SYNOPSIS:
Zhivka waits anxiously to hear if her husband will be in the new government ministry. She cannot wait to make the most of the official, and unofficial, perks of the job including forcing her son-in-law to leave her daughter. However, we all know what too much power can do to a person, especially when, in reality, they have none. Translated and adapted from Gospodja Ministarka, by Branislav Nusic.

CHARACTERS:
Can be performed with 8 actors.
Zhivka
Cheda
Vasa
Anka/Soja
Sima /Man from Ministry/Ninkovich/Gendarme/Kalenich/Clerk/Panta
Dara/Tutor/Savka/Natasha
Raka/Rista/Kalenich
Rista/Jakob

SETTING:
The living room of Zhivka Popovich

RUNNING TIME:
2 hours

SAMPLE DIALOGUE:
ZHIVKA: My son is a selfish brat! I don’t know where he gets it.
SAVKA;   Boys.
Zhivka puts her hand through a hole in the crotch.
ZHIVKA; Look at that. He thinks we’re made of money.
SAVKA;   Sima must do alright.
ZHIVKA; Give me a break! We barely make ends meet. But, Sima’s so full of politics, he doesn’t even notice.
SAVKA;   ..Yes..
ZHIVKA;  What I don’t get, is these politicians moan about how they’re broken by the system, but they’ve all got themselves on committees with expense accounts, if you get what I’m saying. Dragana’s entire garage extension was paid for by the Commission for Rural Affairs! But, that’s not good enough for my Sima, oh, no. He says corruption discredits politics and gives ammunition to the opposition. As if! Meanwhile, we’re behind on the rent, we haven’t paid the maid for months and we still owe the milkman.
SAVKA;  Times are tough.
ZHIVKA;Have you had coffee? Honestly, you have to tell her three times before she does anything. Anka! Where’s that coffee? Anka!
ANKA:  (from off)I hear you!
ZHIVKA; You can’t get the staff.
(Shouting off) Use the fresh stuff!
(To Savka) Honestly, I don’t pay her and she does nothing!