“Reunions in Odesa 2010”
Thirteen theaters from eight countries present their work at the forum
The Fifth International Theater Festival “Reunions in Odesa” was dedicated to the 135th anniversary of the Odesa Russian Drama Theater, and the 150th anniversary of Anton Chekhov’s birth. The forum gathered thirteen theaters from eight countries. They appeared on four sites: the Russian Theater, the Ukrainian Theater, the Bulgarian Cultural Center, and the Jewish Cultural Center. All in all, the public saw 16 productions, with four more plays staged in Illichivsk. The companies represented Kyiv, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Vienna, Vilnius, Tallinn, Tbilisi, Chisinau, Yerevan, Kherson, Perm, Yakutsk, and Odesa.
“The festival was dedicated to the 135th anniversary of the Russian Theater in Odesa, and has become the major event in its entire history. The plays were performed to full houses and were very well received by the public,” said one of the initiators of the festival, the director of the Odesa Russian Drama Theater Oleksandr Kopaihora.
“During the festival our theater received more than 300 visitors from the theaters of Ukraine, former Soviet countries, and further abroad. As to the number of spectators, it is impossible to say, because at most performances there were more spectators than seats: many would watch the plays standing. The positive emotions and unforgettable impressions, which the festival gave to the city, were just mindblowing.”
The guests, theatrical critics and directors, assessed their colleagues’ work. The experts were unanimous in giving the top grades to The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh, staged by the winner of the National Russian Theater Prize “The Gold Mask 2010,” the Perm theater At the bridge. The director is Sergei Fedotov. The play was shown on the small stage at the Jewish Cultural Center.
The critics enjoyed the bright and juicy images, even in cameo roles. Some actors even worked with the tips of their… ears.
There were three plays a day. The first night of The Ratcatcher, a newly-made play based on Aleksandr Grin’s work, staged by director Dmytro Bohomazov and the Kyiv theater Vilna Stsena (The Free Stage). It was amazing not only due to the original employment of the latest technologies, but also due to the intense, poignant, and sincere performance by Oleksandr Formanchuk, actor of the Kyiv Ivan Franko theater. The play became one of the most memorable events of the festival.
“We dubbed the play 3D, but we have preserved the book,” says director Bohomazov, head of the theater Vilna Stsena, Kyiv. “In a nutshell, the plot is about there being vulnerable people, because they have conscience, feelings, responsibilities, and then there are plain rats, who are not human… they have no conscience or honor, they can steal or make money in all sorts of dishonest ways.
“Now is the time of the rats, and this is a very straightforward message. Watch out who you are prepared to vote for, rats or humans. This needs to be figured out.”
The genre of The Ratcatcher is defined as “a 3D book based on Aleksandr Grin’s story.” Production designer Oleksandr Druhanov found an amazing means of creating the set design in front of the audience: an actor in white, against the white curtain, stands in the spotlight, while the cross of the pointer outlines the other characters around him, as well as windows, arches, and doors. Artist Oleksandr Chamorsov draws in felt pen on a little monitor, and wipes away the drawing right there, or alters it.
The critics were impressed by Odesa, a production by Drachengasse Theater from Vienna. The authors of the play are Regine Steinmetz and Uli Bree. On stage you see a woman and man (Felicia and Gerhard Dorfer), no longer young, sitting at the table. They are reading letters to each other and talking.
In 1945, in Vienna, a Soviet Air Force officer Boris and an Austrian girl Hanna were madly in love with each other. They were to part later, of course, but the memories of their love survived half a century. Now, he invites her over to his place in Odesa, and love rekindles.
The public and critics also praised the play Antosha Chekhonte’s Country Theater based on Chekhov’s early short stories. It was staged at the Russian Drama by the Chekhov Studio Theater, Melikhov and directed by Vladimir Baicher.
“The company from Melikhov were able to convey that wonderful feeling of Chekhov’s aura,” says critic Aleksei Shapovalov, Moscow. “The zest is in the subtle shades of acting and the vivid interaction between the actors.”
The festival was closed by Disgusting Love, production of the Russian Drama theater of Lithuania, Vilnius. It was staged by Agnius Jankevicius, based on Marius Marcinkevicius’ adaptation of Pavel Sanaiev’s story You Shall Bury Me behind the Plinth. Inga Maskarina was brilliant as a despotic old lady. The crowded house at the Odesa Russian Theater gave a standing ovation to the actors and authors for making the spectators empathize with the heroes.
