Laza Telečki (1839—1873) made his debut at the National Theater (SNP) on Sunday, June 10/22, 1862, in the lead role of Avakum in the comedic play Better to Know than to Have by Jovan Ristić Bečkerec. "This play, which lacks a distinct plot, gained much through excellent performance," wrote the Danica journal on June 20.
"Mr. Laza Telečki, who took the main role (Avakum) out of love for the national theater, skillfully portrayed a man who serves as a living example that it is better to know than to have in a lifetime." The debutant, who was not yet 23, did not only gain a "ready actor" for the theater, but also a precious, versatile, and multifaceted personality.
Just under two months later, the Molierian comedy The Imaginary Invalid (Le Malade Imaginaire), adapted into Serbian by Laza Telečki, was successfully staged in Novi Sad, followed by two more Molierian adaptations in September and October of the same year: Skapen's Tricks (Les Fourberies de Scapin) and The Fashionable Ladies (Les Précieuses Ridicules). The latter was not reprised, the penultimate one was shown once more in Novi Sad, while the first remained on the repertoire until 1866 and was staged five times during that period (once in Vršac, and twice in Novi Sad and Sombor).
Laza Telečki’s literary work seems to have been largely dedicated to Molière in 1862. All three adaptations were performed in just over two months.
The new year brought surprises for Telečki. On Monday, January 21 (February 2) 1863, the premiere of the comedy The Clever Maid, written by "Laza Telečki, the director of the company," was staged. The debutant quickly advanced. Critics in Danica praised the busy Telečki, who, despite his acting and directorial duties, wrote the play "a valuable addition" to the limited repertoire, noting its simple plot and "lively and witty dialogue in many places." However, this comedy, about a clever maid who schemes to get her employer to marry his daughter to her heart’s choice, never saw a reprisal, despite the critics predicting that it would stay in the repertoire for a long time. Due to the audience's desire to see "foreign world" plays, foreign authors' works had more priority in the eyes of theater managers, both in the 19th century and today.
Yet, this did not affect Telečki, as his premiere was seen by all interested parties. The very next day, another of Telečki’s adaptations, the comedic one-act The Broken Cup, was performed, which stayed on the repertoire for five seasons, shown seven times. In addition to original plays in three acts, Telečki’s 16 translations and adaptations were staged a total of 206 times by 1871, across nine seasons at the SNP, with Novi Sad audiences (until 1909) seeing 57 performances.
As a translator and adapter, Telečki proved very fortunate. The SNP management even requested that he translate three plays a month, as the small-town audience, which could fit into the hall on premiere day, was always eager for novelties. Telečki, however, insisted on a clause in his contract stating that he would only be required to translate six plays annually. While his translations were successful on stage, his original works did not enjoy the same fate.
Among these, The Last Despotess of Smederevo, which was published in 1866 and staged twice in 1867, was considered by Telečki to be a significant work. However, despite being Shakespearean in nature, it did not receive significant critical attention or a lasting performance history. The Last Despotess of Smederevo is set in 1454, the year of the fall of Smederevo, and centers around the power struggles involving the widow Despotess Jelena and the intrigues of the court, including the manipulative Šišman, who causes a series of tragic events leading to the fall of the city. The drama is written in iambic verses, with a Shakespearean style, and features numerous references to Shakespeare’s plays, especially Richard III.
The Last Despotess of Smederevo is an intriguing and well-crafted play that, with certain revisions, would still be well-received today. Telečki was so proud of this drama that, unlike many of his contemporaries, he chose not to publish any of his translated plays but instead published this original work, confident in its value.
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