They were fired/ The 2 actors of the "Migjeni" theater react

2025-07-30 17:11:00, Qyteti im CNA

After being dismissed from their jobs as actors at the "Migjeni" theater on the grounds that they lack efficiency, productivity and quality, actors Vladimir Doda and Simon Shkreli have reacted to the media. They call their dismissal absurd.

" We had a meeting to continue the process of leaving as they call it. There is a conversation that according to the assessment made by the municipality, we have little efficiency, productivity and quality. I don't know who makes this assessment. I asked the director to tell me what the measuring methods are and she told us with the number of roles. What is arbitrary is the method without any remarks without anything. It qualifies us that we have been disqualified by some directors. This is not true because Albanian and foreign directors have selected us. I am not employed as a politician. I was hired in 2019 after 4 shows that I have done. Everything is arbitrariness and falsehood ", said actor Vladimir Doda.

Actor Simon Shkreli has gone further as he accused the Shkodra Municipality and the culture office of choosing to put on shows with troupes and directors brought from other cities to justify their projects.

Shkreli further said that it is the current director of culture, Sara Smaja, who left the company several years ago after not showing up for work and refusing roles.

" I want to start from a post by the mayor last night that he shared on social media when he says that talent does not make you a party. In fact, it is true, the party makes you a mayor and a director, but dignity does not make you a party. A University certified my talent. Fatbardh Smaja, not Benet Beci, not Voltana Ademi, not Bardh Spahia, not Lorenc Luka, and I played several roles with the late Fatbardh Smaja. And today we are faced with a situation where once anyone who thought differently was imprisoned and today is fired. I have never refused a role, but I want to ask who refused to play roles in "The Silver Candle and who left work because he did not show up for work"? We will find out everything day by day. Here, performances are made with productions from abroad when the theater has always managed its own budget. And since January of this year, these have been made with productions from abroad. In In 2024, one of the projects with director Fatos Berisha approved by the Municipality of Shkodra failed. Has anyone asked why this project failed? The plays were made with external directors because otherwise they could not justify the millions of lek that are given for projects. They are abusing that office called the office of culture. The director of culture and theater today is Sara Smaja. And we must ask Sara Smaja why you refused the role in "Kandili argjendit" why you were expelled from the theater, why you did not go to work. It was a time when Sara Smaja received a salary at the Migjeni theater and received a salary at "Vizion Plus". I have not refused any role, I have not missed a single day of rehearsals and I have done everything that was assigned to me. This year I have been assigned to do a play with children and on June 16 I had the premiere of the play "Emigranti" with the "Jordan Misja" high school, with which I won the best play award. Our removal is "purely political. Politics didn't get me involved. But it is known that I was removed because my wife is the leader of the DP, so... ", said Shkreli.

The actors said they will continue to pursue legal action, saying their dismissal is pure political revenge./ CNA