“Šemso” is a monodrama for two characters that brings a man’s deeply personal and existential crisis to the stage through negotiations, outwitting, and demonstrations of power.

Šemso faces an unconditional choice: either he shows his work permit to the police or he must return to Bosnia. This seemingly hopeless situation reaches a dramatic climax when Šemso’s alter ego, his doppelganger, appears as a lifesaver. What follows is an interplay of arguments, cunning, power struggles, and an intense struggle. In this monodramatic dialogue, all the secrets that both Šemso and his doppelganger desperately try to keep are gradually revealed. “Šemso” is an exploration of the human soul and the psychology of identity, self-deception, and existential dilemma.

Cast: 2 male

Premiere: Galerie Heinrich Vienna | 2013 | Director: Ana Bilic

Offstage voice-over as a ringtone in the Bosnian language