Loro Kovaçi (1903 – 1966)
Veteran actor, of the pioneering generation of Albanian theater and cinematography.
Born in Shkodër on August 30, 1903. Actor of the pioneering generation of theater and cinematography, who for his contribution deserves the title “People’s Artist”.
Kovaci completed his primary education at the school run by the Jesuits in Shkodër (1916-1918) and then for two years, 1921-1923, he went to study the trade of a tailor at a school in Innsbruck, Austria.
After returning to his hometown, he got his first worked as a tailor. Kovaci`s first debuts in the amateur theater date back to around 1919, in some parts organized and directed by the cultural societies Bogdani (1923-1926), “Rozafat” and “Vllaznia”.
In these amateur companies, he played several Albanian and foreign parts, where he even managed to create a theater group with himself. In his activity with these groups, as an amateur actor, he has about 100 roles, 60 of which in the “Bogdani” company.
One of the most prominent roles in 1930, he played the role of Skenderbeu in the drama “The Return of Gjergj Kastrioti: Skanderbeu in Kruje” by Henrik Lacaj from the company “Rozafat”, a performance that was also given in Tirana at the cinema of the time “Nacional”, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of independence, having a great success.
It should be mentioned that in this show where other names that will later become well-known such as Gjon Karma and Pjeter Gjoka also performed. However, he would play the same role 25 years later at the Popular Theater in the show now titled “The brave man with many friends / Trimi i mire me shoke shume” in 1961 to Sulejman Pitarkes “Artist of the People”.
During the occupation of Albania and the period of World War II, Loro Kovaçi abandoned almost all performances and other artistic activities, working mainly in tailoring.
After a long experience in the amateur theater, on September 1, 1946, together with other prominent names such as Pjeter Gjoka, Besa Imami, Gjon Karma, Violeta Manushi joined the Army Theater, performing various shows for about 1 year.
Here he plays an excellent role in the drama “Under the Chestnuts of Prague / Nen geshtenjat e Prages”.
Loro Kovaci’s career as a professional actor began on September 1, 1946, at the “Professional Theater of the State” (later it will be Popular Theater). His first performance as a professional actor is in the comedy “Prefect” by Besim Levonja.
It will be distinguished later in other plays, in the “Popular Theater” such as: “Halili and Hajria” (1950) by Kole Jakova in the role of Bejtash Syla; “Deep Roots / Rrenje te thella” (1948) by James Gow in the role of Senator Levington; “Governor of the province / Guvernatori i Provinces”; “Moscow character / Karakteri moskovit”; “Otello” (1953) in the role of Otello; “The Auditor /Revizori” by Nikolai Gogol; “Intrigue and love / Intrige dhe dashuri” by Schiller in the role of President Von Walter in 1957; “Procesi i Ljapcingut” (1955) in the role of Gering; “Enemies / Armiqte” (1956) by M. Gorki in the role of Zahar Bardini; “Kremlin Clocks / Oret e Kremlinit”, “Hamlet”; Shakespeare’s “King Lire” etc., showing a suitability to interpret historical, epic and heroic figures, the values given to the actor by the tonality of the voice, the imposing posture and his portrait.
These properties are observed in the epic-historical play “Shtate shaljanet” by Ndreke Luca “Artist of the People” performed in 1958 in the role of Marash Poli.
The actor Loro Kovaci will have a total of 74 roles in the professional theater. Among the roles that have remained the most in the memory of the Albanian public are; Tuç Maku in “Our Land” and Bejtash Syla in “Halili and Hajrija”, these dramas by the writer and playwright Kolë Jakova.
With the role of Tuc Maku, he reaches his artistic peak with the creation of a sneaky and devious man with a hidden ferocity and hatred that will kill everyone in the back.
In the role of Othello in the classic play “Othello” by Shakespeare performed in 1953, under the direction of the Russian Kricko, he will reach another high artistic level in acting, where Kovaci skillfully interprets the somewhat naive, murderous nobleman, consumed by jealousy, a victim of the hypocritical environment.
In the role of Claudius in the Shakespearean tragedy “Hamlet” (1960), Loro Kovaci presents a figure in a generally brutal form, of unbridled ambition and anxiety that possessed the character before and after the crime of fratricide.
The actor Loro Kovaci also stood out in several roles with comic features, highlighting his special qualities in terms of humor and sarcasm. For example, the figure of the prefect Anton Antonivić and that of the judge Ljapkin Tipkin in the comedy “Revizori” by Gogol in 1952.
In the role of Panteleone in “Servant of Two Masters / Sherbetori i dy zoterive” (1955). The last role on the stage of the “Popular Theater” is that of the Italian colonel in the drama “Three rifle shots / Tre te shtena pushke” by Ibrahim Uruçi.
Kovaçi also played in several feature films, such as: Skenderbeu (1954), “Her Children / Femijet e saj” (1957), “Furtuna” (1959), “Debatik” (1961), “Special task / Detyre e posaçme” (1963), “Our land / Toka jone” (1964), “Commissar of Light / Komisari i drites” (1966).
Other roles of the Shkodran actor in the theater (amateur & professional):
Mehmet Begu in “Mustafa Pasha of Shkodre” (1923);
Sokol Toma in “Oso Kuka” (1924);
Duke in “Guiskardi i Piedmontit” played in “Bogdani”;
Mikele Tavalocini to “Lutrencia dei Medici”;
chief general in “Artoksersi” (1934);
Xersi to “Themistoklius” (1932);
Leke Dugagjini in “Two princes for a girl / Dy princa per nje vashe” (1938) by Henrik Lacaj;
the navy captain in “Kasollja e xha Tomes” (1928) performed at the “Rozafat” theater;
Moses in “Moses of Dibra / Moisiu i Dibres” (1937) by Henrik Lacaj;
Mu Zhen Zhnji in “The Girl with Gray Hair / Vajza me floke te thinjur” (1955);
Kristovi in “In another side / ne anen tjeter” by A. Bajramov
Bajram Curri “The Dragon of Dragobia / Dragoi i Dragobise” (1960) by Xhemal Broja
Dhimiter Fari in “Artani” (1962)
Gloster in “King Lear / Mbreti Lir” (1965) by Shakespeare
Other theatrical shows :
“Conspiracy of the convicts / Komploti i te denuarve”; “Voice of America / Zeri i Amerikes”; “Faith / Besa”; “Man of good will / njeriu me vullnet te mire”; “The Mad Lamb / Qengji i terbuar”; “The Strange / I cuditshme”; “Mashenka”; “In Storm / Ne tufan”; “The man with the rifle / njeriu me pushke”; “Doctor Mexi”;
Loro Kovaçi died in Tirana on July 16, 1966, from a stomach disease.
In 2002, the well-known actor and director Lec Shllaku dedicated to him a monograph entitled “Loro Kovaçi 1903-1966”.
In 1961 he was awarded the title “People’s Artist”.
Loro Kovaçi a street in his city, Shkodër is named in his honor.
It was published for the first time in July 2014 and was revised in the following years.
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Albanian Cinematography in activity since 2013
Reference: “Loro Kovaci” Biography-Lec Shllaku Shkodra Library “Camaj-Pipa” 2002; “Encyclopedia of Albanian Theater and Cinematography” – Toena 2009 / p. 239-240; “60 years of the National Theatre” 1945 – 2005 / p. 46.
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