Almanac «Dveri \ The Doors» by Dverifest

Hi! We’re glad to see you reading our Almanac. What Almanac is? This is a non-periodicale-almanac “Dveri \ The Doors” that is devoted to amateur dramatics in Belarus. We will tell you about the most interesting theatre people in Belarus, amateur theatres, plays and shows. We will show you the backstage of Belarusian community theatres. But who are we? We are an amateur theatre movement “Dveri \ The Doors”. We are a cohort of young people, who are keen on amateur theatres trying to move them forward to a more organized level. We arrange and conduct various theatrical projects and attract spectators’ attention to the amateur theatre. We want to popularize amateur theatres. We want to give them an opportunity to grow and gain experience. Why? Just because we like it! Freedom and experiment! Search of oneself and creation of new realities. And all these things are possible with the help of theatre. Our main projects are: the Amateur Theatre Festival “The Doors”, that is to take place twice a year, and an e-almanac “Dveri \ The Doors”. In addition, we are constantly working on many other smaller projects. If you are interested contact us org@dverifest.ru or join us on Facebook. Enjoy our first issue translation!

EDITORS’ WORD Theatre begins… with the doors! The cloakroom is much further. We would like to present you the first issue of the almanac “Dveri \ The Doors”, dedicated to amateur theatres. Both the almanac and “The Doors” festival set as their aim the popularization of amateur theatres and theatre in general. What is amateur theatre? How does such theatre function? How can you become an amateur actor? How can you organize your own theatre? What are the pitfalls on this way? We will give answer to all of these questions and also some of the others. We also will introduce you to actors, directors, sound men, and other creative people and enlighten reader with the help of F.Morronier’s mini-lectures. And we will develop. We will communicate with you. Ready? Set… Go! Ci & Gale, editors of the almanac “The Doors”

Gale

Hello! It’s nice that you are flipping through the pages of this almanac. The first issue was coceived by a small group of enthusiasts. Right away I’d like to give thanks to Gale for having done half of the work. Thanks to Julia Novikova for the logo and the rest of designer’s help. And thanks to everyone who helped us to create this first issue. We’ve tried to make it interesting not only for us, but for you as well. Now the main thing is to tell about us and our project to as many people as possible. We are looking both for amateur theatres and spectators. That’s why don’t be afraid to share the link on this almanac to your friends who are interested in theatre. And to those who are not quite fond of theatre yet. It’s high time to start!

Hello, actors, directors, spectators and fellow travelers! Before you is a new project which has no analogues in the country. I hope we will be able to make it really interesting and, hopefully, useful. Together we are the main experimenters and researchers of stage-and-backstage possibilities. And this almanac is an experiment as well, because anyone may take part in its creation. If you have something to say, if there is a flame in your soul, if the destiny of amateur theatres does mean something to you (oh, that sounds!) — join us! Share with us your thoughts and ideas — and they will be definitely reflected here. Let’s go!

Photos by Evgenia Komarova Almanac “The Doors” №1

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CONTENTS What does Amateur Dramatics Mean? [Who? Why? For whom?]...............5 IN THE SPOTLIGHT Open the Doors, please! [about the festival “The Doors”]...9 BACKSTAGE Student’s Experimental Theatre Studio “artvoyage” [theatre-studio of BSUIR]............15 THE SHOWS GO ON The Third Ingredient [musical comedy]............................23

KALEIDOSCOPE

ALMANAC’S TEAM

Alena Ivanyushenko Vladimir Galak Evgeniya Komarova Katerina Karpitskaya Nikita Sidorenko Nina Shulyakova François Marronier Julia Novikova Yura Sokolov

EDITOR OF TRANSLATION Alexey Zhdanovich

TRANSLATORS

Ekaterina Kasyanova Nadia Bone Alexey Zhdanovich Elena Shumskaya Michael Molchanov Lily6ka

CONVERSATION Everlasting Love [a conversation with Lyuba Zhuromskaya].................................33

PROOFREADERS

LECTURES BY F. MARRONIER Taste of Theater [about café theaters].......................43

Design by Julia Novikova

The Curtain [and the bow]..................................46 Used Materials [What and where from].................73

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Almanac “The Doors” №1. 2010

Anastacia Suslova Lidiya Zinovich

COVER

What does Amateur Dramatics Mean? [Who? Why? For whom?] What does Amateur Dramatics mean? In what way is it different from Professional Dramatics? Or People’s Dramatics? It is easy to get confused. Let’s make everything clear.

Ci and Gale Translation by Nadia Bone

AMATEUR DRAMATICS

Rondstudio “Such a \ Takoi-to”, 2010 Photo by Sergey Protasovitsky

A Professional theatre is a permanent theatre group with its own stage and paid performances. Professional dramatics is a job for actors. It is the way they earn their living. They have professional theatrical education. Performances run every day during the theater season. A People’s Theatre is a theatre which has a full-fledged repertoire and a permanent theatre troupe. Any acting amateur group which have all necessary conditions for performances and rehearsals can be called “People’s Dramatics’’. And finally, Amateur Dramatics. It is an unprofessional group which consists of amateur-actors who usually don’t

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have any professional theatrical education. The Theatre is not a job for them. They do it for joy and fun. Amateur drama groups do not perform on a regular basis and their shows are usually free. Let’s pay more attention to the amateur theatre.

Actors

Who can be an actor in an amateur theatre? Anyone! The will to act, an ardour for theatre, an admiration for it are the most important things if you want to be an amateur-actor. Many of such actors are students who are studying during daytime and spend their free time rehearsing and improving themselves. There are also actors who have already

graduated from universities but don’t want or can’t give up performing. Such people work from 9:00 till 18:00 and in the evenings gather to rehearse.

A director

As any theatre, the amateur theatre can’t exist without a director. Directors of amateur dramatics are real enthusiasts who faithfully serve their theatre. Very often they get nothing for their job. In some amateur theatres directors are ex-actors of professional, people’s and amateur theatres, at others they are talented teachers possessing certain leadership qualities. Actors can be directors

themselves when they stage plays at their own expense. But in this case they have to find diverse ways to control their work and correct the mistakes they do while performing.

The stage

As a rule amateur theatres don’t have any permanent stages. If a theatre is connected with a faculty, very often actors rehearse and perform there. But it is difficult to call such stage permanent as the schedule of rehearses depends on business of the stage. One of favorite places for rehearses is a corridor on one of the top floors of the university or any vacant classroom. Rehearsing on stage is usually possible only for a few days before the actual performance.

The repertoire

If to talk about materials for performances, amateur dramatics has more freedom than professional one. As shows are not commercial and amateur-actors don’t depend on dues, they don’t have to think about profitability of a work and act pleasing a society. Amateur theatres rea-

THE THEATRE IS NOT A JOB FOR AMATEURACTORS. THEY DO IT FOR JOY AND FUN.

dily experiment with materials, speech, sense of rhythm, decorations and performances at all. Amateur theatres make it possible for the audience to get acquainted with modern plays which professional theatres will only be staging next season.

The public

One of actual problems for the amateur theatre is that it is not famous. People know little about it, as such theatres don’t have any budget to hold an advertising company and to tell about amateur dramatics to the spectators. Playbills in universities are usually all that a theatre can do.

Why?

It’s a complicated question. Why do people spend their free time on rehearsals? Every amateur-actor gives his own answer to this question. For one person it is a second life, for another it is the door into carefree childhood, some consider amateur dramatics to be an active rest which brings a fund of new emotions and feelings. Amateur dramatics is a good way to bring up new qualities in yourself, to overcome shyness, to improve yourself. Many find a lot of new and interesting friends there. And of course every actor gets joy from watching the public reactions: laughter, nervous silence, sympathy or cheers. In the moment of the bow, when spectators express their opinions about the performance (whether

it was exciting or not) through noisy cheers, an actor feels an emotional burst. It is so pleasant

AMATEUR THEATRES READILY EXPERIMENT WITH MATERIALS, SPEECH, SENSE OF RHYTHM, DECORATIONS AND PERFORMANCES AT ALL that he wants to perform again and again.

Modern Amateur Dramatics

What about today’s amateur theatres in Belarus? Amateur dramatics is in backstage underground. Only actors and their friends usually know about its existence. The movement of amateur dramatics is decentralized. There is no common basis on which it would be possible for actors and directors to communicate and to exchange their experience. Amateur theatres know almost nothing about their colleagues. Performances are staged rather seldom (3-8 times a year). Rare shows in universities, participations in some students’ concerts and this is it. The expe-

Almanac “The Doors” №1

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AMATEUR DRAMATICS

rience gets lost without permanent shows and self confidence before performing disappears. But everything can change, if amateur theatres unite and start to “conquer” the public together. The first steps have been already done. To international festival “The Theatrical Kufar”, in which it becomes more difficult for Belarusian theatrical groups to participate, one new independent non-commercial festival of amateur dramatics called “The Doors” has been also added. Now there is also non-periodical network edition devoted to amateur theatres — almanac “The Doors”.

What’s next?

Amateur theatres continue to work on new shows. They have new stages to perform. Every day more and more spectators and more and more people learn about the existence of amateur drama. While amateur theatres are becoming more popular, they will appear more and more. And the public will have wider choice. In future there will be new projects which will be built on unite of arts. Openings of photo exhibitions and of other artshows, presentations, literary meetings can be accompanied with theatrical performances.

So,

Amateur dramatics is open for experiments, doesn’t pretend to professionalism and offers spectators a pay-free opportunity to discover an unforgettable world.

Bagatelle «Au revoir ! Grattez-vous bien !», 2010 Photo by Lida Zinovich

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In The Spotlight

Open the Doors, please! [about the festival “The Doors”] The first independent non-profit amateur theatrical festival “The Doors” took place on the stages of assembly halls of the Philological Faculty of BSU (Belarusian State University) and the second building of BSUIR (Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics) on October 13th-15th. It united six amateur theatres who were unfamiliar before. More than two hundred viewers visited the performances, which took place as part of the festival. The festival has also received massive coverage on TV, radio, in newspapers and electronic mass media.

Translation by Alexei Zhdanovich

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In The Spotilight

FESTIVAL “THE DOORS”

Chapter I «The Origin» «Out of the blue» — is a phrase preferred by the organizers when describing how everything came about. The idea initially was to organize an off-budget festival: something for the actors and viewers to enjoy with no jury involved. Offbudget here means zero cost for both the actors and the audience which also means no profit gained by the organizers — the creative duet “Cigale”, while independence stands for complete freedom of the organizers and participants from authorities of any kind, be it sponsors or various administrational departments. The festival for the sake of art its purpose being solely “to go on stage and act”. But, let’s take a peek into the recent past. There once came a day when creative duet “Cigale” got bored and has decided to perform on a big stage. But where?

ONE DAY, CREATIVE DUET CIGALE GOT BORED AND HAS DECIDED TO PERFORM ON A BIG STAGE And when? Having pondered on the matter for some time the duet came to the following conclusion: the city is in a desperate need for full-fledged large-format events which can give amateur actors an opportunity to perform, share experiences and make new friends. An important thing to be mentioned

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here is that we are talking about free events, as not every amateur troupe has sufficient funding for participation in paid festivals. That is how the idea of “The Doors” appeared. With the help of the internet we found six like-minded amateur theatres. The governing body of the Philological Department of BSU (Belarusian State University) and the university administration of BSUIR (Belarusian State University

of Informatics and Radioelectronics) provided the group with the necessary support, which included gratuitous stage areas for rehearsals and perform q turned out that the idea of organizing such intercollegiate amateur events has long been in the air, initiators being the only constituent missing. In no time the movement was joined by enthusiastic amateur performers ready to provide free professional assistance in its conduct. That was the adver-

tising company. And the way the festival was held.

Chapter II «Formation» The result exceeded all expectations. Being conceived as a “party-festival” with 40 visitors or less, on the opening day it was visited by more than 400 spectators. The press has also shown a very keen interest in the project. The organizers were invited to talk on the festival in the “Our Morning” TV program (the ONT channel), gave an interview to “The Banner of Youth\Znamia Unosti” newspaper, “Culture\Kyltyra” radio and “Capital\Stolica“ radio, while the opening ceremony was filmed by the crew of the ONT channel and broadcasted on the news. And, of course the festival was represented by the online media and on various websites.

BEING PLANNED AS A “PARTYFESTIVAL” WITH 40 VISITORS OR LESS, ON THE OPENING DAY IT WAS VISITED BY MORE THAN 400 SPECTATORS However the organizers took the greatest pleasure in seeing the happy faces of the viewers and receiving positive feedback on the festival. The following figures can be

Ci and Gale open the festival Photo by Julia Matskevich

helpful in drawing an outline of the festival: Average attendance per day — 300 people, the opening ceremony visited more than 400 people. Number of theatres — 6. Number of actors — 37. Number of stages — 2. Average duration of performances — 40 minutes. The total duration of the festival — 265 minutes. Opening and closing lasted 6 minutes.

The next festival “The Doors” is scheduled for 10-14 May 2011. There will be more festival days, new stages and interesting guests. Follow the news updates. Good luck, amateur theaters, and new theatrical experiences to you, the viewers, and new ideas to you, the organizers! Organizers of the festival “The Doors” Ci and Gale.

Chapter III «Development» “The Doors” festival has already become more than a plain theatrical festival. Various video screenings of performances are being organized under its auspices with an intend to give the viewer a chance to get acquainted with the latest trands in the world theatrical movements. We will carry out different skits, where troupes can not only express themselves but also make new friends and just have a good time. Almanac “The Doors” №1

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In The Spotilight

FESTIVAL “THE DOORS”

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In The Spotilight

FESTIVAL “THE DOORS”

The First Independent Non-profit Amateur Theatre Festival “The Doors” Belarus, Minsk

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Backstage

Student’s Experimental Theatre Studio “artvoyage” [theatre-studio of BSUIR]

Katerina Karpitskaya Nina Shulyakova Translation by Elena Shumskaya Edition by Alexei Zhdanovich

Backstage

artvoyage

Characters: Alana Ivory (А) — director, artistic director; Alexandr Chertkov (CH) — chief and specialist in organizational questions; Vitalia Prishmont (P) — actress.

Act One In the beginning it was Gibus the place of action: BSUIR the time of action: 2004 It was usual New Year performance. One of the characters is

“АRTVOYAGE” ISN’T ONLY VOYAGE INTO THE ART, IT IS ALSO THE VOYAGE TO YOURSELF, TO DISCOVERING YOUR POSSIBILITIES, TALENTS, IT IS THE POSSIBILITY “BY CHANGING YOURSELF CHANGE THE WORLD” ALANA IVORY

Alana Ivory, director Photo by Evgeniya Komarova

mischievous Gibus. Gibus doesn’t look like showy Esmeralda, she is just old ladyadventurer, who doesn’t demand grants and bunches of roses. Alana Ivory is playing this role, and she is absolutely unaware of the fact, that after the performance, the artistic director of student’s club Larisa Maljarchuk will make her an unusual offer: it will turn out, that student’s club of BSUIR feels a strong need in theatre-studio and she wants her to create a studio in the university. Alana: As I was playing old lady Gibus that morning, I agreed in a moment. But I didn’t take it seriously, because I wasn’t going to become a true director, although. I had a ecessary education for it. Then in September I got a call and I decided to try. So, it turns out, fate had decided for me. The fate of whether the case it was, but Alana Ivory became the artistic director and a hotpulsating heart of the theatre-studio «artvoyage».

Act Two Laying a foundation the place of action: BSUIR, assembly hall. the time of action: September 11, 2004, 19:00 Unremarkable, clumsy piece of paper in A4 format. Hand lettering on it displays an ad: “We invite everyone who wants to be an actor and connect his life with the theatre”. The case when the content is more important than form. Nine people who have come to the first meeting, are expecting what will happen next. They, who “were depicting Hamlet in high school”

and want to continue “fine arts”, are looking at Alana. Alana is nervous. A (inward):What should I do with them? Then, after a pause, she exhales: “Don’t be afraid, cause I’m afraid too!” So its started. The venue, which, as the saying goes, you cannot change — the assembly hall, is filling with stories “about yourself ”. This is the first small task. Now, September 11, acquires for the newborn group celebratory status: the birthday of the theatre. What happened next? The period of studying each other began. It was the time of research of new ideas, interesting decisions, and first of all — a play, which would be a first step on the way to success. The main principle is the next algorithm: to find — to read together — to watch — to appreciate. Future actors only tried to realize their thoughts. They were building their big colored house step by step by trial and error. For example they had to abandon the idea of plastic performance. So the search was continued.

Act Three The first is the most real he time of action: One day. Alana stumbled across the play “The most real” (V. Glotzer). Such an advanced version of the familiar childhood tale of Andersen “Princess and the Pea”. Alana is reading it to the students. They really like it. And it is decided to be staged. The guys are lucky: the issue with the scene initially swept away. Even the rehearsals are held without fail Almanac “The Doors” №1

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Backstage

artvoyage

on the stage and only on it. It is an arrangement. Work is in full swing. Originally allotted for rehearsal time — four hours a week — is not enough.

BEFORE, WE WERE CALLED “THEATRESTUDIO”, AND NOW ADDED THE WORD “EXPERIMENTAL”. WE ARE CURIOUS TO TRY NEW THINGS Within six months the troupe is finally formed (today only Alexander Chertkov and Vitalia Prishmont are present as the pioneers ; the rest of the troupe are young people who came to the theatre during last season, the play “Merry rogue, or Love and Freedom” was played by debutants). The time for “The most real” is coming. Alexandr Chertkov: I remember that I do not remember anything. I was standing backstage and was feared of the opening of the curtain. I was afraid of entering the stage. It was very scary. But this fear, it goes in descending order when you’re concentrating on what is important — to convey the story. Plunging into the role, you forget

Alexandr Chertkov, actor Photo by Evgeniya Komarova

about their personal fears. The performance celebrates the premiere and did not “appear” on stage anymore. The actors-students leave the theatre and after it the production is no longer exist. But beyond the end of one page, should always be the beginning of another.

Act Four There are many pages in the book the time of action: Nowadays

egant, incredibly plastic and emotional, she is skilled jewelers who granites the diamonds. Actors of “artvoyage” are inspired and inspiring, seeking and finding... But most importantly, traveling they invite us, the spectators in their art-travels, or art-voyages. The next of which, a secret saying, will hold us through the maze of women’s suffering. P: It is about us, girls, and women, about our solitude… And it is, you will agree, the beginning of a new page…

In the piggy bank of the amateur theatre “artvoyage” are already 7 performances. However, guys do not like to call themselves amateurs. Vitalia Prishmont: I call our theatre — theatre studio. All together — our entire team — we are searching for. Searching for the truth. I would better call it beloved theatre-studio. “artvoyage” team is a close-knit team. Over its history there were only 2 major conflicts. But they overcame this obstacles: sat together, frankly examined, in what someone is not satisfied. Solved the problems. The distinctive feature of “artvoyage” is its experimental character. They work and create without any restrictions. CH: We are trying ourselves at various genres. Before, we were called “Theatre-Studio”, and now added the word “experimental”. We are curious to try new things. Many theatres have some kind of uniformity in the styles of performances. I’m not saying it’s bad, however... And another feature of this theatre is that the guys have Alana. El-

“For theatre gourmets...” Couple of recipes from the “artvoyage”, which will be useful for theatrical kitchen. For the preparation of the theatre, we need: • a leader who is ready to take on this responsibility, is ready not only to command, but also teach. •

People who have the motivation and interest. Because they will have to overcome difficulties. And not only associated with the financing. The will have to do everything with their own hands and build from scratch.

NOTE: At the head of the theatre should be a talented person, restless, creative, of youthful spirit and a bit heavy-handed (without it creativity can turn into a fable “The Swan, The Crayfish and The Pike”). To make the ship swim, it is necessary to put a very high bar. Do not think! Act! On the stage the main Almanac “The Doors” №1

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Backstage

artvoyage

thing is the action! Studio Theatre is a great responsibility. It is not a private lesson. It is a group work. As it is said: “One for all and all for one”. Because everything is interconnected in the theatre, if you are late for rehearsal, then you can disrupt the work of the team.

Main ingredients of successful performance: •

The work on the show should be well organized, putting a specific date by which it needs to be done. From the plan, of course, you can withdraw. It all depends on the degree of readiness. But when it is hanging over you, the work is more responsible.

•

Eventually you should get not the head and tail, but the whole ensemble. And the viewer, in turn, after the watching should experience the whole performance, rather than its individual parts. Performance is the actors and scenery, light and sound and much more. And all this must be subordinate, to make a single living organism.

Looking for a play •

In the play, the questions, issues that affect artists of the theatre should be raised. Which give some answers to those questions that confront young people (and the actors and

Vitalia Prishmont, actress Photo by Evgeniya Komarova

the audience are mostly young people). Therefore, from the scene we try to speak about things that “hurt”. And, of course, it must be an experiment; •

You should consider the financial side, the possibility of the scene, the scope of scenery.

AT THE HEAD OF THE THEATRE SHOULD BE A TALENTED PERSON, RESTLESS, CREATIVE, OF YOUTHFUL SPIRIT AND A BIT HEAVYHANDED •

Plays with age-related characters are not taken in the work. It is Alana’s personal position: “I am opposed to the old men playing young actors in an amateur theatre. Often, it seems, to put it mildly, unconvincing, and often - is simply ridiculous! Maybe I’m wrong. But it’s my position”.

About inspiration Actors claim that it can be found everywhere. The most important thing is not just watch but see. Inspiration can be drawn even in people who are working next to you: during the play they are revealed, are changing... Watch and be inspired.

Others prefer to be “fed” with specific things. For example, Alexander Chertkov is interested in the theatre of cruelty of Antonin Artaud and verbatim-documentary theatre. Well, let’s see what this will evolve. After all “artvoyage” is an experimental theatre!

Trainings One of the main differences between an amateur theatre and a professional one is that in parallel with rehearsals you have to learn and grasp the technique of speech, acting, sculpture... “artvoyage” is doing it during the staging of the play. Trainings are selected to meet the needs. For example: • the sensitivity of the time: you must open your eyes exactly a minute later, at the same time, not counting; •

Photo: improvise, erecting some kind of a scene without any words. Congeal. Then the picture comes alive. The main task is to tell a story.

•

The guys are singing and dancing, trying to attend master classes.

About music Alana as a director is in charge of music. The process of searching is first of all spontaneity: “The idea of what music should be in this or that play, comes by itself. I can’t say why I’ve chosen this music. It is the way in which I hear the performance, the scene, the character. When I am reading a new play, I hear it musically. Sometimes when I am listening to the music at home (even without thinking about performance) the idea of staging of a future play can come to my mind”. Almanac “The Doors” №1

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Backstage

artvoyage About characters and acting, your place in the theatre

Posters

P: For me the main thing is to revive my character. It must be found in the text of the work (in the description of a hero, how he speaks, what he says, how he acts). Understand him. You could even say love him. CH: For myself I have defined a spiritual approach to the acting. The statement of Medi Faradzhpura: “As soon as you can play something on stage, you can implement something that would not have dared before”. А: Director is a crazy traffic-controller. Instead of controlling the movement of “cars”, he knocked them together. It is in every production: “bare nerves, sleepless nights, it is when everything is subjected to the samen — the future of the performance. It is a great ability, not sparing yourself, firmly and truly speak from the stage, the skill of deliberately inflicting the pain making someone to think, to understand something, go through the purification of the soul. It is when you hate your profession, and at the same time without it cannot imagine your life. This endless dissatisfaction is the fact that you have done.

For those, who start CH: Do not be afraid! Wish! And in general I would like amateur theatres to communicate more, be attracted to each other. It would be nice to unite them all. That is in what Ci and Gale are now engaged in. You need to move in this direction, to communicate and exchange experiences.

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Коллаж Татьяны Рoмaновской

A: I wish to all the beginning amateur theatres to have happy unanimity in the works, restlessness of mind, flights of imagination and fantasy. Never say to yourself: “That’s impossible!”. Everything is possible! A little more daring! Do not be afraid of mistakes! They are a necessary component of creativity! Good luck and happy swimming!

The Shows Go On

The Third Ingredient [musical comedy] Student’s Experimental Theatre Studio “artvoyage” in one-act musical comedy by O.Henry’s short story Directed by Alana Ivory Photo by Evgeniya Komarova Translation by Ekaterina Kasyanova

The Show Go On

THE THIRD INGREDIENT

artvoyage had perfectly coped with the replacing of the prose to the stage.

Two main narrators: Alex Grinkevich and Alex Chertkov.

The verbal battle of two narrators gave an opportunity to keep the whole spectacular in the necessary rhythm and keep the audience attention till the end of the performance.

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Almanac “The Doors” №1. 2010

The first appearence of Hetty Pepper (Vitalia Prishmont). “Her nose and chin were more sharply pointed than usual”.

The rotation of “beauty, carrying the total amount of blond hair sufficient to have justify the horseback gallop of a hundred Lady Godivas” — the bright juicy spot, which was able to make this dark stage more lively. It looks very effective.

Almanac “The Doors” №1

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The Show Go On

THE THIRD INGREDIENT

The phalanx of wage-earners to the place in “The best department store”: Alesia Pimakhova, Olga Kornienko, Margarita Burkova, Tatiana Romanovskaya, Valentina Malova, Liudmila Stepanova.

Anna Romanovskaya made her debut in the role of Cecilia. She did her job perfectly: she created quite plausible image of “miniature miniaturist”.

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Vitalia’s amazing mimics simply charmed the audience. Mainly those people, who had their seats at the first rows.

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The Show Go On

THE THIRD INGREDIENT

Narrators are preparing a new turn in the story.

The showy narration of Cecilia about her misadventure. Both the audience and Hetty couldn’t help looking at the young artist.

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There was very cold both in the hall and at the stage. But it seemed that the lightly dressed actors didn’t admit it.

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The Show Go On

THE THIRD INGREDIENT

Hetty has a gift of persuading. Both the audience and the man with the onion.

The bow. The applauses. The curtain. We are looking forward to a new performance in a new season.

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“He flourished the onion within an inch of Hetty’s nose. The saleswoman did not move”.

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The Show Go On

THE THIRD INGREDIENT

In 2011 you will have an opportunity to see the performance “The third ingredient” by the Experimental theatre-studio artvoyage with your own eyes. So, follow the news in their page: http://vk.com/club19250164

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Conversation

Everlasting Love

[a conversation with Lyuba Zhuromskaya] Big blue eyes, in which you are reflected. A gentle voice. Lyuba Zhuromskaya isn’t afraid of saying “I don’t know...” over and over again. She is a kind, open-hearted person — and a talented one, of course... Her answers are often unfinished, but when she starts speaking about her work all hesitation is gone. She is now going through a rather difficult period in her life, a period, when the life poses a lot of acute questions in front of her. But Lyuba is still smiling. Despite the fact that the most probable answer to those questions is “I don’t know...”

Alena Ivanyushenko Photos by Evgenia Komarova Translation by Michael Molchanov Edition by Alexei Zhdanovich and Anastacia Suslova

Conversation

LYUBA ZHUROMSKAYA

Lyubov Zhuromskaya Director. Actress. Teacher. Born 1989, Minsk (Belarus). At the age of 11 she came to the “Rond” children’s theatre. At the age of 17 she became a co-director working with seniors. In 2006 she entered the Belarus State University of Arts and Culture majoring in theatrical art. She participated in educational programs and festivals (both film and theatre) in Poland, Lithuania, Germany, France, USA and Russia. Her dream is to become talented and to visit Africa, Australia, India, Japan, Siberia and South America. Awards

2010 “Centaur” International Film Festival (Tbilisi, Georgia) award for film “A Time to Gather Cans Together?” 2009 “Karusel” International Theatre Festival award for Best Company (“Such a” / “Takoi-to”). 2008 “Kinogran’” Film and Video Festival award for Best Feature Film (“The Sound Vanishing”)

organizing an international festival, but anyway... There are lots of things to do, but a sense of little dissatisfaction remains. I want to be a professional, to come to my actors and know how to direct a performance, to not do it on a whim. It is said that anyone can stage a play, some people can stage two, a few people can stage three, but to stage hundreds of plays you have to be a professional. I understand some basics, I see what is good or bad, and I don’t want to produce anything one could call “amateurish”. But as for professional skills or knowledge, I don’t possess any yet... And such things bring me down... — What are you? — I don’t know what I am. I don’t know whether I am gentle or firm... Let’s say, I am different. I can be very kind, but I may get angry at a rehearsal and become quite firm. I like jokes, but my jokes are not funny, they’re... different. Many think that I am a “weirdo”... I don’t know what to call myself... Maybe “lost”...

2007 “Celinotograph” Short Film Festival grand prize for film “Butterfly”

— Maybe not “lost”, but rather “seeking”? — Let’s hope so. Maybe I should keep growing up. I often behave like a kid. I don’t want to grow up, that’s why I’m hiding behind my childishness.

— Could you introduce yourself ? I wonder how you describe yourself. — I am a director. I don’t feel like a student. Unfortunately, I’m not a loved or a loving one at the moment. I do love my family, but... The essence of my life is stage and film direction. Though, as for the stage part, there seems to be a crisis. We are conceiving a new play and

— Do you often wear masks in life? — I wear them, that’s for sure. But I don’t know how often... Still, I’m an actress, so I can’t say right away, that I’m going to act, behave in this or that way. It’s rather an impulsive process. That’s why I don’t know whether I should consider them to be my masks or just different sides of my personality. I can

IT IS SAID THAT ANYONE CAN STAGE A PLAY, SOME PEOPLE CAN STAGE TWO, A FEW PEOPLE CAN STAGE THREE, BUT TO STAGE HUNDREDS OF PLAYS YOU HAVE TO BE A PROFESSIONAL be childish, I can be angry, unsociable and selfish — especially when I don’t succeed in something — or I can be normal as well. I’d say, this is not about my masks — this is about my moodiness... — Theatre and you. How was the relationship formed? — My mother heard about the intake to a children’s theatre on the radio. I was 11. So, I went there but didn’t like it. Then my mother said: “Try again”. So I did and that time I fell in love — not with the theatre itself, but with its director Irina Markova. She emphasized self-development over the theatre. Then I began acting in amateur plays. When I was 17, we were invited to the festival, but we didn’t have any finished performances. I said: “Let’s stage something, then!”, and her response was: “Here you go. Take the troupe and work”. I finished the production in just a month, and it was the first Belorussian play at the international festival of children’s theatres ever. It was a really great event. 26 children’s theatres from all Almanac “The Doors” №1

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LYUBA ZHUROMSKAYA

over the world took part in it and everything was at a very high level. Then there was one more... We staged a play “Such a \ Takoi-to”. We had to do everything without any assistance. For me, it was more about working with youngsters, than about theatre itself. At that festival, when I was 17, someone told me what a children’s theatre is. It is not the realization of failed ambitions of an adult director; it is when you serve the children, helping them to build their kingdom. And now I do not know... Our relationship became very complex. I enjoyed the process and I still do. I like to play, stage and work with the young. Yes. But right now it’s dying away in some way. I became an adult and I want to do more professional things. So I somehow got lost. — Which of your productions do you consider the most interesting one? — “Such a \ Takoi-to”... It was a kind of a micro revolution, when we changed the course of our work. Now it’s not me telling the actors “Go there! Do that!”, but rather me asking them: “What do you want to do?”. That’s why it ended up like... a hooligan holiday. The play is very lively. Probably, this is the best description. We performed it five or six times. It had never been the same. Before each performance we invent a new ending and introduce new ideas. We haven’t got any fixed lines; everything was worked out by the actors. They just came and said: “I want to tell about this”. And so we performed just what troubled them most at the moment. And the last performance of “Such a \ Takoi-to” at the “Doors” festival became my favorite. From the director’s point of view it was bad be-

WHEN I WAS 17, I THOUGHT THAT A DIRECTOR IS A PERSON WHO CAN SHOUT LOUDLY cause of the missing ending. A girl just came on the scene and said that she didn’t believe in theatre, that she didn’t believe actors pushing themselves to the limit, that it could change something. But it sounded so desperately and so touching, to my mind. — How do you manage to find an approach to the actors? How do you organize their work? — I don’t know... I didn’t have to look for it. We trust each other and maintain good relationship. I am not trying to stage something mine, I don’t want to use them as tools. I want them to tell me what they are interested in and help them with it. When I was 17, I thought that a director is a person who can shout loudly. So I came to the rehearsals and always raised my voice. I thought that by behaving in this way I show them my power, but then I changed my mind... I understand that I could easily organize children, because the walls of the theatre created in 1983 supported me. Irina Markova put discipline above all. If you didn’t come, then you were dead. A lot of responsibility. And now, when new people join us I don’t even waste my time on some of them, because I know that they won’t stay. You can’t just go play football, then have a snack, and only then come to the theatre. The theatre should be the top pri-

ority... Thus, when you get a group of people whose top priority is the theatre, and when you’re doing something interesting for everybody, then you don’t need to worry about organization. It sounds well, of course, but it is very difficult in reality, though. — Aren’t you afraid of such responsibility? — I was. When I was 17 and we went to the festival in St. Petersburg. I was the only leader of our group. I was in charge, and it was the opening night of my first performance. I was very scared. But I am not anymore. The actors have grown up, and I trust them. Now they are teaching me, they are clever and well-educated. The only fear that remained is the fear before performance. Probably, because we are always trying everything to be on the verge of our creative abilities. — What do you think about profession of theatre critics? Do we need it? — It’s hard to tell. What I’m going to say is wrong, but I don’t like criticism. I’m very sensitive to it. Of course, I’ve made use of some criticism I’ve got. Thus, I like criticism if it’s favorable, and I don’t if it’s disapproving. But as for criticism here, in Belarus, that’s another pair of shoes, I suppose. There are bad plays in professional theatres, but they get a lot of approval. It’s sad, but it happens quite often. And I do not understand, for what it is? I don’t know... Though, we do need critics. The mankind should analyze and summarize. I’d like to get only praises, but at the same time I want bad plays to be called ‘bad plays’. — You started your work on “Such a \ Takoi-to” by asking

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the actors: “What prevents you from being happy?” And what about you? — Yes, there’s something... May be feeling of loneliness, when you’re sort of lost and don’t know where to go or whether you have the power needed to go where you want to. I don’t have education, I suppose. This university hasn’t produced any good, talented director or scriptwriter. I tried to enter VGIK (Russian State Institute of Cinematography) many times, but haven’t succeeded yet. Though, this year I felt myself coming closer, becoming more competitive. I was among the top five people who weren’t admitted. Also this year I entered the London Film Academy, the best one in Britain. But, unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to go there. So, I don’t have education, and if I want to get it, I need some incredible coincidence, money... And without education, you only have to strongly believe in your own talent. But it is extremely difficult. Yes I had some inspiration so I’ve shot a film, which has got a prize, and then I’ve produced a play... But always comes tomorrow... and everything is tabula rasa... and lack of everything... Its regularly comes to mind: “What should I do next?”. So, now this is the main thing preventing me from being happy. But I’m trying not to focus on such thoughts. Some friend rings me up, and I immediately begin to laugh loudly. — Please, tell about your relationship with cinema. — One day our theatre has become a film school. As a teenager I started to get acquainted with the filming process, sometimes I acted in “Belarusfilm” films... Then came to a private film studio and helped

IF YOU LET YOURSELF TO HAVE A REST, YOU’LL HAVE THOSE DEPRESSING THOUGHTS AGAIN, ABOUT WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NEXT. AND SO YOU JUST WORKING AND WORKING AND WORKING there with film production. It was the first time I worked with a professional film crew. There, in 2008, I’ve met my teacher in directing, who is now my best friend, Irina Leopoldovna Pismennaya. She’s 75 years old... Then there was a standstill. I visited various festivals, project markets, and my craze was to “shoot a documentary”. I went to Germany, met a French director there, followed him to Paris and acted in his film... Those were insignificant little projects, but they’ve slowly paved me the way to the cinema. But I often visited Irina Leopoldovna and complained to her, that I’m not talented at all and I can’t do anything. But this year a breakthrough had happened and I understood that the hard work is a way to overcome depression. They invited me to the UN and asked me to shoot 5 short documentaries about how the departments of this organization operate

here in Belarus. I was a camera operator, a director, a scriptwriter, a film editor... I just had to do everything. So I’ve made all these 5 films in a week. I didn’t sleep at all. And I was in high spirits that the people from UN liked my films very much. It was very encouraging. Then I began to make my own documentary about our theatre. It is titled “A Time to Gather Cans Together?”. I finished it and gave it to the children... They were just as happy as I was. Recently the film has triumphed at the students’ film festival in Georgia. Then the UN called me up again and offered to make a 26 minutes long documentary, so I had to go on filming trips for a month. I’ve made everything in time, everything was okay, and they loved it. I’ve also made a documentary about my grand-dad, and a series of feature films titled “Mashas”. All in all, there were 12 films made by me in October and November... There’s a constant feedback, which brightens your mood. Also I was told that the French film I was acting in was admitted for a film festival in Rotterdam. This encouraged me a lot... And if you let yourself to have a rest, you’ll have those depressing thoughts again, about what you should do next. And so you just working and working and working. — Are there any other projects? — We’re preparing a festival in the Arts Academy, which is called “That very festival”. It’ll be the first international festival of alternative theatres. Our new friends from Germany, USA, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland will participate. We’ve created this event as a festival for non-repertory studio theatres in order to bypass the fad of age and professionalism. . We want it to be

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Conversation

LYUBA ZHUROMSKAYA

of a good-level, but it is rather difficult. People ask me: “Why are you constantly picking up new projects. Aren’t there enough?”. But I think, you mustn’t be passive — it’s very dangerous as it can absorb you all.

The logo of “That Very Festival”

— What is the most important thing for an artist? To open his soul, to give himself over to the public, or better try to change the world and to tell people something? — It always goes side by side. Kusturica once said: “A director is a person who presents reality from his own perspective”. Everything must be done well, in a talented way. If you want even more — to change the world — your work must be very frank and very personal. To affect people you must speak about your own problems. Everybody writes about themselves, everybody films about themselves. Maybe, not directly, but the problems and sore places are still present. And if you’re doing something in artificial way, it will not be good. — Is there anything — or anybody — that inspires you? — It’s difficult to say... I think there is nothing and nobody in-

spiring me. When I’m sad, I’m trying to remember my friends or famous people who had overcome some hardships. And that makes me work. Some great films or plays inspire me, of course... Right now I’m thinking about Peter Brook who produced a play in a professional Royal theatre when he was 20. He wrote about how the actors didn’t want to take him seriously... But he had got over all the obstacles and achieved everything...

IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD YOUR WORK MUST BE VERY FRANK AND VERY PERSONAL. TO AFFECT PEOPLE YOU MUST SPEAK ABOUT YOUR OWN PROBLEMS — Do you believe in miracles? Have you experienced any? — I do. I feel like I’ve experienced a lot. A great event for me was film shooting in Paris. I entered the London Film Academy. Then the American embassy has chosen me to go on a visiting tour to the USA, and I was the only one from Belarus... There were a lot of miracles... I hitchhike a lot, and those trips are full of marvels.

The playbill of “That Very Festival” (click to go to website of festival)

Lyuba Zhuromskaya has a lot of works, grants and merits... Amazing is that it’s all about her, sweet 21-year-old girl who treats you with tea and is playing with her nephews. What is Lyuba Zhuromskaya’s secret? I didn’t ask her, but I think she will probably say “I don’t know...”, turning her eyes towards some remote place, where her only “self ” dwells. As for me, I think that her secrets lie in her constant search... She asks herself whether she is talented or not. She lives for the sake of creation and finds difficulty in defining her sources of inspiration. That’s her way: to live, to pose questions to herself and to look for the answers... I really hope she’ll find them eventually.

— What is your dream? — My dream is to be talented, to be on some ground from which you can push off and move on, further. Almanac “The Doors” №1

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“I want to be a professional, to come to my actors and know how to direct a performance, to not do it on a whim.”. “I don’t want to grow up, that’s why I’m hiding behind my childishness”. “I can be childish, I can be angry, unsociable and selfish — especially when I don’t succeed in something — or I can be normal as well”. “When I was 17, I thought that a director is a person who can shout loudly. So I came to the rehearsals and always raised my voice. I thought that behaving in this way I show them my power, but then I changed my mind...” “I’d like to get only praises, but at the same time I want bad plays to be called “bad plays”. “And if you let yourself to have a rest, you’ll have those depressing thoughts again, about what you should do next. And so you just working and working and working”. “I think, you mustn’t be passive it’s very dangerous as it can absorb you all”. “If you want even more — to change the world — your work must be very frank and very personal. To affect people you must speak about your own problems. Everybody writes about themselves, everybody films about themselves. Maybe, not directly, but the problems and sore places are still present. And if you’re doing something in artificial way, it will not be good”.

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Almanac “The Doors” №1. 2010

F. Marronier Lectures

Taste of Theatre [about café theatres] What will happen if you combine a ratatouille and Molière? Or a cup of coffee and La Scala? Or take a compound of a beer glass and backstage? You can e-mail your own opinions to org@dverifest.ru In the meantime we’d like to describe the place where you can see with your own eyes the things mentioned above.

François Marronier Translation into Russian by Gale Translation into English by Lily6ka

F. Marronier Lectures

CAFÉ THEATRE

Georges Fichefet «Au Café Théâtre»

In general, Café Theatre is a small theatre where you can simultaneously watch a performance and have a snack. Usually there are about 20-30 tables placed between the bar and the stage. The most interesting thing about such a theatre is its repertoire which normally consists of one-act plays that last no longer than an hour. Cozy and friendly atmosphere of café theaters requires from the actors a stage arrangement, which would be no less cozy and compact. In addition, performers should adapt to minimal decorations and technical equipment. However such difficulties make the atmosphere of a play more intimate and elitist. The first café theatre appeared in Paris’ Latin Quarter after the war. March 2nd 1966 is considered to be

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CAFÉ THEATRE IS A SMALL THEATRE WHERE YOU CAN SIMULTANEOUSLY WATCH A PERFORMANCE AND HAVE A SNACK the official opening date, as on this day the first performance directed by Bernard da Costa, director and playwright, was staged in “Café Royal”. Since then such places began to grow in number at a huge speed. In the next 10 years more than 20 new

café theatres were opened. Quite an impressive figure, isn’t it? The history of café theatres goes even further into the past, as the progenitor of modern café theatres, a place called “La vieille grille”, was opened back in 1961. It was a luncheonette where performances and poetry readings were held. The main purpose of such performances was initially to introduce a new author, new topic or new form of drama to the audience. The idea was also to bring actors closer to the audience that was sitting in the actual area of histrionics. Now that almost forty years have passed since the day the first café theatre opened its doors, the aims of stage directors remain the same. First of all, such places provide a unique platform for creative

experiment. This is the kingdom of freedom and the field of potential opportunities for actors and actresses. Why? That all because here is another spectator who is blind to snobby chamber staging and who is directly involved in a dialog between actors and audience. Also informal atmosphere of a café theatre that destroys all the borders between commonness and art, between an actor and a spectator, leads to such an experiment. Café theater is a specific “test drive” for novice actor or playwright. Gerard Depardieu was seen on the stage of such a café in his time. Some words should also be said about the dramatic repertoire of café theatres (let us leave the culinary part on the conscience of specialized publications). As mentioned above, the basics are made out of one-act plays. They are absolutely tremendous dramatic phenomenon. Firstly, duration of such a play is ranges between 10-15 minutes. This short period of time encapsulates all the classical constituents of a play, which area the plot, action development, culmination and upshot, but in a much more concentrated way, which in its turn

GÉRARD DEPARDIEU WAS SEEN ON THE STAGE OF SUCH A CAFÉ IN HIS TIME requires great professionalism and masterliness from the dramatist and the actor, who have to fit a whole story into several minutes’ space. Being the quickest form of

theatre action one-act plays manage in a limited amount of time to raise the most urgent and burning topics. They cover all genres from outright farce and travesty to psychological drama and tragedy. The repertoire of café theatres is not limited to solely on act plays: one can also visit poetry readings, performances of memes or a solo concert of an actor when monologues are combined with guitar songs. Nowadays France is the leader in the amount of café-theatres. Paris alone can boast of 15 of such caThe public of café theatre © B. Amsellem

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F. Marronier Lectures

CAFÉ THEATRE

fés. The French have gone further than this: some of the café theatres there have their own schools of drama art (like “L’Azile”). It takes a pre-audition to be accepted to such a school, and the classes can take from a month to

whole year.

François Marronier

Café theatres today are not only located in Western Europe, but also in the countries, neighboring to ours. Unfortunately, Belarus can’t

boast of having such cafés as of yet. But we hope that one day there will be one more strategically important location on the cultural map of our country called café theatre. Gale

THE CURTAIN So, here is the first issue of the almanac “The Doors”. We are already working on the second one. New material is being gathered, new ideas are being generated, the gigabytes of photos are being prepared. When can you expect the new issue to be published? Well, actually, we don’t know. In order to make our almanac one that can boast of high quality we decided to publish each following issue guided by the principle “when it’s done”, i.e. when it will be absolutely ready. Keep up with the latest news. It’s very important for us to know your opinion on our work. What is the general impression from the Almanac? What are you most interested in? You might some want to get some information about the people who give all their lives to the theatre, or about theatres themselves.

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Almanac “The Doors” №1. 2010

Also we will be glad to know your opinion on the strongest and weakest points of our work. Please, find a free minute to write a couple of words on your first impression at org@dverifest.ru The main aim of our festival is to make the amateur theatre more popular in Belarus. That is why we’ll be very glad to know that this almanac will come into hands of people who are interested in all this. Don’t be shy to share the link on the almanac! And what is more important: no matter what, the show must go on!

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Attribution — You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). Share Alike — If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. These licenses apply only to author’s materials and do not apply to next content:

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Issue №2 is coming! We have already published our second issue of e-almanac “Dveri \ The Doors” in Russian. And we are going to translate it in English. In second issue you will read: • • • • •

how amateur dramatics was born; Plastic Theater Festival “Kufar_Plasticine” (Belarus) review; a story of conceptual theatre “Zorka Ensemble” and its forrest adventure; a conversation with theatre critic Alexey Strelnikov; a lecture of F. Marronier about street theater; Coming soon!

2011