The revival of YOUTH WITHOUT GOD, five years after its premiere at the Zagreb Youth Theatre (February 2019), comes at a time when many of the tendencies and problems it explores have deepened in the real world. This contemporary post-dramatic interpretation of Ödön von Horváth’s novel, also inspired by Franco Bif Berardi’s work, reflects the Europe of today, faced with nihilism, social Darwinism, white Christian identity and the extremes of the digital generation.
YOUTH WITHOUT GOD is an original project by Montažstroj’s founder Borut Šeparović, who created a shocking image of youth lost in technology and a social system which, offering no answers and focusing on false values, awakens a kind of resistance in young people that leads to slaughter. The theatrical performance, co-produced by ZKM and Montažstroj, returns to the repertoire because it continues to be topical, socially engaged, provocative, even brutal.
Since it premiered, the performance has been continuously well received by audiences and critics. An extremely demanding piece in terms of performance, it necessarily arouses genuine horror in the audience at the thought of a young person, in a school somewhere, contemplating mass murder. Directed by Šeparović, the play examines the disintegration of the humanist concept of community, the obsession with self-promotion and new radicalization, addressing the issues of upbringing, education and the social impact of fascism on youth and providing strong contextual relevance in the current socio-political context.
Ahead of its restaging, director Borut Šeparović believes that YOUTH WITHOUT GOD reflects our lived reality more than ever, serving as a strong critique of social trends and challenges faced by contemporary youth.
“It allows the audience to question their own views and understand the deeper causes of radicalization and violence in society. Digitalization and social media have contributed to an increase in feelings of alienation and isolation among young people, often resulting in mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. This reflects the key themes of YOUTH WITHOUT GOD, those of loneliness and alienation of young people in modern society, reflecting a pessimistic reality fueled by global events and personal tragedies,” explains the director.
Borut Šeparović analyzes the events of the past five years since its staging. Can this play still serve as a tool for reflection on the problems of our time?
“Unfortunately, its continued relevance cannot be understated. It’s as if it were made today. The COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the mental health of young people. Isolation and limited social interactions during the pandemic have intensified the internal struggles and social pressures faced by the young characters in the play. The rise in peer violence, depression, caused by changes in social norms and the internet’s influence, is reflected in cruelty and aggression explored in the play. This points to complex social dynamics and changes in behavior exhibited by youth. The rise of right-wing populism and political polarization continue to resonate in the play’s thematization of fascism and its impact on young people,” says Šeparović.
YOUTH WITHOUT GOD continues to be relevant in the light of political and social changes in Europe that foster radicalization and manipulation. The play’s revival comes at a time when numerous similar incidents have occurred in the world. There is a noticeable pattern of young perpetrators carrying out serious attacks, often in educational institutions, some of them inspired by earlier tragic incidents or online movements.
“The refugee crisis and changing attitudes towards refugees still reflect global crises and their impact on national identity and sovereignty. Economic and social challenges, such as the integration of refugees and economic problems, catalize the rise of nationalism and radicalism, which the play explores as well. The situation with right-wing political parties such as the AfD in Germany and similar parties throughout Europe reflects political polarization; these challenges faced by liberal democracies are at the heart of the play,” in sharing this analysis, Šeparović also reminds us of the sickening statistics of brutal massacres, reaching our doorstep:
2018, Kerch, Russia: Vladislav Roslyakov carried out a mass shooting at a college, inspired by the Columbine massacre. In it he killed 20 people and wounded more than 50 before committing suicide. Surveillance footage shows him with a gun, wearing a shirt that reads “НЕНАВИСТЬ” (“HATRED”).
2019, Christchurch, New Zealand: Brenton Harrison Tarrant, inspired by racist and anti-immigrant beliefs, carried out an attack on a mosque. In the attack, 51 people were killed and 49 were wounded. The attack has also been linked to a rise in Islamophobia and is considered the deadliest mass killing in New Zealand’s modern history.
2019, Brześć Kujawski, Poland: A former student, undergoing psychiatric treatment, carried out an attack at a school he attended. He injured two people, including an 11-year-old girl and a woman.
2021, Selevac, Serbia: A 14-year-old student attacked her math teacher, injuring her with a knife.
2021, Slovenia: A 20-year-old man planned multiple revenge killings inspired by American cases.
2021, Kazan, Russia: Ilnaz Galyaviev killed nine students and a teacher and wounded 23 others at his former school.
2021, Perm, Russia: Timur Bekmansurov carried out a mass shooting at a university, resulting in the deaths of six and the wounding of 47 people.
2022, Ulyanovsk, Russia: Ruslan Akhtyamov carried out a shooting in a kindergarten, killing three people.
2022, Izhevsk, Russia: Artem Kazantsev carried out a Columbine-inspired mass shooting at a school that resulted in the deaths of 17 people, including 11 students aged 7 to 15, two teachers, and two adults. Additional 23 people were injured.
2023, Zagreb, Croatia: A young man entered a high school with a machete, causing an alarm.
2023, Nashville, USA: Audrey Elizabeth Hall carried out an attack at a school and killed six people, including three children.
2023, Belgrade, Serbia: Kosta K. carried out a mass murder at a school. He killed eight children and a security guard, and wounded six students and a teacher.
2023, Bryansk, Russia: Alina Afanaskina carried out an attack at a school and then committed suicide. Two people were killed, including Afanaskina, and five were injured, two of whom are in grave condition.
2023, Prague, Czech Republic: David Kozak carried out a mass shooting at a university, inspired by previous attacks, killing 14 and wounding 22 people including his peers and colleagues.
“All of these events reflect the play’s key themes, violence, the radicalization of youth, the influence of media and digital culture, and the consequences of educational and social environments. The play uses deconstruction and a documentary approach to explore education, technology and fascism in a neoliberal society, and poses a key question that concerns us all: What to do when it looks like nothing can be done?” concludes director Borut Šeparović.
