STRASTNOY BOULEVARD,10 SPECIAL ISSUE

INTERNATIONAL AMAUTER THEATRE ASSOCIATION

CONTENTS

RECOGNITION AWARD OF The Territory of the Young THE RUSSIAN THEATRE UNION Actors’ Theatre CEC AITA General Assembly Setting the Bar High International Summer Theatre Theatre Meetings on the Yauza School–2019 The Neva Theatre Meetings International Theatre Project “Playing One Play” RUSSIAN THEATRES ABROAD «Theatre Revolution» in Tyumen Jyväskylä, the Town of Theatre Search of theatricality We Were Together “Vilnius Stage Lights. Children.” FESTIVALS IN RUSSIA The Jubilee Festival on Olkhon NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS «You are Invited on Stage» Actor Happiness

2020

THEATRE UNION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

RUSSIAN THEATRE SOCIETY 2

RUSSIAN CENTRE OF INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR

THEATRE ASSOCIATION (AITA/IATA)

10 Strastnoy Boulevard, RUS-107031 Moscow

Phone / fax: +7 (495) 694 07 02 Compiled by Alla Zorina E-mail: Editor Natalia Staroselskaya [email protected] Translated by Tamara Arapova [email protected] Design by Lyudmila Sorokina

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RECOGNITION AWARD 2019

The winners of the Recognition in the nomination “For the support Award established by the Russian of Russian amateur theatre”; Theatre Union are: Mirutenko Kira Sergeevna, art Ladysev Artur Valerievich, artistic manager and theatre director of the director of the “Children of Monday” Russian Studio Theatre “ART Master” in Studio Theatre, Sortavala, Republic of Jyvaskyla, Finland — in the nomination Karelia — in the nomination “For the “For maintaining traditions of contribution in development of Russian amateur theatre and Russian amateur theatre”; fulfilling the high mission of promoting Russian culture abroad”. Ogonobsky Mikhail Antonovich, director of the Open Amateur Theatre Festival “Theatre in a Suitcase”, director of the “Otrajenie” (Reflection) Interregional Festival of Youth Amateur Theatres, and director at the “Harlequin” Youth Theatre in Verchnya Salda, Sverdlovsk region —

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CEC AITA General Assembly

CEC AITA GENERAL ASSEMBLY WAS HELD ON SEPTEMBER 20 AND 21, 2019 IN SOPRON, HUNGARY

Present: Alla Zorina — President (Russian Federation), Janos Regős — Artistic Coordinator (Hungary), Kevin Dowsett — Secretary General and Treasurer (Great Britain), Aled Rhys Jones World Council (Great Britain), Mary Pears (Ireland), Josef Hollos (Austria), Rita and Fotis Festival presented only six productions. Poutachidou (Greece — Observers), Lenka Beatrice Cellario, Monaco, was elected Lazhovska, Karel Tomas (Czech Republic), by the GA as the new President. The next Ute Handwerg (Germany BAG), Josef Presidential elections are to be held in Krazula (Slovakia). Monaco in 2021. Alla Zorina (President) welcomed the Aled Rhys Jones and Rob Van Genechten delegates and thanked them for coming were appointed vice-presidents. Rob will to Sopron to attend the forum. She also be handling the Asian member countries, thanked Janos Regis for the organization and Aled was assigned to develop a new of the General Assembly. The delegates business model of the Association and approved the minutes of the 2018 new, more cost-effective projects. One of General Assembly held in Lingen . his ideas is to renew the festival “Senses” Aled Rhys Jones presented a report addressed to amateur companies where on the AITA General Assembly that people with disabilities perform. took place in Canada a month earlier. There was a discussion on the Since only a few CEC delegates attended membership fees. The financial report the Assembly, the information about showed that the income from the the forum was very interesting and foundations was mucj lower than in the important for all participants. previous year, and for that reason it was Aled’s report was supplemented by decided to increase the contribution to the contributions from Josef Hollos, cover the growing costs. The exact amount Lenka Lazhovska and Mary Pears with the of the fee will be announced additionally. following messages: Aled Rhys Jones as a long-term The Canada General Assembly was Board member suggested that the attended by a limited number of AITA organization spends too much money. member-countries, and the International The task was to cut the expenses and to

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find new formats of meetings, ie online and member countries should come up conferences. He mentioned Prague with new ideas on how they see the as a less costly place where hotels are future of the CEC AITA. cheaper and where Nipos is available as Aled Rhys Jones commented that the the venue for meetings. CEC AITA is working on a new model of There was a suggestion to develop new the organization as some countries are ideas around the existing concept of the unable to work within the old model. World Theatre Day. Some pats of the new model were A new website is to be launched in aggreed on and came into force. The January 2020. The world Theatre day current model, with some modifications, March 27 is a wonderful opportunity to has been in existence since 1952. unite theatres across the world. We live in a changing world and we Mary Pears relayed the message from should be more inclusive if we want to the new President Beatrice Cellario. In remain a global organization. There is a response Kevin Dowsett on behalf of the need to develop a new business model CEC wished the President good luck. that would fit the new organizational The GA then discussed the importance format. Raising the fee has never been a of the National Centres as the popular measure... founding element of the AITA and the Kevin Dowsett presented the financial representation of the regional councils in report, copies of which were distributed the AITA Board. It was suggested that the to the participants. The report states representatives of the national centres the funds deposited in the bank during

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2018–2019 and the fees received from NEWS individual countries. After that there came speeches of the representatives of the participating countries. The Stanislavsky Alla Zorina talked about the inter- International Seminar national projects of the CEC in 2018–2019. will take place She pointed out that out of 16 member in Finland August 7–13 countries only 9 were present at the current meeting. The said that the Board had met in Budapest in January to discuss future projects as well as ongoing projects. The Stanislavsky Seminar was held in Finland in 2018. From the applications you could tell which national centres NEWS were proactive and which were not. The seminar was successful and highly appreciated by the participants. There is an agreement with the Finnish organizers Interregional Festival that the next seminar in 2020 will again “The Week of Experimental take place in Finland. Theatre” The international project “Performing will be held One Play” was also successful and in Omsk 4-11 October took place in three countries — Latvia, Lithuania and Russia. Chekhov’s play “The Jubilee” was chosen to be performed during the Project. The next day there was a discussion on the role of the CEC within the global AITA and on how it could be more creative in the future. Another discussion was dedicated to the AITA policies in relation to the CEC. It was decided that these issues require a wider representation of the CEC national centres. Kevin Dowsett agreed to develop a Survey Monkey questionnaire and to use the attendees of the current meeting to approve it and amend before sending it out. With that the CEC GA was closed.

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International Summer Theatre School -2019

THE EDUCATIONAL PROJECT OF THE in the Kirov region, on the premises of the RUSSIAN THEATRE UNION AND THE Children’s School of Theatre Arts. According RUSSIAN AITA CENTRE “INTERNATIONAL to the art director of the AzArt Educational SUMMER THEATRE VACATIONS” WAS Theatre studio Sergei Suvorov, it was a HELD IN A NEW FORMAT AS PART memorable and unifying event. The first OF THE YEAR OF THEATRE AGENDA. experience proved to be very successful. FOR TWO JULY WEEKS, THE THEATRE The project with its original concept and UNION’S RECREATION RESIDENCE the strong team of teachers continued its LOCATED IN ZVENIGOROD TURNED journey in the Tula region, Bulgaria and INTO THEATRE WORKSHOPS HOSTING Zvenigorod joined by Russian-language 180 PARTICIPANTS FROM ALL OVER theatres from other countries and finally acquired an international status. RUSSIA — THE FAR EAST, SIBERIA, THE The International Summer Theatre School URALS, THE MOSCOW REGION, THE held in 2019 became the largest meeting REPUBLIC OF UDMURTIA, AS WELL AS in terms of the number of participants and PARTICIPANTS FROM AUSTRIA, ITALY, the geographical scope. In preparation ESTONIA, FINLAND AND THE USA. for the event, the organizers had to do a

The best Russian theatre teachers worked with children and teenagers and with directors of the amateur theatre companies. It was an invaluable experience for everyone. The idea of ​​a summer theatre school came into being a few years ago, when Russia hosted in Zvenigorod the European Summer Theatre Meetings for Children and Youth (EDERED) that started in Belgium in the 1970s. Today the Summer School plays a big role in the international amateur theatre movement. Such projects are clearly very important for the numerous Russian amateur theatre groups as a source of creativity, new experience and successful development. The very first summer theatre school was held in Vyatskiye Polyany, the town

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serious selection out of a large number amateur theatre directors with original of applications that were received from teaching methods. The directors of Russian drama and music groups. This year, among and foreign theatre groups attended the the new participants were the Obraz workshop led by professor of the State (Image) Youth Theatre –studio from Theatre Academy Mikhail Chumachenko. Birobidzhan, the Tochka Theater studio They were also provided with a rare from Sarapul, the Republic of Udmurtia, opportunity to attend the classes of the Potomu Chto… (Because of..) Theater famous theatre teachers conducted for studio from Kaluga, the Territoria Teatra the young actors. And that was a new (Territory of Theatre) Children’s studio stage of the educational project. from Vienna, Austria, the Drugoye Nebo The importance of such professional (the Other Sky) Theatre studio and the experience is highly appreciated by the studio “Theatre Projects of the Yarves participants. Sergei Rudoy, the head Russian Gymnasium” from the Estonian of the Sovremennik amateur theatre towns of Sillamae and Kohtla-Järve. company from the town of Lesnoy in Alla Zorina, head of the amateur theatre the Sverdlovsk Region, believes that the department at the Russian Theatre Union, new professional knowledge acquired in President of the AITA Central European Zvenigorod can for years remain a source Committee and the head of the Project, of inspiration and adds that the Summer says that the intention of the organizers Theatre School is an integral part of his of the Summer School taking place in the life. For the leaders of the Atmosphere Year of the Theatre, was to make it a very Studio from Helsinki, Anna Upornikova special and intensive edition, to open up and Svetlana Koloskova, this experience new aspects of the actor’s profession also became a serious support in their to the young actors and to provide the work, and allowed them to go up a notch.

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Reflecting on the value of the the final performance where the results educational project, the directors of the hard work were presented. Over single out such an important aspect as the years, a strong team of trainers has developing of trust between the leaders been formed, and the final performances of the master classes and the children — prepared with their help in choosing the during the trainings they open up theme, its thorough analysis and with in a completely new way, they try to mastering the acting techniques, always understand themselves and think about become a discovery and an emotional their own place in life. This is how the event. Taking into consideration the Theatre School turns out to be a serious potential of each child or teenager, trying psychological training tool. Using a well- to reveal the nature of his or her talent, the mastered skills of bringing together trainers create interesting performances, in their groups children with different which actually are very well constructed backgrounds and coming from contexts, mini-theatre productions. cities and countries, the organizers create The participants of the modern dance conditions for them to learn how to build workshop led by the choreographer from relationships with strangers, establish Krasnoyarsk Elena Bedrina, contemplated creative contacts and become one body. on their life taken from scratch and on This time, the usual trainings in stage choosing their path in life. The actor at the movement, acting, vocal and scenography Theatre of Music and Poetry under the were supplemented with classes of direction of Elena Kamburova, professor reciting, modern dance and clownery. The of the Theatre Academy (GITIS) Roman intensive workshops were followed by Kalkaev turned to Van Gogh and created

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with children a psychologically subtle Musical Theatre, composer and poet work, in which he reveals the nature of Irina Tulchinskaya did a tremendous emergence of sound and light and builds job, and at her final presentation the an image of the time in which the great children performed rare and complex artist lived and worked. pieces of music — an old comic canon The workshops of acting, clownery and fragments of operas. The students and stage movement were led by of Tatyana Rodina workshop created a Yevgeny Kraisel from Krasnoyarsk, Artem unique installation “All World is Theatre”. Sergeyev from the Republic of Udmurtia The acting teacher at the Institute and Oleg Snopkov, theatre and film actor, of Contemporary Art, actress and assistant professor of stage movement director Elena Mironova introduced at the State Theatre Academy and Film her students to the best of classical and Academy. The final presentations of their modern literature. workshops were dramaturgically well- At the closing of the International structured and technically accurate. Summer Theatre School in Zvenigorod, The serious director’s work by Tatyana a new anthem composed by Irina Tarasova, professor at the State Theatre Tulchinskaya was performed. Its key word Academy and Film Academy, under the is “mastery” precisely defines the essence title «The Unspoken and Unrequited», of a theatrical event, which always revealed the complex inner world of develops to a new scenario in consonance today’s teenagers with their loneliness with the present day. and doubts. The art director of the Reutov Children’s Yelena GLEBOVA

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CHILDREN AND ADULTS WRITE not understand anything at all, but after a From the very beginning of the summer, couple of days I began to be getting into I was looking forward to June 31st. It the swing of things. It turned out to be so was the day when I was supposed to interesting and fascinating that even when leave Vyatskiye Polyany together with my we would take a break I wanted it to end as theatre company AzART to go to Moscow soon as possible and get back to training. I and from there to Zvenigorod for as long am happy that I attended the workshop of as twelve days. clownery. My master, Artem Vladimirovich When we arrived to the Zvenigorod Sergeev, opened the door for me to the boarding house, I was pleasantly surprised — incredible world of clowning. Thanks to everything looked so cozy and, most him, I gained a lot of knowledge in this area, importantly, we immediately felt that we and I will be able to apply it in my theatre. belonged there. I really liked the place very The time flew very quickly. I made friends much from the very first moment. a lot of friends from Russia and from other Then all kids were assigned to workshops. countries. I very much wanted to join either the acting I want to thank all those who gave me workshop led by Tatiana Tarasova or the the opportunity to attend the International recital workshop led by Yelena Mironova, Summer School, for the knowledge I gained but I was assigned to the clownery group and for being able to communicate with instead. I was a bit upset, but decided that people who understood and supported me. I would attend the first session and then decide if I continue with it or not. The leader Irina KASHINA of the clownery workshop was Artyom AzART Theatre Training Centre, Vladimirovich Sergeev. I had never done Vyatskiye Polyany, Kirov region any clownery before. In the beginning I did

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OUR MIRRORED LIFE NEWS In our theatre studio «Zerkalo” (The Mirror) we have developed an amazing project. The idea was born when out theatre group attended the International The All-Russia Festival of Thea- Summer Theatre School organized last tre Performed by Children summer in Zvenigorod for children and “Taking a Run” is planned for teenagers. It was a real artistic paradise. March 18–22 in Krasnoyarsk When we returned it was decided that we would give our kids a chance to give their own trainings, i.e. to share the gained experience with other kids who had not had a chance to attend the Zvenigod Summer School. The project is very successful and engages children who only NEWS recently joined our theatre. The excellent results of the trainings prompted the idea of creating new small productions, and this idea will hopefully be realized very soon. The “Wind Rose” Children’s We are very thankful to our wonderful Charity Foundation celebrated masters — Polina Mergasova, Alisa its 25th anniversary of the Latysheva, Anastasia Efimova, Veronika Festival of Children’s Creative Platitsina and Vitaly Lezhnin. Work presenting the winners of the previous “Wind Rose” Alena GALKINA festivals selected by the jury. Director of the Zerkalo Studio Theatre, Nizhny Tagil

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International Theatre Project “Playing One Play”

THE PROJECT CONSISTED OF THREE by Aivars Ikselis and Lithuania Theatre of PARTS — THE FIRST PART TOOK PLACE the Kaisiadorys Cultural Centre directed IN NOVEMBER 2018 IN RUSSIA, by Jonas Andrevicius. THE SECOND ONE WAS HELD IN The hosts of the Project – the theatre LITHUANIA AND THE THIRD STAGE IN of the Kaisiadorys Centre of Culture, the LATVIA IN MAY AND SEPTEMBER 2019. leadership of the Centre of Culture and the Municipal Art School did their best The second part of the 2019 of the to make it a real festival of theatre and a International Project “Playing One significant cultural event for the town: the Play” was held from May 9 to 12 in the grand opening attended by the Mayor small Lithuanian city of Kaisiadorys with and other officials; the master classes in population of eight thousand people. acting held by Elena Zhikhareva (Russia) Participants of the Project are theatre and Evgenia Kozlova (Latvia) and eargerly companies from three countries: Russian attended by local teenage actors and SHEST Youth Theatre Studio from actors of the guest theatre groups. Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, director Vitaly Truskauskaite, theatre researcher Elena Zhikhareva; Latvian Municipal at the Vytautas Magnus University, Theatre Company from Valka, directed Lithuania conducted a master class

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“Theatre as a game, a festivity and a last day of the Project, the participants symbol: research on the case of Anton rehearsed and played a joint performance Chekhov”. Her very interesting masterclass in which the actors of all the three prepared the young audience for the companies were engaged playing their performances helped them discover new roles in three different languages. After the information about the world famous performance, there was a discussion led by writer and playwright Anton Chekhov, the theatre expert Vitaly Truskauskaite. whose works have been translated into The three days of Project held in many languages. One of his plays was Kaisiadorys were characterized by a chosen as the basis of the Project. creative, open and friendly atmosphere. Meetings and discussions with the All these factors are undoubtedly audience demonstrated their interest and very important for such a model of lively response to the chance to see theatre communication between theatre productions presented by three countries. companies from different countries. For them it was also a rare opportunity to Its significance is testified by the fact get acquainted with different approaches that, in comparison with the first part to stage interpretation of Chekhov’s of the Project that took place in Russia play «The Jubilee», which has not lost in November 2018, the artistic level of its relevance even today. The Project the performances in the 3d stage of has become a wonderful case of simple the Project became higher and more human diplomacy. interesting, the acting more precise as The three productions by the Lithuanian, the actors had taken into consideration Latvian and Russian theatre groups were recommendations received after the performed in one day, with short breaks first showings in the Russian part of the for rearrangement of the sets. And on the Project.

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It was also very important to have new production! The meetings, the in Kaisiadorys Irena Matsyulavichene, performances, the master classes — all head of the theatre department of of it will remain in the memory of the the Lithuanian National Centre for actors who took part in the Project. We Culture (NCCL Vilnius), Vita Vadoklite, want to express our sincere gratitude President of the Lithuanian AITA, and to everyone who hosted the Project in President of the Latvian AITA Centre, Russia, Lithuania and Latvia. as well as a number of directors of Lithuanian theatres who took part in Alla ZORINA, post-performance discussions with the Moscow audience. The City Mayor watched all the performances without exception. DIRECTOR’S NOTES The wonderful spring days spent in The second of the three phases of the Kaisiadorys were complemented by a International Theatre Project «Playing visit to the Lithuanian Folk Museum in One Play» is, by definition, its medium Rumshishkis and a city tour. part. Actually, the Lithuanian part of the The third final part of the International project became its turning point. This Project “Playing One Play” took place was mainly defined by the fact that the in September in the Latvian town of first and third parts took place within Valka, in the frame of the Talvils–2019 established festivals, so that the Project International Theatre Festival. The turned out to be “a festival within Project participants performed again the festival”. So, to a great extent the their joint production, but it did not Project fulfilled the task of expanding repeat the one they ahd regearsed and the boundaries of international creative played in Kaisiadorys. It was a completely exchange.

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The workshop in Kaisiadorys, orga- so contagiously creative that it was nized by Jonas Andrevicius, proved to impossible to just watch — you really be a self-contained, central part of the felt like joining in. artistic experiment and provided the Generally, the Festival atmosphere participants with a possibility to enjoy was exceptionally warm and friendly. the magic of “international Chekhov”. The organizers very thoroughly thought By focusing on one play, the Festival out every detail when preparing participants were able to appreciate the Festival, including the logistics, the uniqueness of the conflict of introduction of the participants to the Chekhov’s one-act comedy and once history and culture of Lithuania and again to demonstrate that language is the national cuisine. During the entire no barrier for interaction, even when it Festival we felt like long-awaited guests comes to theatre. and dear partners. This observation was confirmed by the We were very impressed with and joint performance, created in just three even a bit envious of the genuine hours and played in three languages ​​at interest demonstrated by the municipal the same time. Rehearsal of the joint administration and the Mayor of performance was itself an excellent Kaisiadorys in the popularization of master class for me as a theatre director. the theatre art, being aware of its Alla Zorina demonstrated high class importance for the cultural and ethical in balancing between the director’s status of the society and the younger concept and the actors’ improvisations, generation in particular. After the creating an atmosphere of non-verbal master class, the gymnasium students co-creation. The atmosphere was and their parents attended the

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performances and even expressed an NEWS interest «to read Chekhov». Though it was a pity to leave the hospitable Kaisiadorys we were consoled thinking about the powerful charge The next stage of the international of energy we all had received here. theatre project ”Playing One The Festival had stimulated our acting Play”will take place in 2020 skills, has given us new friendships bringing together three theatre and professional contacts and, most groups, including “Za Uglom” importantly, the aftertaste coincided (Round the Corne) theatre from with the quotation from one of Gatchina in Leningrad region, Chekhov’s letter to his friend Polonsky: “Character” theatre from Rakvere “I am itching to get to work and create in Estonia and a theatre group something amazing!” from Kaishadoris in Lithuania. All the three companies have Yelena ZHIKHAREVA, started working on the play art director of SHEST Theatre, “The Beans” by Lithuanian Zhukovsky, Russia playwright Daiva Chepauskaite.

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«Theatre Revolution» in Tyumen

A THOUGHT ABOUT SIBERIA AND The organizers had invited theatre critics TYUMEN SOUNDED FASCINATING who worked as juries in two groups. The AND WAS VERY TEMPTING! first group worked at the Drama Theatre and included Mikhail Chumachenko, I was invited to The World Youth Theatre theatre director and professor at the Festival “Theatre Revolution” in Tyumen Russian State Theatre Academy, Moscow, by Mrs. Alla Zorina, the executive director Yaak Allik, theatre critic and former of AITA Russia. We met at the end of the Minister of Culture of Estonia, and 1980’s, at the beginning of Glasnost and Alexandrina Shakleeva, Tumen theatre Perestroika when the Soviet Union opened critic. The other jury worked at the Kosmos up for us in many ways. I visited the USSR Youth Centre and included professional Theatre Union, and that was the starting critic Marina Timasheva from Moscow, point for our friendship and co-operation Anastasia Kazmina, post-graduate student that lasted during all these decades. I was from the theatre research department at very happy to accept the invitation to Moscow Theatre Academy, and myself. I Tyumen as a theatre critic for the festival. had a pleasure of working with the two I was very happy to accept the invitation professionals of the highest competence to the Tyumen Festival as a theatre critic. I flew to Tyumen through Moscow. Tyumen impressed me as a very special Siberian city with precious old houses in its historical part, its new splendor, the bridge over the Tura river, the Drama Theatre and the Kosmos Youth Centre, the modern and practical architectural construction and a well-equipped venue. I wish to express my special thanks to the director of the Youth Centre, Marina Delikatnaya who had everything under her control and managed a huge efficient staff who did their best to create such a successful festival. Big thanks to everyone involved — the organizers and participants! About half of the participating theatre groups were from abroad, and the other half were Russian companies. Altogether there were 20 productions in the Festival programme.

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and wonderful people. Our concepts and just to name a few. At some point I was ideas of theatre were very much alike, so a little bit worried about the gloominess it was easy to work together and make of the themes, “weltschmerz”, but the decisions about the ratings and other seriousness of the themes was well various elements. balanced by the manner of the acting The Festival programme also included and directing, so it did not leave me a discussion on the youth theatre wanting for something else. traditions and its situation at the We saw a plethora of excellent theatre moment. I had a pleasure to introduce productions made by people from different the Finnish situation and current trends theatre backgrounds and mindsets. in addition to hearing various statements The company from Kazan (the from different countries, giving everyone Republic of Tatarstan, Russia) presented present a good perception of the modern “The Sixth Sense”, a performance based youth theatre scene. on “Butterflies are Free” by Leonard It was wonderful to see that all theatre Gersh in which they interpreted the performances had great attendance story about a blind young man who in and full houses. The local audience was the struggle for his own independence obviously really interested in the Festival. moves out of his mother’s house to live The Festival performances were an adult independent life. current with the times and dealt with Czech Republic was represented by such acute issues like the theme of the group “Khop-Khop” of the School internet bullying and mischief, drugs, of Arts from Ostrava. Their performance prostitution, immigration, migrant “Run, Boy, Run” is a touching life story of workers, religion, war and holocaust, Joram Friedman.

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The Hungarian company of Chaba The Grotesk theatre group from Surgut, Formanek and Luca Pushtai played a Russia, demonstrated physical theatre performance in which young people with the performance “Bitter Grief” were talking about problems that based on Russian folk songs sharing with everyone has to face at some point in the audience the horrors of the war. life. The title of the play «No one Dares to The Young Actors’ Studio “Savi” of the Live Alone» introduces to the theme that Telsiai Zemaitе theatre from Lithuania the two young actors were discussing performed “The New Story of Robot with the audience. and Butterfly”, where a bunch of lovely The theatre group from Putrajaya, young people shared with the audience Malaysia, won the audience with the global problems that young people their sincerity and spontaneity of the are experiencing today. performance telling the life story of All performances that I saw at the the Princess of Ledang Mountain and Festival had their own merits. I am very integrating elements of national Asian thankful to the dynamic and talented folk dance. young people and I hope they have a The local theatre company from Tyumen bright future on the theatre scene! “Mimicry” showed an interpretation of The Youth Theatre Festival in Tyumen “Eugene Onegin”, played by a wonderful will remain with me as a fine memory ensemble of young actors. and experience. I want to thank everyone The group from Estonia presented involved, from the bottom of my heart! the tragic story “What To Tell Her, or About a Snail” about a young girl vainly Merja LAAKSOVIRTA struggling against abuse. Finland

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IN SEARCH OF THEATRICALITY

THE EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE OF Gerda’s vociferous, cocky character. The THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE lyrical scenes are complimented by a very FESTIVAL “THEATRE REVOLUTION” good lighting design. The original music MADE ME CHANGE MY VISION OF WHAT by Nikita Savelyev, although used in too THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THEATRE obvious moments, manages to create ARE. THE PRODUCTIONS CREATED BY the required atmosphere. In “The Sixth AMATEURS OR EMERGING ARTISTS Sense”, alongside with shortcomings of MOTIVATED MY CONTEMPLATIONS ON the directing, one can find interesting WHAT EXACTLY IT IS THAT HELPS YOU fresh ideas, so, in the end of the day, GET AN UNDERSTANDING G OF THE the performance leaves in your memory DIRECTOR OF THE SHOW, HIS CONCEPT a number of spectacular and beautiful AND HIS IDEA. moments. In the off-competition section of the The Kazan Theatre “Sdvig» (The Shift) Festival programme we saw “The Place came to the Festival with the production Where Light Is”, a touching production “The Sixth Sense” directed by Feldman from Armenia performed by the “The and Samorodov and based on the famous Stray Dog” Art Studio. The performance play by Leonard Gershe “Butterflies are consists of Russian rock poetry texts by Free». The production is notable for its Makarevich, Shevchuk, Kinchev and elaborate scenography. Butusov that sound like Russian classical In the centre is the room of Kai, the poetry recited at a school concert. protagonist. He is blind from birth. In Despite the simplicity and naivete of the room we see a number of objects, the interpretations, the performance is including the mobile bed — Kai’s strikingly sincere and honest. Some verses invention- which is controlled at the done in a dramatic form opened up in a touch of a button and numerous shelves new way, the serious texts sounded a arranged so that the young man could bit ironical, while in the very familiar grope the dishes. The main characters less serious songs one could distinguish of the play meet in the space arranged important meanings. in a semicircle. The director famously The theatre “Fabrika” («Factory») confronts the thoughtful, quiet Kai from Yekaterinburg participated in the played by Lenar Gilmutdinov and the Festival with a production dealing with an stereotypical, frivolous Gerda played important social theme. Ulyana Gitsareva’s by Evgenia Vasilyeva. The shortcomings play “Khach”, very well performed by the and banality of the plot is compensated young actors, talks about the destructive by their acting conflict. Kai’s profound power of stereotypes and how terrible it is kindness and inner strength defeats to be a stranger in a united mass. The play

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also attempts to demonstrate that one you get a feeling of the director’s clear can find himself in position of a stranger picture of the world from the very first irrespective of one’s nationality. Roman minutes. The director chooses a poetic Gayanov did a production with minimal and detached intonation to tell the sets — the black cubes and partitions story about a child who escaped from are of a practical use rather than fulfill a a concentration camp. The effect is semantic function. enhanced by the fact that all parts are But the famous tune “Hey, Hook up!” played by children. The image of the run arranged in the rock style, creates an becomes the central in the performance, image of a powerful force that can both while the main character only for protect and destroy. moments freezes in bright circles of light. The playwright and the director show The use of different textures adds to the us expressive and contrasting characters. touching story: a candle light, water in a On the one side, there is nationalist Sergei bucket, torn shorts, a wooden cross. In Romaniuk wearing a black mask, who the finale, the main character who had threatens to kill all the “blacks”. On the lost his arm, says: “Don’t feel sorry for me, other side, there is the young Russian girl it makes no sense!” His voice is joined in Katya, who is struggling to debunk the by the voices of other children who had myth of gloomy and rude Russians, with suffered in various military conflicts. The her kindness and cultured ways. The actors artistic form of the production goes well cope with their roles perfectly, however, with this message. there is a feeling that they tell the lines but The hosts of the Festival, the Cosmos do not convey any additional meanings. Youth Theatre Centre, presented the play Therefore, the scene invented by the by the contemporary playwright Andrei director where the characters are wiping Ivanov “Queen Bitch” directed by Marina the floor like limp slaves, is so important. Delikatnaya, which was set up in the In “Run, Boy, Run” by Irina Konivkova foyer of the Centre. The scenography was (Hop-Hop Theatre, Czech Republic) perfectly integrated in the circular space

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of the Cosmos Centre. The spectators sit alternate, as do aggression and grotesque. in swivel chairs and watch the father of Lengthy dialogues in a foreign language the main character Tanya who is hidden and excessive emotionality create an behind a huge mirror as if hanging on a unbearable atmosphere of absurdity and hanger. On the opposite side at the bar madness. The oddities and errors however counter the characters Kostya and Sergey are compensated by incredibly beautiful are making their dirty deal. The characters and theatrical misenscenes — a small hide on the bookshelves, talk to each window opens in the cardboard house, a other while sitting there and then open little light is lit, and two tiny figures emerge the doors to the real auditorium. The at the table, same as the main characters, action of the play engages the audience Chaba Forman and Lupa Pultai.. with its dynamism, energy and director’s The Tyumen “Theatre Revolution” pre- imagination. However, the painful, sented a theatre company from Malaysia mystical intonation of the play is missing. with a show based on national folklore The deceiving opening of “No One Dares “Princess of the Ledan Mountain”. The to Live Alone” directed by Hungarians expressive musical performance for one Chaba Forman and Lupa Pultai promises hour plunges you into the world of ancient an interactive performance. Chaba Forman intrigues, genuine fun and unconditional flirts with the audience in front of a black love for Malaysia. The performers demon- backdrop, asks questions and gives and strated vocal skills, martial art and the act of a stand up comedy. But when ability to brilliantly play character roles. the curtain opens we see a lone female The local “Mimicry” Theatre headed figure standing in the darkness to the by Maya Schulz performed a complex accompaniment of music. There comes a and interesting work “Onegin”. The key bitter, dramatic intonation and the surtitles character is the poet Pushkin, a charming, tell you about a married couple and their good-natured person with a sly look. He unborn child. In the same way, throughout calls his characters out of huge mirror the performance, tragedy and fun drawers, alternately representing doors,

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mystical portals or even a coffin. In the fast suspended by strings. A separate storyline tempo of the performance, the director was developing in the auditorium: the and actors manage to put important teenagers, stretched out like strings, accents. The first meeting of Onegin and googled the tunes that sounded on Lensky is set in a very interesting way — the stage and lowered their eyes, as if the young people energetically push out reflecting on something important. glasses at each other sitting at a long The last Festival entry was the shaky table. The relationship between production that really inspires to follow Pushkin and the main characters — Larina the developments in the amateur theatre and Onegin — is an important storyline: further. The SAVI Youth Theatre Studio of the two of them are being stubborn, they the Telšiai Zamayte Theatre in Lithuania run away and argue with the author. participated in the Theatre Revolution The “Gore Gorkoe” (Bitter Grief) dance with the play “A New Story of the Robot performance by the Grotesque physical and the Butterfly”. The young actors theatre Theater from Surgut headed by perform a story about their peers, high Viktor Proskuryakov was an important school students. One could assume that event for the Festival’s young audience. this is a kind of therapy for children. By The love stories happening during the acting out conflicts and love relationships 2nd World War are told without a single they learn to avoid such mistakes in real word, by way of expressive symbols and life. In the straightforward mise-en- movements. The War represented by the scenes, the young actors are so natural blond, languid girl, as if hypnotizes the and easy that we see another example of young men and drags them along, tearing how the theatre language overcomes the away from their beautiful girlfriends and language barriers. fiancés. Behind the prison wall we see the soldiers’ fate dancing, like a puppet Anastasia KAZMINA

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THE JUBILEE FESTIVAL ON OLKHON

THE 20TH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL The Festival participants attended «OLKHON–2019» WAS TRADITIONALLY numerous master classes in directing HELD IN THE VILLAGE OF KHUZHIR ON and acting. For the directors of amateur THE OLKHON ISLAND IN BAIKAL LAKE. theatre the regional centre of post- graduate education provided a special The Festival attracted the record training to upgrade their professional number of participants as 27 theatre level. The general theme of the Festival groups from different parts of Russia — and the workshops was «Theatre. The from Khabarovsk in the Far East to St. Time of Change”. During the Festival, Petersburg. The Festival was also attended the daily newspaper “A Feast of by the SOS Theatre from Germany. The Inspiration” was published. total number of participants reached 720 The leaders of the Festival were well- people. The Festival programme included known theatre pedagogues, including 27 productions seen and discussed by Vladimir Baicher, Dean of the Directing the participants, a number of master Department at the State Theatre classes, nine informal meetings and the Academy; Julia Avsharova, Honored sketch show “Visiting Turukhtan”. There Actress of Russia and Associate Professor was also a grand Festival opening and a of the Schukin Theatre Institute; theatre farewell party. director and professor of the Moscow

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Art Theatre School Mikhail Mokeev; Tatiana Fedyushina, professor of stage speech; teacher of stage movement A.V. Samoylov; and Yelena Mironova, theatre director and teacher of acting classes at the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Moscow Institute of Culture. The Festival turned out to be large- scale. Performances took place on very different sites in the open air and on the stage of the Khuzhir Culture Centre. The Festival participants were very impressed with its organization and are now looking forward the next festivals that will take place in similar places and formats.

Alexander KONONOV, Angarsk

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YOUR ARE INVITED ON STAGE!

THIS WONDERFUL FESTIVAL THAT TAKES The Festival program included master PLACE IN POHVISTNEVO IN SAMARA classes in stage movement that were REGION IS WIDELY KNOWN AND MAKES successfully held under the guidance THE TOWN A PLACE OF ACTIVE THEATRE of Boris Domnin, assistant professor of LIFE. THE RECENT EDITION OF THE stage movement at the Shchepkin Higher FESTIVAL BROUGHT TOGETHER TWELVE Theatre School with the State Academic RUSSIAN COMPANIES AND A COMPANY Maly Theatre. Mikhail Karpushkin, FROM THE NETHERLANDS. WITHIN merited arts worker of the Russian THE FRAMEWORK OF THE FESTIVAL, Federation, professor at the Samara THERE WERE TWO EXHIBITIONS — ONE, State Institute of Culture gave a master ORGANIZED BY THE SAMARA BRANCH class in directing. The daily directors’ OF THE RUSSIAN THEATRE UNION, laboratory focused on discussions of the Festival performances by the curators “BEHIND THE SILENCE OF THE WINGS”, and the participants. All the 18 Festival AND THE OTHER, DEDICATED TO NIKOLAI performances traditionally gathered full ARBUZOV THEATRE AND THEATRE “SAD”, houses, and the audience consisted local THE HOST OF THE FESTIVAL. public and the participants.

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The patriarch of the Russian theater all performers to the smallest nuances A.N. Ostrovsky became a unique leader of the heroes’ lives and, as a result, among the authors of dramatic works wonderful acting work. presented in the festival poster. 3 plays The Festival demonstrated that from his plays saw the light of the Russian classical repertory remains ramp. And if the “Holiday Dream — the most popular material for creative Before Lunch” of the People’s Musical endeavors in the amateur theatre. Two Drama Theater from the city of Lesnoy, of the participating productions were Sverdlovsk Region, was directed by stagings of Russian classical pieces — Sergei Rudoy, ​​and “Married would be one, “Uncle’s Dream” based on the Balzaminov” from the Model Theater novel by Dostoevsky, was presented by “Reflection” from Nizhny Tagil, the the Community Theatre named after director Larisa Popova was distinguished A. Dyachkov from Privoljie in Samara by the desire to find new forms in Region (stage adaptation and directing modern interpretation of the classics, by Olga Ivanova); the other, “A Feast then the Studio Theater “Podium” of the of the Soul” based on the stories by city of Dimitrovgrad, director Vladimir Vasily Shukshin was presented by the Kazanjan did not seek good from good. Community Theatre “Muravei-NIK” The performance in the production of (stage adaptation and directing by “This Kiss Is Worth It” is based on the Adiyakova). play “The Last Victim” staged in the best The characters of both shows — be it traditions of the Russian psychological the inhabitants of the pre-revolutionary theater, which brought real pleasure and village of Mordasovo or the inhabitants captivated the audience with its stage of the Soviet-time village who would culture, the attention of the director and hate to live in a city — are close and well

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understood by to the amateur actors. preferred foreign dramaturgy to Russian This explains their success with the drama. The Svoyi Theatre Studio presented Festival audience. Jean Anouilh’s “The Orchestra” directed The audience also appreciated the by Konstantin Pochtenny. The Krug_I production entitled “Nevsky Prospekt” Theatre Studio performed “The Witches based on Gogol’s short stories and of Salem” based on Arthur Miller’s play performed by the Community amateur “The Crucible”, directed by Ivan Anikeev. company “Fakel” (Torch) from the town The first production could be praised for of Angarsk in the direction of Alexander a completely justified and interesting Kononov and “The Young Lady — physical decision of the difficult polyphonic Peasant” based on Pushkin’s novel and sound of the French orchestra consisting performed by the Young Spectators’ od female actors. As for the second one, Theatre from Belaya Kholunitsa in Kirov it can be criticized the too straightforward region in the direction of Yelena Ogneva. and declarative staging. Both productions were distinguished by The hosts of the Festival presented their desire and ability to create and two local companies — the SAD theatre justify the atmosphere and customs of studio played “A Cuckoo Clock” based the metropolitan St. Petersburg and a on the play by Leonid Filatov and Russian provincial estate. directed by Alexander Karetin, and Samara, as one could probably expect the DiV Community Puppet Theatre from an advanced regional capital, performed “The Hedgehog’s Haircut”

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based on Boris Turovsky’s play and professionals and theatre fans. The fact directed by Yelena Sherstnyakova. that the Festival “You Are Invited on Particularly interesting in the first Stage” remains to be distinguished by a show was the minimalistic, yet very high organizational level, a very friendly imaginative set design that created the atmosphere and a growing support of interior and everyday household items the local authorities make one believe of a modern apartment. In the other in the good future of the forum. We show especially notable and expressive are confident that anyone who wants were the two puppets — the Hare and to go out on stage will be there, in the Hedgehog who were far better that Pohvistnevo, next time! the other performers. The Kinelsky Experimental Theatre Alexey YAKIMANSKY, (KET) made a very interesting debut Samara at the Festival. This is a young but successfully developing company from the town of Kinel in Samara Region led by Vladimir Loginov. The company presented Dmitry Smirnov’s play “KON. VOY” that tells in a documentary format about the tragic events taking place in 1942. Despite the imperfection of the dramaturgy and the venue where the play was performed, it made a strong impression on the audience thanks to the excellent use of technical means. The FamStam Theatre from the Dutch town of Varmenheisen came to Pohvistnevo for the third time. The duet of Astrid and France Stam has grown into a family trio as the show “And Still Love, Still Love” was NEWS directed by their daughter Lisa Stam. The company remained very faithful to the eternal theme of the world — the relationship between Man and Woman. The 5th All-Russia Open Festival The very short piece accommodated the of amateur theatres-й Все entire life story of the two characters. “Theatre Meeting on the Neva” Expressiveness, physical insecurity and will take place September 17–21 utter openness of feelings have long in St. Petersburg. been the hallmark of this theatre. The summary information uncovers the efforts of more than one hundred

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AN ACTOR’S HAPPINESS

EVERY TWO YEARS THE TOWN OF GATCHINA of the Gatchina Municipality, the Culture HOSTS THE FESTIVAL OF AMATEUR Committee and the Centre of Folk Art of THEATRES AND THEATRE STUDIOS the Leningrad Region. The Festival’s main GATHERING COMPANIES FROM RUSSIAN site is the Gatchina House of Culture, AND EUROPEAN CITIES. THE IDEA OF THE where the performances are played on ENCOUNTER IS TO PRESENT NEW WORK two wonderful venues. TO THE COLLEAGUES AND TO “CHECK THE The recent Festival “Avanguard and INTERNAL CLOCK”. THIS IS ACHIEVED BY Traditions” was held in the frame of THE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS, MASTER the Year of Theatre. For that reason CLASSES, AND PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGE the organizers dedicated one of the WITH THE PIERS. Festival’s performance, the immersive show“The Curtain is Up”, to this important initiative and made it some For many years, the festival has been kind of a prologue to the Festival supported by the Russian branch of the program allowing the audience to look International Association of Amateur into the bowels of the theatre - dressing Theatre (AITA), the Theatre Union of the rooms, the costume department, the Russian Federation, the administration director’s office and the dramatist’s

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Commission on Amateur Theatre at the Russian Theatre Union. The Avanguard and Tradition has never been a thematic festival, the theatres have always been free to choose a theme. But this time several productions happened to be speaking on the same subject being dedicated to the destiny of the Actor. The adventure musical “Love in the Jazz Style” performed by the art association “Territory of Talents” from Gatchina, presented an almost detective story about the theatre backstage. Director Natalya Petrovskaya took the best examples of the genre — “Some Like it Hot”, “Hello, I Am Your Aunt!”and“Primadonnas”and created a show involving practically all the actors of her company from beginners to adults and filling it with music and energy. The Russian Youth Theatre from Tallinn (Estonia) showed the production entitled“Edith Piaf. Life on Credit ”based on the play by Victor Legentov and directed by Alla Milovidova. The convincing acting of the study. Roman Kalkaev, teacher of the lead actress Yekaterina Rachek filled the GITIS directing department and actor of stage space with real life, brought the the Moscow Theatre of Music and Poetry audience close to the contradictory fate of under the direction of Elena Kamburova, the great singer, making us admire her and gave master classes in acting. An be stunned with her. important event of the Festival was the The tragic yet light performance presentation of the Recognition Award “Waiting for a Miracle ...” based on the play established by the Russian Theatre Union by Francoise Sagan can be called a and given important figures of amateur parable about the Actress, who lives in theatre as an acknowledgment of their the name of the Theatre. This is a staging contribution to the development of by Zoya Radzivilova, the founder of the amateur theatre in Russia. This time, “Green Lantern”Theatre from Lithuania the Award was given to Artur Ladysev, (artistic director of the production Alla the founder and artistic director of the Zorina). Zoya Radzivilova also played studio for children and young people the lead role depicting the story of an “The Children of Monday” in Sortavala, elderly actress Emilia Morshan in a sub- Republic of Karelia, which celebrates its tle and reserved manner. The elderly 20th anniversary this year. The Award actress being constrained by illness and was presented by Yuri Vasiliev, People’s abandoned by everyone continues believe Artist of Russia, Chairman of the in her destiny. The concept of the theatre as a

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destiny is shared by the director and teacher your cross and believe.” Four actresses — Zoya Feodosievna. For almost 30 years, her Elena Pisarenko as Truda, Ksenia Alyoshina “Green Lantern”, despite the multiple as Klara, Anastasia Sapronova as Maria difficulties fights to preserve Russian and Vera Dmitrieva as Lisa — endowed culture and language, she focuses on with bright personalities, open the doors the Russian psychological theatre school, to the theatre world. More precisely, to the recruits schoolchildren, young people world of a provincial theatre, where they and adults; she is an initiator and orga- play animals in shows for children while nizer of the international festival “Vilnius dreaming about big parts, waiting for their Footlights”. A few years ago, Zoya Radzi- lucky chance and hoping to making it to vilova received the Recognition Award the big stage. None of the actresses speaks of the Russian Theatre Union for her directly about her love and dedication to dedication and commitment to the theatre. the theatre, but through their dialogues, Artur Ladysev, director of the theatre one comes to understand that it is their life, studio for children and young people destiny and their mission. “Children of Monday”from the town Irina Nikityuk and Anatoly Trukhin, of Sortavala in Karelia, presented the artistic leaders of the Theatre Studio production“The Actresses” based on “Zakulisie” (Backstage) from the town Czech playwright Arnosz Goldflam’s play of Pushkin in Leningrad Region made a “A Dressing Room for Actresses”. As an production about theatre as an art that epigraph the director took a quotation brings people together. Indeed, plays are from Chekhov“You must know how to carry written and embodied on the stage by

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the heart and that is why they manage to chology” directed by Yevgeny Tsarev and make the audience laugh, cry and applaud. Artemy Miller. The director of the Vyborg The artistic decision of Koki Mitani’s Community Theatre Konstantin Kostyonkov tragicomedy “The Academy of Laughter” made a production “I Woke up From a Smile and the brilliant acting of Konstantin of Happiness”where he compiled Ivan Bu- Gritsan in the part of the Author and Pavel nin’s short stories “Madrid”,“Easy Breath”, Shmelev in the part of the Censor brought “Second Coffee Pot”and “The Caucasus”. the production the highest award of the The students’ theatre of the St. Peter- Festival, the Grand Prix. sburg Polytechnical University staged Following the Festival’s tradition, the Daniil Granin’s novel “The Namesake”and participants take up different authors and dedicated it to writer’s 100th anniversary. experiment in different genres. The Gat- The author of the stage adaptation china Theatre Studio “Za Uglom” (Around and director of the production is Victor the Corner) was the initiator of the Festival Borisenko and the set design is created “Avanguard and Tradition” 20 years ago; by Gennady Morozov. The choice of the li- this time they presented the classical Rus- terary piece was not accidental also becau- sian play“Not All Cats Are Pancake Week” se in 1938 Daniil Granin was a student at the by Alexander Ostrovsky directed by Yuri Leningrad Polytechnical University which Kalugin. The theatre studio that engages he graduated with a diploma of an electri- people with disabilities “Bezuslovny Teatr” cal engineer. The new generation of “techi- (Unconditional Theatre) from St. Peters- es” dedicated their work to his memory. burg presented a fantasy based on the short story by Nadezhda Taffy “Subtle Psy- Yelena GLEBOVA

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THE TERRITORY OF YOUNG ACTORS’ THEATRE

THE ALL-RUSSIAN YOUTH AMATEUR of all, the Festival team headed by Yevgeny THEATRE FESTIVAL “THEATRE Kraisel managed to put together a very CROSSROADS” SUMMARIZED THE RESULTS interesting programme, diverse in terms of OF THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. geographical representation and in terms THE FORUM WAS HELD AT THE STUDENT of the scope of genres and themes. Among THEATRE OF THE YEKATERINBURG THEATRE the participants we saw emerging groups INSTITUTE. FOURTEEN THEATRE GROUPS headed by young leaders taking their first TOOK PART IN THE COMPETITION AND THE steps in theatre pedagogy alongside with FESTIVAL’S GEOGRAPHY COVERED A DOZEN experienced, almost professional, youth OF RUSSIAN CITIES AND TOWNS, FROM theatre companies led by directors who MOSCOW TO ULAN-UDE. have already developed their own complex theatrical language and have a very good eye for literary material they suggest to I have never seen a more exciting and their young actors. And, although “Theatre ingenious amateur theatre festival than the Crossroads” is based on a competition one annually taking place in Yekaterinburg. principle, the Festival’s s programme and The anniversary edition of the “Theatre policy protect it from being a “vanity fair”. Crossroads” only confirmed the fact. First On the contrary, the Festival effectively

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turned out to be a unique university play, on what it should talk about and what where one learnt from another: the group kind of literature it should be based on. leaders learnt from the jury and from each The aim of the conversation was to outline other, the kids learnt from their peers and relevant problem areas of the amateur from trainers who gave master classes in theatre. Some of the problem issues are stage movement, acting, clowning and also typical of the professional theatre other theatrical disciplines, while the jury and some are specific to the amateur in a way learnt from the kids to discuss the theatre. The problems generally common performances. The open discussion with to the professional as well as to amateur participation of the kids and masterly led theatre, as one may suggest, includes by the dramaturg of the Yekaterinburg play-acting, clichés and inaccuracy. The Youth Theatre Natalia Kiseleva, was very latter problem in the amateur theatre detailed and much to the point. is often a result of wrong choices of the With all that, the adult jury consisting of literature, when the suggested material is theatre critics, theatre teachers and theatre too challenging for the kids. directors from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Another problem of the theatre, Yekaterinburg met every day to discuss with where children and very young people the leaders of the participating theatre play, arises when the young actors are groups the performances they saw during engaged to play elderly people. As we the day. The discussions included a very could see, not every director or teacher detailed analysis of each production, as can suggest the right manner of acting well as a cross-talk on the development or the right adjustment for kids to play of theatre where children and teenagers adults. And there were plenty of adult

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characters in the productions performed adapted for stage by Olga Varshaver, shows by kids at «Theatre Crossroads». one individual conflict. However, generally, All that said, the best Festival productions it shows the American school at the time of surprised us in a positive way by the choice the Vietnam War and the hippie revolution of new fresh literary material, which was a through the eyes of the main character, a discovery even for the jury members. Ano- schoolboy sentenced reading Shakespeare ther surprise was the choice of themes and every Wednesday. “Wednesday Battles” topics the theatre dares to discuss with its was recognized the leader of the Festival teenage audience. The high level of direc- programme for two reasons. One is that the ting also deserves to be specially noted. director managed to lead the young actors The festival programme included two throughout the play and through the stage adaptations based on two foreign dramatic stories of the characters so that books that deal with confrontation bet- we could see them grow up, change and ween a teacher and a student. In the produc- mature from one scene to another gaining tion based on the novel by Bel Kaufman more and more artistic freedom. The other “Up the Down Staircase” presented by the strong point of the production is that the Young Spectator’s Theatre from Kurgan and actors managed to create, with simple directed by Tatyana Smirnova, the story was means, but very realistically, the world in interpreted from the point of view of the which the fierce senseless war in the teacher. The other piece, Yevgeny Kraisel’s faraway Vietnam is taking place while production with the “Ettie Deti” (Those here in the town the school teachers Children) company from Krasnoyarsk based and students immerse themselves in on Gary Schmidt’s “Wednesday Battles” and Shakespeare in order to forget about the

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war. It was a production directed by a we rediscovered the Russian village that talented artist and, even more importantly, we had thought already lost, like Atlantis. by an experienced and wise teacher. The production of the theatre teacher Yelena Pechenkina presented another and director Angelika Lozanovska “The example of amazing collaboration with Little Mouse and the Snowdrop” at the kids at the Moscow studio “Chamber Saratov Studio “Teatralica” based on the Theatre”. It has been always a hard task to tales of Denis Yemelyanov, is a case of achieve authentic acting in professional virtuoso physical theatre where the young theatre when staging Shukshin and Abra- actors of completely different physical mov who wrote about the Russian village. possibilities are given the opportunity and For years we have been seeing only acting the means to express feelings, thoughts, clichés on stage. The Chamber Theatre emotions and characters with the help took Dmitry Kalinin’s play “Ave Maria of their physicality while keeping in the Ivanovna” dedicated to the author’s grand- dramatic content of the roles. The body, mother and her pre-war village youth. In the voice and the emotions got together in the production presented at the Festival one performance. It was obvious that the we saw that every word and every move of young actors very deeply and personally each of the three characters was carefully tackle the sad tale about a mouse in a life- analyzed, understood and assimilated by long search for his real home. the actors. The company demonstrated an The play “Three Quarters” directed by Tat- amazingly delicate approach to the people yana Pavlova at the Yekaterinburg Thea- whose lives were distorted by the war. tre Studio to the novel by currently working In their faces, intonations and movements writer Anna Krasilshchik is a family-friendly

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theatre piece or rather a performance add- most importantly, the actors sympathize ressed to both the adult and the teenager with their characters and feel sorry for them. audiences aiming to reconnect the gene- Telling us about the problems of teenagers rations. The show engages today’s Yeka- of the 90s, the young actors are actually terinburg teenagers, energetic and ironic, sharing with the audience their own fears, to play out the story of teenagers of the early doubts, love experience and failures. 90’s and about their challenging school It just so happened that “The Theatre life. The director creates a recognizable Crossroads” was the meeting place for to the smallest details of the wardrobe school classes of different times and even world of the teenagers of the 90s. The different continents. Through their stories young actors of the “Igra” (The Games) the young actors from all over Russia theatre company take a great pleasure in spoke about themselves, always receiving putting on the clothes of the kids in the a feedback from the peer audience. It is 90s and plunging into the world comple- great that there is a festival where such a tely unknown to them. Gradually, through dialogue is in the focus. the ironic game, the hard story of school bullying, violence and cruelty of the majo- Oksana KUSHLYAEVA rity towards the chosen outcast unfolds. Theatre critic, contributor The teenagers play out the story with such to the St. Petersburg Theatre understanding and empathy that very few Magazine, member of the Expert adults are capable of. The young actors tell Board of the «Golden Mask» Russian us about how the fear can make one vile, and National Theatre Award how the feeling of impunity may push one St. Petersburg to commit even more terrible things. And,

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SETTING THE BAR HIGH

ONE LOOKS FORWARD TO A FESTIVAL IN THE SAME WAY AS YOU LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW YEAR EVE, WHEN A LARGE FAMILY GETS TOGETHER AROUND THE TABLE AND EVERYONE BRINGS A SACK FULL OF TALES, STORIES AND JOKES PICKED UP ALONG THE WAY. MY EXPECTATIONS OF A FESTIVAL WERE FULLY IN CHELYABINSK, THE CITY THAT HOSTED THE VI ALL-RUSSIA UNIVERSIADE. A FESTIVAL IS MORE THAN JUST A MEETING PLACE FOR OLD FRIENDS; IT IS A PLATFORM THAT PROVIDES OPPOR- TUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOP- MENT. WITHOUT SUCH OPPORTUNITIES THEATRES WOULD HAVE BEEN BREWING OWN THEIR OWN JUICE. company, and everyone gave each other After a four-year break, the organizers promises to stay in touch. The Festival prog- managed to out together the funding for ram was extensive and included four perfor- a large-scale project that was realized by a mances a day. Among the participants were small-scale theatre-studio «Mannequin» student theatre companies from Tyumen, under the leadership of Vladimir Filonov, Yekaterinburg, Omsk, Kazan, St. Peters- a big enthusiast who sincerely believes burg and Moscow. The specific feature of in the power of theatre. Unlike the usual the Festival is that the «Best Performance» approach “airplane-hotel-performance- prize is awarded based on the peer voting. afterparty-airplane”, the Festival organi- Judging from the growing number of par- zed in Chelyabinsk provided the companies ticipants and its expanding geography the with an opportunity to be together during all-Russia UNIFEST increasingly becomes a the entire forum. The participants were global forum with each new edition. able to see each other’s performances and Chelyabinsk welcomed me in a most discuss them, they attended the workshops wonderful way: on the threshold of and master classes, they tried their hand at the Mannequin Theater-studio, I was the platform for acting improvisations. Du- greeted by Vladimir Filonov, artistic ring the Festival a lot of new ideas were deve- leader of the theatre and director of the loped and new friendships were made. production based on Sergei Dovlatov’s Some companies were invited for guest stories one of the Festival entries. performances, someone received an invi- Together with my colleagues I watched tation to make a production with another and discussed about 20 performances

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of very different artistic levels – from gave rise to images of animals and the hopeless to highly professional. emergence of life on the Earth. The text Apart from the traditional theatre was integrated into the performance. As productions that can be seen in repertory an example, “The Prayer” by the poet theatres, the city residents and Festival Bulat Okudzhava recited in half-whisper participants had a chance to see other against the background of the shadow kinds of shows that one would not find theatre performance set a nostalgic tone on traditional venues. This year, the to the show. Another participant was an Festival programme included a lot of experimental production ANIMALS by performances that were taking place in the Alexei Tetyuev’s New Studio directed unusual spaces and locations. The Festival by Alexei Tetyuev from Chelyabinsk. opened with the performance tilted “The Restrained in color and aggressive in Hunters” based on the paintings by Peter the way of communication with the Bruegel the Elder and directed by Radik audience, the production created a Ryabkov. A festival, as it happens with any feeling of hallucination. powerful event, expands its influence to The scenes are rewound forward, places, sites and phenomena that have like on a videotape, turning the actors long been in oblivion and desolation. into marionettes with the help of rapid In this case, the actors explored and and broken movements. The director settled in a new space, a workshop of the does not care for the comfort of the former plexiglas factory. The stream of auditorium; he deals with the aesthetics associations based on the artist’s paintings of the disgusting creating the images

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of animals that represent certain social even harder, they chose a cabaret as types, i.e. homeless or hookers. The the place of the action. Emotional and performance leaves you with a feeling sad episodes from Sergei Dovlatov’s of a sticky psychedelic dream that you life intersperse with funny episodes cannot escape. from his literary pieces, which very well Another discovery was the Fabrika corresponds to the personal image of (Factory) Theatre from Yekaterinburg the writer. The performance is drawn presenting the production titled like a ballet: the gestures, the glances, “The Fourth” written and directed by the turns of the head, the tempo of the Ulyana Gitsareva. In the beginning speech and pauses before a witty joke someone from the audience becomes - all is performed as if to an invisible a participant of the performance – he metronome or to an accelerated ticking is a fourth character, the God from the of an internal mechanism. However, machine, or the God who judges the even with such tempo-rhythm and a characters as it was in the Ancient Greek harmonious ensemble, each actors has theatre. It is the choice of the “God” solo moments, even if without any lines. from the audience that becomes the Unfortunately, I cannot make any starting point of the action. The situation positive comments with reference to is essentially simple: three persons, not the production by my colleagues from counting the fourth one, find themselves the Chelyabinsk Pedagogical Institute. in a confined space (a waiting area The Profile Theatre presented “Anna in the airport). They raise and discuss Karenina” in the direction of Evgeny various sensitive topics, provoking each Melnikov based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel. other into an open collision. The fourth Neither the actors, who seemed to be character is supposed to get involved in only thinking about self-expression, nor the action when the collision reaches a the director with his attempt to shift the really dramatic point. This is followed by semantic meanings, were successful in a wonderful subtle improvisation of the interpreting the world-famous novel. actors. For one hour, you become a direct The “May” Youth Theatre from participant of the game in real time, and Tyumen also took up a complex in the end you learn much more about material, choosing the play by Leonid yourself than you could have expected. Andreev «Katerina Ivanovna». Director The second Festival day opened Maria Budykina created a multi-genre with “Dovlatov” directed by Vladimir “layer cake”, which, as I think turned Filonov – my strongest impression in the out to be too complicated for her. The Universiade programme. The tragedy of actors were made to go from the genre the protagonist – the role of Dovlatov of buffoonery to the absurd theatre is performed by Ilya Vtyurin – unfolds and then to the psychological theatre. in a cabaret between the tables where Unfortunately, this theatrical eclecticism the audience is seated. The artistic was in no way justified, and the literary team had set for themselves quite a base itself resisted to such violence. challenging task – to place the serious The Festival situation once again dramatic content in the framework of revealed the usual problem of the a light genre and, as if making the task mismatch between the festival venue

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and the company’s own stage for in the 70s of the last century. Prompting which the production was originally the question «What is there to play created. The unluckiest in this respect about today?», it clearly shows that this turned out to be the production of “The has always been a story about love. So Namesake” based on Daniil Granin’s simple - a love story told with simple novel presented by the St. Petersburg artistic means. An eternal theme and Polytechnic University (director Viktor eternal human feelings: love, betrayal, Borisenko) and “Le Concert” by the caution, fear, misunderstanding, regret Open Studio Theatre O.S.T. (director etc. The text of the play, which is in Irina Lyadova). no way modernized by the director, is The production “Winter” by the emotionally engaging for the audience KS Theatre from Omsk based on of various ages, as is the wonderful Ivan Vyrypaev’s play “Valentine and duet of Tatyana Troshina as Valentina Valentine” was undoubtedly the best and Dinara Iskakova as Katya. The and was rightly awarded with the prize scenography is also decided in a very in the nomination “Best Performance”. simple way: the room with pieces of While its genre was indicated as furniture that have no indication of the “melodramatic absurdity”, it turned out time and as if dusted with either the to be a very touching story directed by Moscow snow, or the symbolic “dust of Natalya Kozlovskaya. The play is some time”. kind of a sequel of Mikhail Roshchin The return to the past is easy and airy, the play «Valentine and Valentine» written room is covered with an openwork tulle,

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against which the characters love, kiss, emotional, curious and eager to learn. quarrel and make important decisions. Even festival of professional theatre can The music creates an atmosphere and rarely boast so many good shows in the the environment, provoking thoughts, programme. feelings and actions. The music makes The Festival presented one successful accents, precedes the events or produces example of absurdist drama — the the aftertaste. Valentin played by the production titled “On the Raft” based actor Nikita Kostin is not the center on Slavomir Mrozhek’s play “Out at around which the lives of the two Sea” staged at Faridun Mukhitdinov women are developing, but no more Independent Theatre Project in Moscow. than an addition to the wonderful duet. While in everyday life, “absurdity” means His emphasized emotions sometimes “nonsense”, in art, absurdism is a certain dominate over the subtle psychological philosophical notion related to the continuity. The actresses, on the contrary, pointlessness of efforts to find a meaning are a continuous graceful line, with of human existence in the world. all its emotional twists and curls. But Absurdity refers to something illogical, in this particular performance, this is ridiculous, devoid of purpose, an probably how it should be. Once again, antiworld — each dictionary gives its own I compliment Ivan Vyrypaev as very few definition, although one can make one’s male writers who undertake to write own decision on what the word means. about women can unveil and convey Faridun Mukhitdinov’s production is an all those illogical impulses, flashes of attempt to demonstrate this. coquetry and aggression, passion and The stage interpretation does not fear, so that all of it could be taken for present any logical statement, the action utter psychological truth, and not as a is driven by inertia, the dialogue are all judging evaluation of a representative of absurdity as the characters are trying to the other gender. find out which of them will be eaten. Tatyana Proshina acts as very few Everything is absurdity: the seagull is actors can do today, making acting and an actor’s gloved hand. Who are these half-forgotten «transformation” one people? Why are they here? They are not whole, and you cannot separate the friends or acquaintances, although for actress and her character, no matter some unknown reason they are aware of how hard you try. She manages to find each other. There are three of them on accurate and clear colors for each age the raft, which is some kind of a symbol period and for every stage of her life. of life. At some point we realize that they The women in the play are clearly much are shipwrecked. On the raft drifting in stronger and more tragic than the men. darkness in the open sea, escorted by They love deeper, suffer worse and seagull, there is a chest as well as three drastically change towards the end. chairs and three persons with empty The company leaders and the amateur stomachs that rumble from hunger. At actors watched the performances and one point they arrive at the decision that eagerly, even passionately participated one of them has to be eaten. There seems in the open discussions. This was the to be no place for contemplation but the first time in years that I saw students so characters turn out to be willing to discuss

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the situation and even to take a vote to leader who knows how to make speeches decide who should be eaten. This is where and get out of any situation. Each of them each of them reveals his personality. The is to some extent associated with one or tiny space is fenced with a signal tape, on another part of society - the intelligentsia, the stage there are three chairs and three the working class and the power. Who men in classic black suits. The expressive should be eaten? Although the choice is ensemble of male actors created very known, literally from the first moments, interesting characters. The first character the three characters take a lot of time to A Thin Man played by Vladimir Pachin) is make their choice of who would become unsure of himself, somewhat miserable, a lunch or dinner for the other two. This is far from being a leader, yet, ready for the only concern of the people left on their sacrifice. Although, on the other hand, the own in the open sea. Even though there question whether such a sacrifice is needed has always been an alternative decision, is another absurdity. The second character no one even cared to notice it: when the A Medium Man performed by Dmitry Fourth (played by Maxim Trofimchuk) who Dembrovsky is ready to follow a leader, comes in from nowhere and disappears no matter who that leader is, he always into nowhere, provides a prompt, they joins the stronger side and easily agrees disregard it completely. to endure slaps and prevaricate. Finally, The message of the story is very sad A Fat Man (Georgy Manucharov) is a true in its essence: one must survive at the

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expense of someone else by trying to theatre festival: the solo performance steer the situation so that the other “Silver Arrows” directed by Alexander person is ready for a sacrifice. At the Feldman (SDVIG Theatre, Kazan) and same time, there are so many absurdities “The Good Man from Sichuan” of the FB and funny situations in the performance Workshop Theatre ChGIK, Chelyabinsk, that the audience could not restrain directed by Igor Barmasov. laughter. Humor in an absurdist play is The Festival is left behind in September. a find – it can be the only thing to hold There are two years ahead, the time on to, it can help to the emotions out. of expectations, hopes and fears and Without changing the text of the play, of work. We will start looking forward the director with his actors managed to to the next Festival in a strong belief integrate acute meanings in the story that theatre is an art, and not politics, that is not directly related to today. speculations or boring monotone. The Perspectiva dance theatre from The Universiade was excellent and set Tyumen presented a very good physical itself an extremely high bar that will not performance “Frida. A Spectrum of be easy to take it two years time when Independence”. This is a visual physical hopefully the next edition will take soundrama directed by Suzanne Ivanova. place. This is a place where people are Obviously, the dance is the determining open to new artistic trends and ideas. factor in the style of the performance. Very importantly, they have a sense of The production reflects key episodes in humor and irony. Interesting visuality the life of the famous Mexican artist Frida can be created with very simple tools at Kahlo, who had lived through many tragic hand. But the main thing that is always circumstances. Her life contained ups and on the first plane is good theatre, and I downs, betrayals and disappointments, sincerely congratulate the organizers and fears and victories; and love — so various participants on that! and so vitally important for everyone. All these events are told through dance Olga ZAICHIKOVA, variations in contemporary choreography. Moscow Frida’s dance performed by Sofia Golomolzina is a true confession of love. The performance is distinguished by its multicomponent, sophisticated design; NEWS each performer, each set element, the live music played by “Just Suzy” band, In 2019 Russian amateur the lighting design leads, as it seems, an theatre companies successfully independent part, but it all adds up, gets participated in a number together into voluminous, dynamically of international festivals in replacing each other elements of a single Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, dramatic canvas. Hungary, Italy, Denmark The Festival programme also included and Finland. two very professional productions that cannot be discussed within the framework of an article dedicated to an amateur

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THEATRE MEETINGS ON THE YAUZA

THE CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROJECT directors’ forum organized with the idea “THEATRE MEETINGS ON THE YAUZA” WAS to discuss the achieved results and the ORGANIZED WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE prospects. The programme was successfully RUSSIAN THEATRE UNION AND TOOK PLACE implemented: theatre groups from FROM MARCH TO MAY 2019 IN MYTISHCHI Moscow, Zhukovsky, Shchelkov, Odintsovo NEAR MOSCOW. and other regional towns showed their performances and about 30 amateur The project was aimed developing effective theatre directors gathered in Mytishchi communication between amateur theatre for the Forum. Larisa Alexandrova made companies in Moscow and the Moscow a presentation for the Forum participants Region, creating a single platform for on “How to develop a successful project. touring, training and professional Fundamentals of project activities in exchange, and initiating artistic projects amateur theatre”. The participants also in the amateur theatre. During several attended the presentation of the special months, each weekend amateur theatre annual issue of the theatre journal groups were invited to perform and take «Strastnoy Boulevard, 10», a media of the part in creative contests, widely attended Russian Theatre Union. by the audience and by the directors The project “Theatre Meetings on and actors of amateur theatre groups the Yauza” has established itself as representing the Moscow Region. an effective activity aimed at uniting The programme consisted of perfor- amateur theatre groups and promoting mances and discussions, master classes their interaction in the region. in acting and stage movement for actors and directors. The Project also included a Larisa ALEXANDROVA

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THE NEVA THEATRE MEETINGS

ST. PETERSBURG, THE CULTURAL Academy (RATI/GITIS), President of CAPITAL OF RUSSIA, IS KNOWN FOR RICH the Russian Association of Student TRADITIONS OF AMATEUR THEATRE, FROM Theatres, Vice-President of the Russian HOME THEATRES EXISTING BEFORE THE AITA Centre Mikhail Chumachenko. REVOLUTION TO WORKERS’ THEATRE People’s Artist of the Russian Federation GROUPS. THE OPEN ALL-RUSSIAN AMATEUR Ivan Krasko, an actor of the Petersburg THEATRE FESTIVAL — COMPETITION «THE Komissarzhevskaya Theatre was invited NEVA THEATRE MEETINGS» KEEPS UP THE to be the Festival’s Honorary President WONDERFUL TRADITIONS, DISCOVERS and met with the participants to share THE COUNTRY’S MOST TALENTED THEATRE his artistic experience. GROUPS AND HELPS THEATRE ENTHUSIASTS The Jury especially singled out the following theatre companies: the FROM THE REGIONS TO RECEIVE Shagi (Steps) Contemporary Dance PROFESSIONAL GUIDELINES. Studio Theatre from St. Petersburg with the production “Ariadna” The Neva Theatre Meetings are getting based on Ariadna Efron’s diaries; the increasingly popular and important Gorchakov’s Amateur Theatre from every year. In September 2019 the the village of Obyachevo in the Komi Festival was held for the fourth time Republic, with a staging of Chingiz and received over one hundred Aitmatov’s story “The Piebald Dog applications, twice as many as in the Running at the Edge of the Sea” and the previous years. The geography has Zakulisie (Backstage) Amateur Studio expanded significantly: applications Theatre from the town of Pushkin in the had come from companies in the Irkutsk Leningrad Region with “Biloxi Blues” and Tyumen regions, the Krasnodar based on Neil Simon’s play. and Altai territories, the Republics of The Grand Prix of the Neva Theatre Komi and Crimea, the Udmurt Republic. Meetings was given to the Festival’s More than 30 new theatre groups from debutants, the Mechtateli (Dreamers) all over Russia expressed an interest to Theatre company from Izhevsk, the take part in the competition. For the capital of the Republic of Udmurtia. first time the Neva Theatre Meetings This is an inclusive theatre company hosted inclusive theatre companies. that engages totally or partially blind The Jury of the 4th Festival edition was aged people. In the frame of the headed by professor of the Department Festival, they presented the mime of Directing at the Russian Theatre performance “New Life”, an emotional

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and touching story in which they share The Festival wrapped up with the the experience and feelings of people Conference “Professionalism and who have lost their eyesight. According Amateurism: Faces of Opportunities.” to the Jury and the audience, the performance of «The Dreamers» was a Ksenia KORSHUNOVA theatrical catharsis. St. Petersburg Apart from the competition, the Neva Theatre Meetings attaches a great importance to the educational activities. In addition to the competition of performances and post-performance discussions, the programme included panels, workshops and meetings with leading theatre personalities from St. Petersburg and Moscow. According to the participants, the St. Petersburg meeting provides them with practical assistance of high-level specialists and the competent Jury stimulates their creativity and initiative.

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JYVÄSKYLÄ, THE TOWN OF THEATRE

THE FINNISH TOWN OF JYVÄSKYLÄ are, effectively, the only platform for the HOSTED THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL participants to meet and get to know each OF RUSSIAN-SPEAKING CHILDREN AND other and to see the work of the peers. YOUTH THEATRE NAMED «SAMPO, THE The professional theatre company MILL OF HAPPINESS» PRESENTING “Trickster” from Moscow presented in THEATRE GROUPS FROM GEORGIA, Jyväskylä “The Tale That Was Not Written”. SPAIN, FRANCE AND A NUMBER OF Produced ten years ago, the production has RUSSIAN AND FINNISH COMPANIES. been shown in a great number of festivals THE FESTIVAL WAS ORGANIZED BY THE around the world. With each performance ART MASTER THEATRE HEADED BY KIRA it continues to develop and acquire new details and new plot twists, and is MIRUTENKO, THE FOUNDER OF THE invariably enthusiastically received by the RUSSIAN-LANGUAGE CULTURE CENTRE audience. Its creators Maria Litvinova and IN CENTRAL FINLAND. Vyacheslav Ignatov are winners of the Golden Mask Award, the highest Russian The Festival opened with an interactive theatre prize. “The Tale That Was Not seminar on bilingualism where parents Written» is an interactive performance of bilingual children together with local where the audience is allowed to take a schoolteachers and professors of the decision on what the lost princess should Jyväskylä University discussed the issues do, i.e. the spectators become characters related to multiculturalism and the ways of the play and create their own storyline. to solve the arising problems. The key aim Theatre group from Krasnoyarsk “Etti of the “Sampo, the Mill of Happiness” Deti” (Those Children) came to the Festival is to facilitate artistic communication with the play “Everything is Simple or between children and youth Russian- One Day in the Life of Grade 8A”. Since speaking theatre groups living in different 2008 the young actors of different ages countries. The four festival days gave the have been engaged in stage movement, kids enough time to make new friends, choreography and vocal. The company to get to know each other, to see each has been a winner of various theatre other’s work and improve the acting skills competitions. The production was devised in the acting master classes. by the kids and their director Yevgeny The directors and leaders of the amateur Kraisel. During the Festival Yevgeny also theatre groups represented in the Festival, gave a master class. belong to different theatre schools and “All festivals are different, and the live thousands miles away from one Jyväskylä Festival has its special, homely another, so for them the possibility of atmosphere. I am happy that our kids such communication is very precious could come here because such meetings and important. Such annual encounters of like-minded people are very important.

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We receive a new charge of energy and come back home with new ideas that for us are additional stimuli to continue. The kids and I have discovered a lot of new things at the Festival. We are all living in our own worlds, and it is very important at times to get out into a wider world and learn from others, says Yevgeny. Angelika Lozanovsky, leader of the “Teatralica” Studio Theatre from Saratov, shares the opinion of her colleague. She says: “It is so important that the kids have an opportunity to communicate time to discuss them among ourselves, with children from other theatre groups, and will do it when we get back home other towns, regions and countries. The and continue to analyze the experience workshops provide us with new creative of the Festival». It has to be mentioned energy. We all, including the young actors that Angelika was a workshop leader, and and the adults, have learnt a lot during her master classes was one of the most the Festival and saw really interesting impressive ones. Also, the performance performances. These four days were so of her theatre group “The Mouse and the eventful that we did not even have the Snowdrop” was, one could say, the most

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touching in the Festival programme and the famous Hiihtomaa Mountain, a fried made the adult audience wipe tears. sausage picnic and even visits to the local The hosts of the Festival, youth studio pool and the ice rink. The snowy country theatre «Art Master», showed the perfor- made a special impression on the guests mance named «#lovehate», a collection of coming from warm countries. fragments of modern dramaturgy, internet I want to note that the participants poetry and, most importantly, texts written especially appreciate the fact that the by the young actors. In turned out to be Festival does not have a competition a story dealing with the issues that are element. The Festival director Kira Miru- important for teenagers and shared their tenko strongly believes that we are all win- experience of growing up and becoming an ners — for the reason that for many years adult — a difficult period when a teenager we have been engaged in making theatre, often feels lonely and misunderstood by and our best award is when we have a the entire world. chance to get together on the same stage. In addition to their roles as actors, the hosts also had to be in the roles of guides, Ilona RUMYANTSEVA, translators, cooks, drivers and volunteers Jyväskylä, Finland doing their best to make all the guests feel at home in Jyväskylä. As a bonus to the hectic theatre life, the Festival participants were Same year in August Jyväskylä hosted taken sightseeing and treated to a number the IV International Theatre Festival «Art of other activities including sledding from Workshop» presenting guest companies

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from Germany, Lithuania and Russia along- farewell party traditionally took place side with a number of Finnish groups. at the lake in beautiful Koivuniemi and The Festival programme included drama included a visit to the sauna and singing of performances, street theatre shows and songs by the fire. virtual performances. A carnival parade «Art Workshop–2019” became possi- took place in the town centre attracting ble thanks to the support of the a lot of spectators and participants. The Mahdollisuuksien tori Project, the educational program of the forum included Jyväskylän Feniks Russian-language master classes in stage speech given by community, WEKE-katiskat Oy and professor of the Moscow Art Theatre Lastenlandia Oy. We are grateful to the School Viktor Markhasev and trainings Russian Theatre Union for the support. Our by the German actor, director and leader appreciation to the Festival participants, of the GOFF theatre company Grigory guests, audiences, volunteers, partners Kofman (Berlin). and sponsors! The Festival is over, but we The daily open post-performance dis- are already receiving applications for the cussions were moderated by Alla Shende- Vth anniversary edition, which is planned rova, theatre critic, a Golden Mask Award to take place in Finland, in August 2020. jury member and editor of the “Theatre” journal. On the last festival day the audience Kira MIRUTENKO, and participants were invited to attend her Festival Director, lecture «Who is who in the theatre of the Jyväskylä, Finland beginning of the XXI century». The Festival

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WE WERE TOGETHER, WE LEARNT TOGETHER

WE WERE TOGETHER, WE MADE DISCOVE- participants were able to demonstrate their RIES TOGETHER! WE STUDIED AND WILL new skills, and in the final performance CONTINUE TO STUDY! they no longer looked like beginners, but rather like grown up actors who very well This is the main result of the II International understand that without such skills they Youth Forum held in Budapest in October would not be able to express their own and organized by the Russian Theatre feelings and thoughts. It seemed that with the support of Rossotrudnichestvo everyone had realized how important it and the Russian Theatre Union. was to learn, to meet and to invite teachers. This time, the trainings were led by Nina Moreover, it is important to continue Amelina, teacher at the School of Speech and developing the knowledge and skills Elocution of Elena Laskavay. Young actors of acquired during the Forum. Russian theatres from Bulgaria, Germany, We thank everyone, and, first of all, Nina Austria and Hungary were very eagerly Amelina. We are thankful to the young and with great diligence developed the actors who came to get new knowledge, skills of breathing, voice and articulation, so to become closer and to say once again: important for anyone who wants to master We are together! the speech technique. The trainings took This is great and this is helpful. The place in the morning, and in the evening the young ones, keep it up! participants worked on text analysis under the guidance of Nina Amelina. Zinaida ZICHERMAN-SOKOLOVA Already after the first few classes, the Budapest

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THE STAGE LIGHTS OF VILNIUS. CHILDREN

THE RECENT EDITION OF THE The second one was a musical «Gotta INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL «VILNIUS Run» speaking about the problems of RAMP CHILDREN» TOOK PLACE ON teenagers, about their experiences and NOVEMBER 16 AND 17, 2020 AT aspirations. The company leaders Dmitry THE VILNIUS UNIVERSITY THEATRE. Lemeshev and Marina Zvezdenkova had the guts to turn to the genre of musical and created a jocular, funny and entertaining This time, due to various insurmountable performance where the young actors circumstances, the Festival program had demonstrated very good dancing and to be cut to just three performances — the singing skills while at the same time Lithuania theatre studio “Elementorius” fulfilling the function of stagehands. of the Vilnius Culture Centre, Dmitry The third show is a stage interpretation Lemeshev’s Theatre Studio from St. Peters- of the famous piece by Leonid Filatov “A burg and a company from Germany — the Tale about Fedot the Sagittarius, a Daring Theatre Studio “Istok” from Frankfurt am Young Man”. In the first scene, we see Main.Начало формы ordinary schoolchildren, wearing modern The participants presented wonderful clothes. They get together for a chat and performances. The first one was a for having a good time and suddenly they Lithuanian folk tale «Gailus and His find a magic chest and in it they discover Horse», a beautiful story told in a very costumes. And then we are watching clear theatrical language. their transformation from modern

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schoolchildren into the characters of and Russian kids for a guided tour of the tale. One must compliment the Vilnius. The trip to Trakai was another wonderful ensemble of actors. The exciting event of the Festival that will be director of the play Anastasia Heydrich remembered by the participants. and the performers managed to create The organizers of the Festival, the Vilnius expressive, funny and impressive fairy Theatre Association «The Green Lantern», tale characters. The organizers and the very much hope that the next edition of audience certainly noted the wonderful «The Stage Lights of Vilnius» will be a full- Russian language of the kids who were scale that will take place on the stage of all born and live in Germany and have the Russian Drama Theatre in 2020. the German language as their mother tongue. But thanks to the efforts of their Zoya RADZIVILOVA parents and leaders of the “Istok” theatre Vilnius, Lithuania studio they care for the Russian language and maintain the skills. As part of the Festival program the companies had a session where they shared their acting trainings and made presentations of their theatres. The historian Ella Kanayte took the German

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