ČUBI
With the emergence of a new cultural sensibility in the second half of the seventies, in Smederevo was born pseudo punk circus OPS, and under the same name the theater company (Abb. Youth Theatre of Smederevo). In 1986 OPS transformed into PATOS (Abb. Alternative Smederevo Youth Theater in Motion).
PATOS was preliminary advocated and co-founded by Branislav B. Čubrilović - Čubi, one of the most important theater directors and cultural workers of Smederevo.
Thanks to Čubi, the director, who at the time staged Smederevo Cultural Center's atypical Nušić's Suspicious person, everything begun. In the late seventies, Yugoslavia was one of the centers of urban cultural events in Europe and the region. At the pinnacle of PUNK cultural movement and the Yugoslavian „Black wave" film, Smederevo had Čubi. He was a representative of the time and had the unmistakable sense to fit theatre out of its classic frameworks and standards. He realized that theatre/culture is a living creature that has a voice.
It was Čubi who felt the need to articulate young people and to channels their nature through culture. He gathered a group of punkers that resseambled at Smederevo fountain, and brought them to the scene of the Cultural Center. Smederevo Youth Theatre was created, as a place where young people could express their beliefs. Čubi was the one who introduced them to the world of theater, and that's how the letter „A" was born. They created alternative theater that redefined urban culture of Smederevo.
With the beginning of the eighties Yugoslavia was once again the center of cultural rebellion of young people, this time mostly expressed through music of „New wave". OPS and Čubi were those who placed Smederevo in the urban, world context. OPS becomes PATOS. First PATOS play Raško and Nevena was staged, by then, young, and today „still young" art director of PATOS Vladislav Nesić. PATOS, in this way, officially began its life, and with Čubi as a director because in that moment he directed his best plays. Smederevo got theater which promotes freedom, courage and inspires young people to express their views through culture and creativity.
Čubi, in his career, staged over 40 plays and nearly all were made in the PATOS era.
To reiterate: PATOS was preliminary advocated and co-founded by Branislav Čubrilović - Čubi, one of the most important theater directors and cultural workers of Smederevo. He was a director who has, through his entire life, remained true to his beliefs, continued to be bold, innovative and young. This might be a good time to mention another important issue about his biography - Branislav Čubrilović trained to be kitchen chef. The art of cooking probably lost a lot, with his decision not to be chef, but the theater, culture and Smederevo gained plenty. His work placed him at the center of urban and cultural stories of the city for all time. For Čubi we might say, that he was a great thundering voice dreamer, but nevertheless a dreamer who turned Smederevo into a theater of his dreams.
Thank you, Čubi!