We were lucky to catch up with Joana Knezevic recently and have shared our conversation below.
Joana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
It is not easy to choose the most meaningful project because every single project changed me and have the impact who am I as an artist today. The most important, vibrant, contemporary theater shows I’ve ever done were in France and the USA. However, I will point out the project called “Not Your Barbie” directed by myself, written by Peter Gray, composed by Katarina Rankovic, and video directed by Hadzi Aleksandar Djurovic. The project was created for the Solo Festival in 2022. Belgrade, Serbia. I was chosen to present my country, Serbia, at the festival. My solo show was supported by the Belgrade Culture Center. It’s about the discrimination, objectification, and misrepresentation, of female bodies through the lens of the Barbie dolls. It is important to acknowledge that those dolls that portray an unrealistic standard of beauty and body size aren’t the best possible toys for children. Also, we talked about the expectations of different genders, about the jobs that are ”only” considered ”female jobs” and so on. The topic was personal, tough, and creative at the same time. That’s why the show was so well received. When something is personal it is important. When your art is important to you it will be to the audience, I can guarantee. We worked on this project over a year and worked on the topics that are still contemporary around the globe. Peter and I met each other in New York while working on the new show called ”Love Medea” directed by great friend and collaborator Michael Alvarez. The show was workshopped at the New York Theater Workshop through the Muse Collective (that we’re all part of) in the USA. Since the day I met Peter, I knew we would continue to create theater magic together until the last breath. Michael, Peter, Katarina, and Aleksandar are the people who make my team outstanding. I will keep them in my inner circle and my artistic heart forever.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Since I was a little stubborn tomboy girl I knew I wanted to be an actress, particularly in the theater. Parallel with the acting classes I played my favorite sport handball. Why theater? Well, let’s start from the very beginning. I was born with a cleft lip in a small city in Serbia (ex-Yugoslavia). The kiddo with the little scar above her lip was not that usual in my surroundings because it was unfortunately shameful. Most parents hid their children in their houses or so on. Thanks to my beautiful parents I had all the support for growing healthy and happy. Very soon I learned the brutal rules of the streets where children were not that friendly and I had to find another way to show them that we are somehow equal. The theater has been my love since I was 7 years old and later on it became a great tool for telling stories and making people laugh. It was a good feeling to be accepted, especially when you are a teenager full of ideas and strong presence and energy. Finally, it was not important how I looked but rather what story I had to tell and that’s the only that mattered to me. Growing up I learned that theater is not only for making people laugh but rather speaking about important topics and telling the truth. That was the moment of epiphany and I decided that acting would be my call. I graduated from Acadamy of Performing Arts in Belgrade earning my BFA in acting with great honors. After that, I started regularly acting in theater shows, movies, performance art shows, etc. Working in Serbia, France, BiH, Spain, and Italy, I knew I needed to go further in theater techniques and expand my horizons more and more. I went to Chicago and applied to CalArts (California Institute of The Arts) via URTA. After the audition, I got several offers from different schools but my heart already belonged to CalArts. I got the merit scholarship and started my life-changing journey in Los Angeles, Santa Clarita. CalArts community shaped me as an artist and opened another level of theatrical and artistic approach. Proudly and happily I am the first Serbian actress who graduated from the MFA program at CalArts in 2018. Having two different degrees European and American gives me the great opportunity to work all around the world with marvelous people and outstanding artists combining two different approaches and combining them very successfully.
Besides theater, film, and directing I love performance art. It allows me to communicate on a different level with my audience. In my performances, I like to work with actors and contemporary dancers. Two years ago I did forty-eight nights of street performances for the 59th October Salon – Belgrade Bienniale 2022. The collaboration was between the artist Antonio Grgic and myself. We got the special award for the 59th October Salon. October Salon was founded in 1960 by the National Committee of the city of Belgrade as a review of significant works by artists of the Republic of Serbia. The October Salon aims to present the most significant new productions of local and international contemporary visual arts.
Another work that is significantly important to me is working with kids. I like teaching and sharing my knowledge about acting, theater, and art in general. Working with the new generations of artists as a drama teacher I grow every single day. Hopefully, very soon I will start teaching in a country I’ve never been to before but that’s all I can share for now. It will be a fantastic experience and I cannot wait.
Discipline is something that I learned as a lesson number one. As an actress or dancer, you have to be mentally super strong, strict, and care about your body and your mental health. The reason behind this is your body is your instrument. There is no chance you can buy another somewhere.
As a drama teacher, I teach my students to be bold, creative, brave, and highly disciplined. I like sharing my knowledge and following someone’s growth. It makes me happy and worthy.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Yes, of course! I would like to reshape our movie and theater scenes and bring more diversity into it. For now, Serbia is doing baby steps to accomplish it. Directors are not aware when they cast me in their projects how important is that fact to my community and how thankful I am to them. It’s not about me it is about many people who were born with similar problems, fighting their fears and struggles. When I was young I never had a chance to see someone like me on TV, it was impossible. Even though mass consumerism, commercials, TV shows, the cosmetic surgery industry, and some movies force people to think about what beauty is I truly believe it’s time to change the narrative and welcome everyone as they truly are. God gives us this body, this face, this heart, let’s celebrate it. Watching my shows, movies, or performances I want people to feel good in their skin, loved and celebrated. Once again, thank you to all the directors, casting directors, artists who ever casted me in their production, you did something special to many people!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
This is a very important question to all artists around the globe. I would like to remind your readers to buy art from living artists and go to the local small theaters, venues, and street festivals. Support independent theater companies, actors, dancers, and performance artists. Even though the majority of young artists struggle with their income and earnings they still provide you their art with full heart. If you have children, bring them to the local museums, and theaters, and expose them to the art scene in general. Talk to them. Please listen to them, and encourage their creativity. Kids are our future and they need to have the idea that culture is part of someone’s identity. I wish to have enough resources to open a big theater for kids in my hometown and bring the best artists from all around the world to create something special for them. If you educate children you educate the world.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @joanaknezevic
- Twitter: @KnezevicJoana
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Pha0dD33n875HSB66_Z4A
- Other: Here is my IMDB account https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4298054/
Image Credits
Sarah M.Golonka Michael Alvarez David Cruz Tanja Drobnjak Hadzi Aleksandar Djurovic