The Hero of our time

As previously reported, Bohdan Stupka marked his 65 th anniversary this summer. However, the actor spends Aug. 27 with his mother in Lviv (it is her name day). And so he postponed his jubilee benefit performance until the fall and dedicated it to his wife Larysa who marked her birthday on Nov. 4. The soiree consisted of two parts: the play King Oedipus and a ceremony of greetings from colleagues, friends, his students at Karpenko-Kary University of Cinema and Television, diplomats, politicians, and numerous devotees. The program ended with the skit 65 Moments specially prepared by the Ivan Franko Theater.

As usual, Bohdan Stupka was fantastic on stage and Sophocles’ tragedy sounded topical in many respects. What the cast said drew parallels with current realities. The president and prime minister entrusted the secretariat’s Marian Lubkivsky and First Deputy Prime Minister Mykola Azarov with conveying their greetings to the celebrity who is by right considered to be Ukraine’s pride and glory. Another thing that caused embarrassment in the audience was the announcement of an edict awarding Bohdan Stupka the Order of Yaroslav the Wise, 5 th Class. Did not the man of his caliber rate the Order “Hero of Ukraine”? Who else but Bohdan Stupka ought to have it? It is strange; this actor is admired abroad and is showered with compliments, being referred to as “the most famous Ukrainian of our times,” even as “an icon of Ukrainian culture,” but the bureaucrats on Bankova St. seem unaware of this.

King Oedipus is a significant drama in Stupka’s creative biography; it brought him to meet the legendary Georgian stage director Robert Sturua who specially came from Tbilisi to watch Stupka’s benefit performance. Sturua admitted that he was pleasantly surprised by the celebrity’s choice.

Says Robert Sturua: “Bohdan Stupka has a diversified repertoire and I am flattered by his choice of King Oedipus for his creative soiree. This play was staged three years ago and I would prefer an updated version today. Sitting in the audience, I was nervous; maybe this production is outdated, maybe the public won’t accept it. Time is running so fast, life is changing so rapidly; we are also changing and so is the theater. From what I saw, the play did not leave the audience indifferent. The plot implies that the powers that be have destructive qualities, that people wielding power must not forget that there are things more powerful than their thrones or seats. People coming to power and ascending its ladder tend to forget all this very often. But all leaders and kings are mortals, like the rest of the people, and they will have to eventually climb down from the Olympus.

“The play owes it success largely to Bohdan Stupka’s polyphonic performance. His drama talent is multifaceted. I remember the hard way this play came to be. I think that his appointment as minister of culture interfered with his creative talent and I am glad that he is back where he belongs. The stage! I am sure that he will create a great many other spectacular roles. I would like to continue working with Bohdan Stupka. We have some plans. Stupka is a universal actor. He can play any role, ranging from farce to tragedy. It is very important to choose a good play that will help show this master’s potential at a new angle.”