, even though they know deep down that it’s over for them. This government effectively fell on November 1, 2024, when the canopy collapsed in Novi Sad, resulting in 16 fatalities. That was the day it fell, when the president falsely claimed that only the canopy had not been repaired,” Stanić said.

He remarked that the authorities are avoiding calling elections because “they know they will lose.”

“They realize they lack support and legitimacy,” Stanić added.

“Tonight’s performance will be about expulsion”

Stanić indicated that tonight’s play “The Glembays” at the National Theatre will resonate with the theme of Marunović’s arrest.

“So, it symbolizes that expulsion. The authorities cannot expel his work; he will receive a standing ovation tonight as an artist and director,” Stanić said, asserting that with each action, the authorities “are creating enemies.”

He criticized the appointment of Dragoslav Bokan as president of the National Theatre’s Board of Directors, calling it a “mindless move by the authorities.”

“It’s apparent they are lost. It seems like a sham, a defiance, a display of authority they no longer possess, especially not among artists,” Stanić highlighted.

He remembered Svetislav Goncic, the former head of the National Theater, who had supported Aleksandar Vučić.

“While I might be politically opposed to him, Goncic was an exceptional manager. The authorities certainly had someone more suitable from their ranks for the board president role,” Stanić commented.

“This situation resembles a film where individuals struggle in quicksand, sinking faster the more they fight against it. They are hastening their own departure,” Stanić concluded.

“What does Bokan have to do with theater?”

He questioned Dragoslav Bokan’s connection to theater.

“He has established himself as a militant and aggressive figure, fitting into the category of broadcasters who collectively broadcast that special show,” Stanić remarked.

He described those associated with these broadcasters as displaying “primitivism and fascist tendencies daily.”

“They incite panic and discourage people from attending events on Vidovdan,” Stanić asserted.

He anticipates that the authorities may provoke an incident during tomorrow’s protest.

“Many will attend, regardless. The government has reached a point of no return; the longer they delay elections, the fewer votes they’ll receive,” Stanić stated.

He expressed certainty that Dragoslav Bokan would not maintain his position as president of the National Theatre’s Board of Directors.

“I don’t believe people will allow him to enter. I heard that the technical crew intends to block the entrance. It’s likely he could be escorted to the building with police or security, but it’s impossible for him to get in— they have gone too far,” Stanić told N1.

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