Director
Ivan Cankar
For the Good of the Nation
Original title: Za narodov blagor
A comedy in four acts
Opening night
15 January 2025
Main Stage
Duration:
140 minutes, incl. interval
Creators
Cast
Aleksij von Gornik
Dr. Anton Grozd, provincial deputy, civic councillor, etc.
Katarina, his wife
Matilda, his niece
Dr. Pavel Gruden, provincial deputy, civic councillor, etc
Helena, his wife
Jožef Mrmolja, a civic councillor
Klander, another civic councillor
Mrs. Mrmolja
Julijan Ščuka, a journalist
Siratka, a man of letters
Fran Kadivec, a lawyer and relative of Grozd
Professor Kremžar
Stebelce, a poet
Nikola Drole
A poorly dressed young man
The Butler at Gornik's
“Never have I written anything so acerbic and true. I’ve put the entire rotten society of Ljubljana with its rotten opinions on the stage,” commented Cankar on his new play to his brother Karel more than a hundred years ago. Would Slovenian socio-political elite of today endure his venomous stab? Is the phrase for the good of the nation still a winning one? Do voters really fall for the idea that the nation is us? Who do we actually vote for?