The acclaimed theatre production Under the Shade of a Tree I Sat and Wept, which has received widespread praise from international critics, will be presented on 19 July 2026 at 7:30 PM at Teatro Ristori in Cividale del Friuli, Italy, as part of the prestigious Mittelfest—an international performing arts festival that brings together theatre, music, dance, and contemporary artistic practices from Central Europe and beyond.

This production features renowned actors Arben Bajraktaraj, Ilire Vinca, and Amernis Nokshiqi, alongside an ensemble of artists from South Africa: Gontse Ntshegang, Kensiwe Tshabalala, Les Made, and Bongile Gorata Lecoge-Zulu. The performance is directed by Blerta Neziraj, with the text written by Jeton Neziraj.

The production has received high praise from international media. Germany's Deutschlandfunk Kultur described it as "an important production" with "remarkable energy and humour," highlighting the powerful dialogue it creates between the historical and artistic experiences of Kosovo and South Africa.

Drawing on archival materials and collected testimonies, artists from South Africa and Europe bring into conversation two landmark processes of reconciliation: the 1990 Reconciliation of Blood Feuds Campaign in Kosovo and South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, established in 1995.

With humour and a powerful, deeply moving performance, the exceptional ensemble takes audiences to the heart of a reconciliation process, reflecting the pain of victims as they confront those responsible for crimes and atrocities, while revealing how systems of violence continue to fracture individuals, families, and generations.

The result is a poignant, courageous, and aesthetically rich journey through the complexities of national healing and reconciliation.

Following its presentation in South Africa in April 2026, the production continues its European tour throughout 2026 and will later be presented in New York in the autumn of 2027.