To mark the fiftieth anniversary of Branka Cvitković’s artistic career, her monodrama Under the Mask will be performed on Sunday, 25 January 2026, on the new stage CNT2. The production is based on Miroslav Krleža’s novella from the Glembay cycle and was originally premiered at the 14th Miroslav Krleža Festival.
In this monodrama, the renowned Croatian actress embodies the character of Stolzer, an actress whose confession Krleža transforms into a layered meditation on the body, memory, and the acting profession. The performance explores the boundaries between a role and an individual, between the professional and intimate faces of an actress, intertwining fragments of her career with the voices of Krleža’s heroines and heroes.
Under the Mask was developed from an idea by Lada Čale Feldman and directed by Tamara Damjanović. Costume design is by Dženisa Pecotić, with music by Katarina Ranković.
Branka Cvitković was born on 29 May 1948 in Zagreb. After earning a degree in literature from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, she enrolled in acting at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb. In 1975 she joined the Drama Ensemble of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, where she remained until her retirement in 2014. Over forty years of stage work, she created more than sixty roles in the theatre’s repertoire, establishing herself as an actress of exceptional range—from character and grotesque roles to tragic and comic performances. She achieved cult status with her portrayal of Marijana in the production of the Girl from Zagreb by Branislav Glumac, and her oeuvre includes memorable interpretations in the plays of Krleža, Brecht, Chekhov, Ibsen, Molière, and Shakespeare.
Her artistic achievements have been recognised with numerous awards, including two Mila Dimitrijević Awards, accolades from the Croatian Society of Theatre Critics and Scholars, and the Najhistrionka Award. In 2006, she was awarded the honorary title of National Drama Principal by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia.
Alongside her acting career, Branka Cvitković also worked as a professor of acting at the Academy of Arts in Osijek and served as the dean of the Faculty of Film and Theatre at Libertas University. Her contribution has left a profound mark on Croatian theatre, and through her collaboration with young artists, she continues to pass on her passion for acting and her enduring curiosity for the stage.
