An attentive look in the mirror

It is hot outside and the atmosphere in the National Ivan Franko Theater is blazing too: it is holding the last rehearsals of the play Paradise Affair. The premiere will take place on June 14 and 16. The play has been staged by Andrii Prykhodko. It is based on the cycle Little Vertep (Nativity Scene) by well-known poet Ivan Malkovych (also a publisher and head of A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA). The director defined the genre of his production as a self-portrait at the mirror, and the leading role, Ivan, will be performed by the popular actor Bohdan Beniuk. The author Ivan MALKOVYCH has visited the rehearsals and shared with The Day his impressions from the theater interpretation of his poetry:

“These are scenic variations. It is based on my cycle of verses, Little Vertep. This is an interlude with a leading character Ivan. He has conversations with different characters: the Butcher, the Wolf, the Smith, the Wife, Vania, the Devil, etc. You know, when I was writing it, I did not intend to create a theater piece, but Andrii Prykhodko persuaded me that it will make a good play. I simply created interludes. The director made the adaptation for stage himself. I have visited a rehearal. In my opinion, Bohdan Beniuk, who plays Ivan, has a very interesting manner of performance. I was not writing a play, so I saw only one side, and Prykhodko has a different vision of my text, besides every author brings his own palette to the performance. So, choreographer Larysa Rusnak plays two roles: Ivan’s Wife and the Most-Pure Lady, whereas Vasyl Mazur plays the Smith and the Centaur. The production will feature the young actors of the Ivan Franko Theater as well as the masters, it involves choristers, dancers, and orchestra musicians. The set design has been created by artist Bohdan Polishchuk and music arrangement – by Susanna Karpenko, whereas Volodymyr Abazopulo taught the actors Cossack spinning movements. I wrote adult texts, but it seems to me the play will be interesting for middle school students and the production can be watched by the whole family. The verses were only an impetus for the director’s version, so it is interesting for me to see the result of the work. I will watch the premiere as a viewer, not an author of the texts.”