🗓️ Date: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
📍 Location: St. Vitus Church - Parish Hall, 6022 Lausche Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103
👕 Attire: Smart Casual
🚶 Audience: Adults 21+ Only.
🗣️ Language: English

⏰ Time: Two showings (1 hour duration, each):
• Showing 1: Doors open at 5:00pm. Show starts at 5:30pm.
• Showing 2: Doors open at 7:30pm. Show starts at 8:00pm.

Your ticket is only valid for showing you select and cannot be transferred.

🎟️ Tickets: Free with reserved ticket. Please reserve a seat only if you plan to attend. If you can no longer attend please cancel your ticket via TicketLeap or email CLEKurentovanje@gmail.com to cancel your reservation. Once reservations are filled, we will open up a waitlist and if a spot is opened, we will contact you.

Reserve your free ticket here: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/cleveland-kurentovanje/madam-judit

♿ Accessibility: St. Vitus Church - Parish Hall is fully accessible space, featuring flat terrain throughout the entrance and interior spaces. The building includes handicap-accessible restrooms. Handicap parking spots are available in the connected flat surface parking lot.

Event Description

In honor of Prešeren Day, Slovenia’s national day of culture, the Consulate General of Slovenia in Cleveland, in collaboration with Cleveland Kurentovanje, is proud to present a moving theatrical experience: a monologue performance of Madam Judit, adapted from the celebrated work of Slovenian writer Ivan Cankar, starring Gaia Visnar as Madam Judit.

About the Story & Its Author

Ivan Cankar (1876–1918), Slovenia’s most influential modernist writer, playwright, and essayist, began writing Madam Judit in 1903. Literary scholars describe the work as a satirical novel or extended story, penned in response to the intense criticism directed at his earlier novel The Ward of Our Lady of Mercy. Published in 1904, Madam Judit boldly critiques the pretenses of bourgeois society and the moral climate of the era, introducing a rare, ethically positive character into Slovenian literature.

Cankar’s writing consistently weaves together themes of longing and socio-political reflection. This stage adaptation emphasizes Judit’s yearning—her deep search for love and meaning. Raised as an only child without motherly affection, Judit grows into an intellectually cultivated woman, introduced to high society through a marriage devoid of love. Disgusted by her unfaithful husband, she chooses, like literary heroines Emma Bovary and Anna Karenina, to break free from the confines of a false union in pursuit of true love.

Yet the men she encounters fail to meet her emotional depth, leaving her yearning unfulfilled. Judit’s unwavering insistence on genuine connection makes her a strikingly modern character—refusing compromise, rejecting empty relationships, and resisting societal expectations. Her journey poses a timeless question: Is pure, authentic love possible within the constraints society imposes?

About the Performance Format

This is an intimately scaled live performance designed to draw the audience directly into the emotional world of the story. Audience members will be seated communally around a table, creating a shared, immersive atmosphere. A name card will be placed at your assigned seat, and only 30 seats are available per showing, ensuring a close and personal theatrical experience. As part of the experience, real wine will be served to participants, though guests may choose water instead if preferred.

Performance Credits

Starring: Gaia Visnar as Madam Judit

Adaptation & Dramaturgy: Tatjana Doma

Director & Production Designer: Alen Jelen

Costume Designer: Claudi Sovrè

Reader: Martin Vrtačnik

English Translation: Ana Bohte

English Language Consultant: Arven Šakti Kralj

About Gaia Visnar

Gaia Visnar is an international actress, model, host, facilitator, and producer, working across New York City, Slovenia, the EU, and the Balkan region. She is a member of FIA (European Federation of Actors) and EWA (European Women’s AV Network). Her acclaimed portrayal of Claire in The Maids earned her a 2019 NYITA Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role.

Acknowledgments

This performance is financially supported by the Office for Slovenians Abroad and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.

Cleveland Kurentovanje and the Slovenian Consulate General in Cleveland extend their gratitude to St. Vitus Church for providing the performance space.