Hasan Smaja (July 25, 1922 – July 23, 1987) Actor of the variety theater "Migjeni" – Shkoder. The Honored Artist was born on July 25, 1922 in Shkodër. From an early age he was forced to work as an apprentice in a factory. The walks of the apprentice, of the boy who grew up day by day, who woke up from "sleep" in the mornings and came back late in the evenings; tired and weak, mostly without a smile on his face; they caused the wind to knock in his soul as well of the war, at first as incomprehensible, but then in later days there would be relations, his activity and its details. 
Based on the artist's memories, he practiced the guitar instrument, while his friends played another instrument and…, thus creating a small orchestra, with which they played Shkodra folk songs and melodies. In parallel with this "musician" group, they also set up a football team, which they gave the meaningful name "Rilindja". These two groups with their activity provided valuable assistance in the service of the war movement, and now, the smell of gunpowder could be clearly heard even in the city. Over the years, Hasani started working as an agitator for culture and art. But his long-time dream, which did not leave him at ease, was the stage. Thus, in 1945, he organized a theater performance himself, where he also got a role to perform himself. The emotions of this show stayed with the Shkodran actor for a long time, after a whole life on stage. This part, in itself, was very successful. The very level of the demands of the time was such that, in fact, that show remained just an amateur show, that the actresses had tried to interpret freely. 
After completing his military service, Hasan worked as an inspector for the problems of culture and art, and then as a worker at the Tobacco Fermentation Factory. He began to become active with passion in the amateur theater group of the company. Later he became the organizer of this artistic movement in the factory. While participating in stage activities, Hasoni noticed that he was drawn to humor. Meanwhile, the old "Craft" of the guitarist often teased him to create and set something to music. From 1954, when he was working at the House of Culture, he took some texts by the humorist poet Tonin Miloti and created some parodies with them. This success that he "shined* more his talent, increased his desire to deal with stage art, and especially with variety. Rightfully, the researcher Salvator Gjeci emphasizes, among other things: "the fact that, even after 28 years, he remembers some of his parodies, created in the first years of his deputyship. accepted in the theater. This sense of responsibility made the Shkodran boy to be always demanding of himself. 
The first director of the professional Estrada in Shkodra, Paulin Sekuj (passed away on 26.06.2003, at the age of 76), a fellow traveler with the actor in the artistic life for nearly 30 years, said: "The actor Hasan Smaja always knew how to be new to the spectator and no one said even once that his art was worn out. And this has come because Hasan has followed the evolution and growth of the spectator's tastes" Hasan Smaja was an original creator on stage, he, in his creative process as an actor, paid attention to the character he was going to play. Therefore, he worked tirelessly to find for him (the character): a) elements of "dramca from the stone of popular humor; b) the way of conceptualizing the comic and humorous phenomena of Shkodra entertainers and entertainers. All these, by carefully selling them, constituted the "tharm" within the space as his originality "walked". Thus, all these details came to be strengthened over the years, together with the growth of his artistic and professional level. Now, as an actor, he entered the stage more creative, more original, more acceptable, and more applauded by the audience. 
Even his peers who have known him so well, testify that the actor Smaja used to collect songs from well-known Shkodra artists, such as those of Oso e Falltore, Kola Shiroka, Molla Sali Pata, and many others, who were mentioned for their humor. with "salt". He recited them and often accompanied the verses with body movements and facial expressions, causing laughter. During his work and life as a variety actor, Hasan worked and performed in all genres and genres that make up a variety show. You could see him performing decently in skits, monologues, various stories, humorous poems, jokes of the cast "who is waiting", in humorous bits, musical sketches, etc.; but especially where his excellent skills as an actor stood out were the quick pantomimes, in the speed numbers with that buzagaz of his that seemed to never end… 
Regarding the portrait of this artist, the researcher Salvator Gjeci has underlined that "This is an expression of his immense talent. He was always able to skillfully interweave within a number and move with finesse from a sketch to a parody, to a monologue, or in the story to fit the literary material beautifully and elegantly with his partners on the stage. He easily moved from the sketch that requires a natural interpretation, creating an artistic figure as much as this genre allows. of art; in the couplets that require a complex interpretation with gestures and musical melodies, and again from the couplet in the story, in the monologue, or in the humorous" Hasan Smaja is an actor who has performed over 1000 different roles for a wide and large audience. of the types and characters he has brought to our stage in general and Shkodra in particular. The gallery of his types includes: servants, gendarmes, militia, bureaucratic clerks, servile, arrogant, overbearing, bachelors, peasants, workers, etc. 
This has made him "change" with dozens of crafts and dozens of faces during his life on stage. And for this "change" not only clothes, external appearance, or plastic and make-up help you. The main thing is to adapt the character according to the inner essence of the person who is performing, to know the role, to penetrate deeply into the inner world of the character, to know of the profession performed by the staged character. Those premieres of the professional Estrada of the city of Shkodër where the actor Hasan Smaja did not also participate, those premieres that did not have parodies in their repertoire are very rare. the musical intermezzo. And Hasan, with a 'new profile' far from repeating himself, performed with dignity and culture. Once upon a time, he played the guitar. But the guitar did not remain a beautiful and distant memory of his youth to him, but accompanied him throughout his life. Looking at the many years of work of this actor with a melodic voice, we notice that he is an actor full of characters. The characters, types and roles performed by him are convincing, without nuances vital. Since the first show that was given on September 14, 1958, staged by the director Paulin Sekuj with the title: "Department of heart surgery", the play of the actor Hasan Smaja stands out, especially in the sketch "Flag of purity" (in the text the role of the mayor was presented schematically, but the acting of the actor Smaja overcomes the schematicity of writing the text.) It not only makes it lively, but creates the profile of an interesting type. Later, in the "Introduction" skit, the role of the director remains a figure interpreted with dignity, creating situations full of humor. Regarding the performance and profile of the actor Smaja, the director Sekuj says: "At first glance, it seems as if he moves slowly in the process of This happens because, he works without leaving his work to spontaneity and intuition in order to get to where his objective is, but studies every word, every thought well, thus, when the general rehearsal comes, the actor Hasan Smaja is ready and confident to appear in front of the audience. of the image and interpretation" While his colleague Tano Banushi, the People's Artist, would say: "Hasani has the ability to accumulate the climax with inspiration and feeling and to give it whenever with emotion". Meanwhile, the actor Smaja himself said*.. . "The figures in the text given by the author of the literary material require life to make the spectator their own. And we can't get this life anywhere else better than from life". The actor from Shkodran has rarely gone to rehearsals without a preliminary individual work. He has always delved into knowing in detail the "unknowns" of the characters he would interpret. *Always confronted himself with the character. (I… so-and-so character… where do I come from, what CV do I present with, what are my circumstances, what will I do and who am I dealing with, the purpose I am here for and how I will achieve this purpose Actor Hasan Smaja asked himself these questions before starting his artistic work Director Paulin Sekuj, together with H. Smaj, Tano Banushi. others were among the first to establish the professional Estrada. They have worked together for more than 20 years, without being separated for a single day, and throughout this life together, as directors and actors, they keep the most beautiful memories really nice work! And… Hasan is recognized as a good actor not only when he interprets the spoken word, but also when he does not speak, his eyes were expressive, his gestures, facial expressions, he justified his position on stage at all times and connected in an original way with his partners, with the spectator, being very communicative. This ability of his, he has manifested in dozens of skits that were more pantomimes, since they had little or no voice. We remember the actor Hasan Smaja not only in the pantomime where he shined, but also in the comedy "The Prefect" in the role of Beqir aga; also in "Shaljanët", also in the comedy "Fejesa", also in "Gropat e bulicave", also in the comedy "Dopiogjashta" in the role of Tushi's father, etc. Also, Hasan Smaja was especially distinguished for the typification of some figures from the village, as well as for the skits: "I'm singing the song with saze", "Electrification brigade", "Around the New Year tree, Welcome", "Hallet of links*, "Please, smile!*, "With a pencil in hand", "Erdhi ustai", etc. He was subtle in the use of details and the use of the comic situation, preferring elements of the grotesque and caricaturism to the presentation of the characters in a realistic way, with an obvious reliability, but full of finding and sense of humor that stemmed from his nature, as well as from the contrast with the situation that this character was in. The actor from Shkodran will change his life on July 23, 1987, exactly days before the date of birth! _________________ Albanian cinematography in activity since 2013. Previously published on the Facebook page since July 2020 Reference: An article by Xh. Bushati / "Memory of a city" / albas-Shkoder 1988-2019 / p . 108 – 112!
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