A sense of age

The Molody Theater’s audience have a chance to see Uncle Vania. The performance is dedicated to the Year of Chekhov, celebrated this year throughout the world. The play has won numerous awards and has always enjoyed full houses. Says theater director Stanislav MOISEIEV: “Classical works are called classical because from time to time one comes up with an irresistible desire to turn to them once more and reveal something new and intimate. Traditionally, we view Chekhov’s works in undertones, forgetting that Chekhov also means irony. As it is known, the latter is a mask used by the defenseless. There is little undertone in this play, whereas the action unfolds since the very first minute. In the blink of an eye the characters turn into frozen masks, disguising their real faces from the audience. At times those masks are fearful, sometimes they are disgusting, and sometimes — miserable and ridiculous. As the saying goes, there is one step between frightening and comical. Playing the mirages. One lives in mirages when there is no true life. Yet it is better than nothing.”

The artistic and stage director Moiseiev tells about new ideas and prospects, artistic work, experiments and the search, as well as about the group’s plans.

“The last season was marked by the theater’s 32nd anniversary. Although we have postponed all celebrations for December this year (we had certain reasons to do so), we still had the feeling that we had grown older, in need of reevaluation. Therefore it was only natural that we asked ourselves in what direction we were moving. Thus, we had this specific, contemplative mood.

“As for premieres (after all, performances are the life of a theater), I would mention two projects that stand out: the children’s play Drozdoborod’s Whimsical Love, and Until Mother Came (after Remi De Vos’ play Jusqu’a ce que la mort nous separe). In what concerns the latter, although the audience may perceive the French dramatist’s text in an ambiguous way (incidentally, the play has been staged in ten countries), it is interesting that this production was not connected with other events in the theater’s life. This is a different trend, but it fully conforms to our general search. Incidentally, the French embassy has helped us to realize this project. I believe that we would not be able to manage it without their assistance.”

Do you feel that the theater has raised its own audience?

“This is a complicated question indeed. Overall, being an optimist, I hope that it has. This is only a confirmation of the fact that the most important, so-called ‘program’ productions of the theater already have a clearly outlined target audience. Our audience reads a lot, takes interest in new events in art and literature. They are active citizens, i.e., people that care about what is going on in their country. Our audience is mostly democratic. Representatives of so-called glamor are not frequent guests in our theater. However, we have a couple of performances that may be jokingly called ‘fashionable.’ Incidentally, I have staged such a production, A Round Dance of Love. They are attended by a specific audience, which is interesting to observe. I meet such spectators at the performances of celebrity tours. They leave Eimuntas Nekrosius’ plays with a loud clatter of high-heels. You know we have held polls, which showed that young people are the most active visitors of our theater, and there are also many people over 40. Moreover, we have a vast female audience, perhaps owing to the subtle inner organization of our women.”

Have the relations between theater and the audience changed of late? Are any new instruments implemented to attract more people?

“Absolutely, our PR service and theater’s administration use increasingly more modern methods to organize their work with the audience. We could apply the whole arsenal of European marketing mechanisms (which would be efficient), but we sometimes lack the money to do so.

“However, the promotion of our theater in subway monitors or billboards with unusual and attractive photo shoots, as well as in the Internet, trigger a response.”

In your opinion, is the fact that theater actors play in TV series, which quickly brings them popularity, promoting the Molody Theater?

“The actors who have undergone a certain professional training, whose values and creative guidelines are already formed, view their participation in this kind of project (and I agree with them) as a way to earn money. Whatever the attitude, it cannot essentially influence their inner world. As for young actors, the situation is more complicated: if they have not formed as personalities and have not had much professional training, their engagement in TV series may have negative upshots, since artistic taste, moral and aesthetic principles have nothing in common with this kind of work. However, in this sense I am regarded as one of the most loyal artistic directors. Maybe, I am lucky to have this, so to say, mechanism of tolerance. Of course, I would like theater be everything in the life of my actors, but life cannot always be perfect.”

How would you define the present stage of the Molody Theater’s development? Do you anticipate any new artistic vectors to appear in the nearest future?

“It is pleasant to dream about a summer cottage, to plan and give rein to one’s imagination. For example: a fountain will be here, and exotic plants — there. I don’t want to bring your question down to the financial matters only. But a theater is quite a complicated organism. Once it does not feel comfortable (for example, it is not sure that there will be money to pay for electricity and heat the next day), it is difficult to proceed. What brings new aesthetic principles? The arrival of a new interesting director or artist. And these new, unexpected principles are costly. Besides, new ideas may be realized only when there is funding.”

You work a lot with young people, both at the theater and Theater University. Do you frequently meet young people who perceive their work as serving theater?

“Fortunately, there are such people, at least among my students. Moreover, there are some desperate romantics among them, who are ready to sacrifice their financial welfare for the sake of theater, refusing TV offers as such. For example, Valeria Khodos has played in several TV projects. Now she continues to receive offers, but she rejects them after reading the scripts.”

The Molody Theater is known for its active participation in festivals. In what forums are you going to take part this season?

“We have already received invitations from local festivals that are held in Ukrainian cities (like Nizhyn, Ternopil). My play will go from Hungary to Lviv’s Golden Lion Festival. This year it will be held in a somewhat chamber format. We are planning to cooperate with the Hungarian director Mero Bela: we will stage Istvan Orkeny’s play Totek (The Toth Family). Volodymyr Karashevsky will be the production’s scenic artist.”

What new productions are in the offing in Molody Theater’s repertoire?

“Apart from the Ukrainian-Hungarian project, the production of Mykhailo Starytsky’s play Fortune will be the season’s first premiere. Hopefully, the long-awaited Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice will come out as well. To mark the anniversary of our actress and theater’s founder Liudmyla Dementieva, we plan to stage the entertaining play Quartet by Anatolii Krym. It is expected that the production Man and Eternity by the modern author Andrii Kureichyk will be the last premiere. It will be staged by Taras Kryvoruchenko.”

Do you have any creative dreams?

“I don’t know whether it may be called a dream, but I would like to shoot a real movie, not a series. I already have certain ideas, and some specific authors in mind, like Yurii Andrukhovych. But everything is changing all the time. Theater requires energy and time. Besides, there is no cherished stability, which is favorable for creative dreams and searches. Perhaps, things I have never done before hold an attraction for me. Likewise, I would like to stage an opera play. Of course, one ought to work for this. So, time will tell.”