The Return of the Worker in Contemporary Slovene Drama

The title of this contribution stems from an observation made while reading contemporary Slovene plays, which have been reflecting contemporary social issues more and more intensely since the 2008 financial crisis. In order to get or keep a job, many people – both the unemployed, often young and from a vulnerable group, as well as precarious workers and even some workers with regular employment – are subjected to exploitation by their superiors and are unable to make a decent living despite strenuous overtime work. In a comparative context and against a backdrop of sociological findings, the article analyzes three plays with a thematic focus on workers, their rights, social protection, and working conditions: Hlapec Jernej in njegova pravica (The Bailiff Jernej and His Rights) by Žiga Divjak, Romeo in Julija sta bila begunca (Romeo and Juliet Were Refugees) by Vinko Möderndorfer, and Naše skladišče (Our Warehouse) by Tjaša Mislej. These works portray a new type of worker, one who does not rebel or struggle for change, does not have new ideas or opposes the system, but rather wishes to work, earn a decent wage, bring up their children, and be happy. The plays in question are based on documentary materials and research, such as media stories, workers’ testimonies, or autobiographical experiences; in all three plays, the real intrudes on the fictional. By raising the question of worker exploitation, the authors give voice to a workforce that is often overlooked and nearly invisible in public debate, and they call attention to how the world is becoming increasingly dehumanized.