DEPRAH

DEPRAH. We dance a chaotic, fragile dance along the thin line between trauma and revenge. Maybe you’ll have fun. Maybe you’ll freeze. Maybe you’ll recognise yourself — whichever side you’re on.

// Deborah (Hebrew: דְּבוֹרָה) — a female given name derived from D’vorah, the Hebrew word meaning “bee”.
// Depra (Lat. depressio, from deprimere: to press down, weigh upon). Croatian slang for depression: a state of reduced psychophysiological activity dominated by sadness, listlessness, pessimism and discouragement.

Deprah — the avenger. Her arrival is heralded by a fly (Musca domestica), a symbol in Slavic folklore associated with the soul and the passage between the worlds of the living and the dead. Inspired by the grotesque and the aesthetics of comic books, and accompanied by a live band, she is embodied by Maruška Aras, the author of the performance of the same name.

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An ordinary girl with an ordinary name has been accompanied for most of her life by an inner voice. It has been there since birth, pure and benign, but from her first experience of abuse it begins to darken and gather strength, until finally taking the helm and leading us down a path of bloodthirsty revenge in search of justice. Along the way, she is accompanied by a fly.

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Are we ready for a heroine like this?
Do we have the stomach to listen to a woman taking justice into her own hands and spilling the blood of abusers, paedophiles, rapists and all the other monsters?
Can we take pleasure in imagining violence if justice is served?
Does revenge provide lasting satisfaction — and what are its consequences?

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The programme was realised with the support of:

Pogon – Zagreb Centre for Independent Culture and Youth [Pogonator 2026], Ribnjak Cultural Centre, KONTEJNER, City of Zagreb Office for Culture, Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia

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Thanks to: Winery Dragona, Brewery Nova Runda, Yammat FM, Ravno do dna, Mark Mrakovčić, Dina Puhovski, Sara Renar, Mio Gladović, Mateo Patekar, Jasmin Dasović, Tin Heljić, Tonči Čerina and Lastra d.o.o., RadioTeatar, FrameWork Media, Smak Press — and special thanks to Luka Vlašić for the name DEPRAH.