ABOUT THE SHOW

In 1990, with war on the horizon, a group of former political prisoners, students and intellectuals from Kosovo initiated a historical movement for blood feud reconciliation. Up until this point, hundreds of families in Kosovo were in a state of enmity and blood feud. The cycle of vendetta had taken the form of a vicious circle, with feuds passed down from one generation to the next and the number of murders between the two sides sometimes amounting to thirty.  What started as a small reconciliation movement, quickly transformed into a public national forum, with mothers, fathers and family members taking to the stage in front of an audience and forgiving the blood of their beloved to the family of their murderer. Many public ‘sessions’ took place and hundreds of families reconciled during this process. 1,275 blood feuds and conflicts were resolved in total. Over half a million people attended the last public session of reconciliation.

On the other side of the globe, in 1995 the South African government initiated the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, aiming to heal the country and reconcile the people, by creating a space for them to confront the truth of crimes committed against them during apartheid, Victims and perpetrators were put in front of each other, in a ‘trial’ where terrible truths from these periods of violence, oppression and persecution were revealed.

These two major social and historical events, very distinct and yet in many ways similar, have forgiveness at their very core, as a cornerstone to social healing and cohesion, emancipation, and reconciliation.

Through archive and newly-collected testimonials, a group of artists from Europe and Africa reflect on the lessons that the 1990 Blood Feuds Reconciliation Campaign in Kosovo and the 1995 Truth and Reconciliation Campaign in South Africa  offer us today – lessons that could serve us in a world once again engulfed in violence and conflict. If 30 years ago, the truth was believed to be able to liberate us, what liberates us in today’s post-truth age? When we forgive, do we forgive unconditionally?

“The process of creating Under the Shade of Tree I Sat and Wept has been a true sharing between South African and European voices. It has brought together three of our actors and a South African composer with their Balkan counterparts, allowing for an exchange of histories, rhythms, and lived experiences that demanded listening and understanding. It is through this dialogue of cultures that this dynamic work finds its deepest resonance.” – Greg Homann, Artistic Director of the Market Theatre Foundation, Johannesburg

“This performance is an ambitious attempt to retrospectively examine two historic processes and initiatives, almost epic in nature, that took place on two sides of the globe: one in Kosovo and the other in South Africa. But beyond that, we have been interested in tracing the deeply intimate stories of the people who were involved in these processes, in their personal dynamics, because we believe that there lies the answer to the questions that concern us: why and under what conditions do people forgive? This process, working with these stories and their origins from the highly complex contexts of the two societies, that of Kosovo and that of South Africa, has on one hand transformed this journey into a learning process for us, while on the other hand it has increased our artistic responsibility to work with and navigate carefully the material with which we are engaging. By analyzing why and how people forgive, we also put forward for discussion the bigger question: under what circumstances is reconciliation possible, between people, between nations.” – Jeton Neziraj, playwright and founder of Qendra Multimedia

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The show is being directed by Blerta Neziraj, whose productions for Qendra Multimedia have toured internationally to places including Lausanne, Milan, Vienna, Firenze, Hamburg, Lyon, Sarajevo, Bern, Paris and New York. As an alumna of the Lincoln Center Theatre Directors Lab, she has been directing shows in Kosovo and internationally. She has received various prices and awards, locally and internationally, including the “Best show” at the 56th Kontrapunkt International Festival (Poland, 2022) and “The Best show” at FIAT (Montenegro, 2023). The Guardian described her as “one of the country’s leading directors.”, while The Stage described her shows as “uncompromising…  necessary…  bold and powerful”.  

Dramaturg is Greg Homann, who is the current Artistic Director of the iconic Market Theatre Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has been a leading figure in the South African theatrical landscape for well over a decade. His influential work as a director, dramaturg, and playwright includes award-winning and imaginative theatre across a wide range of forms.

The play is written by Jeton Neziraj, who has written over 20 plays. His plays have won numerous prizes and have been performed in theatre festivals throughout Europe and in the US and he has been described by German theatre magazine Theater der Zeit as the ‘Kafka of the Balkans’

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Press clipping:

“A visionary evening of theater.” – Die Welt (Germany)

“…is a heartfelt piece about a plight that transcends continents.” – SeeStage  (International)

“Under the Shade of a Tree I Sat and Swept is an installation that takes us back to the process of civil reconciliation…” – Quantescene  (Italy)

“It’s a moving and thought provoking experience to witness actors from Kosovo and South Africa share their countries parallel experience of violence and attempts at reconciliation. The actors skill, playfulness and warmth makes for a surprisingly optimistic event” – Mark Ravenhill (British playwright)

“Important production… Great energy and humor…  In “Under the Shade…”, actors from both nations share the stage – but there is no consensus on who made the worse sacrifices.” – Deutschlandfunk Kultur  (Germany)

“The theatre becomes a new truth commision.” – Kosovo 2.0  (International)

“Under the Shape of a Tree, I Sat and Wept, was one of the highlights of our five-day immersion in Balkan theatre. Based on extensive interviews and research, the play accurately depicts both contexts without attempting to gloss over their differences. By choosing to limit the fictional elements of the performance to the lives of the half-South African, half-Kosovar troupe, who regularly gather to discuss the impact of their unique blend of history on each of its members, Neziraj and Greg Homann of Market Theatre demonstrate a profound and appropriate sense of responsibility towards their subject matter.” – Politis  (France)

PRESS NIGHT: 17 October, Gjilan City Theater, Gjilan, Kosovo

Following the world  premiere in Kosovo, at Gjilan City Theatre, Under the Shade of a Tree I Sat and Wept  was presented at the Kosovo/North Macedonia Theatre Showcase which took place between 28th October – 1^st November as part of Balkan tour. It will embark on a European tour in April 2026 and be performed in South Africa in June 2026 and New York in March 2027.

International tour in 2026 and 2027

2026

*The Market Theatre – Johannesburg – 9-26 April 2026 (20 shows)

*Black Box teater / Heddadagene festival – Oslo – 8-14 June  (3 shows)

*Mittelfest at Cividale del Friuli – 20 – 25 July (2 shows)

*São Luiz Teatro Municipal – Lisbon: 20 – 25 October (3 shows)

2027

*La MaMa in New York – April (9 shows)

*Teatro Della Pergola in Firenze – May (3 shows)

*Théâtre de la Ville  – Paris – 11-13 May (3 shows)

*Dortmund  City Theatre – June (2 shows)

*Mesina (Italy) – May (2 shows)

* Lyon (France) – October (2 shows)

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In Co-production with Goethe-Institut 

In cooperation with: Ruimtetijd  – Amsterdam, La MaMa  – New York, Gjilan City Theatre  – Gjilan, Sens Interdits Festival – Lyon

Supported by: Goethe-Institut, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of the Republic of Kosovo, The Sigrid Rausing Trust, Rockefeller Brothers Fund

Contact us at [email protected],  if you want to know tour details for 2026 and 2027