Stage Festival
How would you characterize the past Theater Festival?
- The Festival was worthy. Our main task is to theatricalize the city and Dubna, in my opinion, really needs such a creative "vaccination". The spectator walks, empathizes, reflects and it is perhaps, the best evaluation of our work. It is especially pleasant that this year, a loyal audience was established: there were spectators that had visited all the plays, sincerely worried about the heroes and even stayed for the announcement of the jury's decision - it indicates a high interest and trust in the programme.
On the eve of the Festival, it became known that your theater is now called differently. When and why did the shift happen?
- Yes, we really are now the Dubna Drama Theater. We have grown to this name for ten years of work and endless love for the theater. Our troupe has produced 56 productions, as well as countless concerts, creative evenings and other events - all this has become the foundation for a new stage.
Legally, the renaming took place literally two days before the start of the Festival, so, of course, we did not have time to replace all the posters. Most of us were able to reflect the new name but the Laboratory Theater “Kvadrat” is still on the presentation cubes, it seems symbolic to me that we held the fifth Festival under the old name but it was it that opened the way for the new Dubna Drama Theater. So, this is not a confusion but a beautiful point in one stage and the start of the next.
Tell us, please, how you and the actors of your theater troupe coped with such a load as organizing, welcoming guests and holding the whole event?
- We did it perfectly because the main thing in our theater is nepotism. We have not just a team, we have friends. For the theatrical environment, this is probably a paradox but we believe that real art is built on mutual understanding and success is possible only when a worthy and faithful partner is nearby. I can be proud of every actor we have.
With such a load, we shared responsibilities and everyone did what they do best. Light and sound on two sites were clearly provided by my leading actors, they also took over the technical part. Our young and very responsible students met the guests. The design, the badges, all the nice little things that create festival recognition are a credit to our artist and lead actor. Announcements and awards ceremony are also on the conscience of the actors. And at the same time, everyone retained style and high quality.
The jury watched three to five performances a day. And in the final, the winner was chosen for a very long time. Was it difficult?
- Our jury is professional, so watching 5‑6 performances a day is not a problem for them - they are used to taking notes, being detached from personal impressions and clearly distinguishing levels: professionals, amateurs, children. The awards were distributed precisely in these categories - each had its own place and the winner.
However, this year, the judges were especially strict. I tried to watch the performances through the eyes of the spectator, not a professional, because a professional look sometimes deprives me of spontaneity. The jury, on the contrary, evaluated everything from an expert point of view, requiring a harmonious combination of directing, drama and acting. Only with such unity, according to their conviction, real success is born.
Therefore, our opinions did not always coincide. I admit, I do not agree with everything: for me, for example, Marina Zamyslova is an unconditional genius and we, contemporaries, are happy to live with her at the same time. Colleagues gave her the nomination "Best actress" but pointed out the discrepancy between the form and content in the production itself - in terms of their high standards. I did not interfere because this jury was chosen by me and I am obliged to respect its decision, to maintain tact and correctness.
And now, I see: the severity of the judges only elevated the Festival. There are few awards this year but each of them is confirmed by authoritative opinion. The value of the Festival is determined not by the number of prizes but by the exactingness of the evaluation and the honesty of the refereeing. And I think the result was really decent.
The Grand Prix was awarded to the children's play "Time to fly" from the studio "Mask" from the city of Dmitrov. What is the secret of success that the jury members noted, why exactly did this performance bypass everyone else?
- It all starts with interest - not with yourself, but with material and with children. The director, whom I have known for a long time, starts with this. He works professionally with actors, with every child, with the fabric of the performance, but most importantly, he does not let this lively interest out of focus. Children do not just play roles - they are cooked in the material, because the director builds the process in such a way that it becomes really important for them. Hence, the persuasiveness and the truth on stage. And the fact that "Mask" takes the Grand Prix for the second time is a pattern: this is not about luck, it is about systematic work on actors, on material, on keeping interest. They really are the strongest. I want to invite this director to us, because this approach gives a stable result.
What are the Festival's plans for the future?
- The plans are the most definite - the Festival will live and become brighter every year. We have already built a tradition: every last week of August in our theater is marked by this event. For us, it is both a smooth entrance to the new season and a gift to the Dubna audience that is waiting for a meeting with the theater.
This year, we were very seriously supported by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, the city administration, the Youth Centre and the initiative groups represented by Denis Zhuravlev and Valentina Pyatak with their teams. It was these people that provided us with a large platform and this is not the first year our festival has been held on two stages - a chamber and a large one.
Each year, the Festival has a new topic. This year, it was called "Friendship Bridge" and this is symbolic: the performances were dedicated to this great feeling and everyone who once participated in our country became contestants. It turned out to be a real, lively friendship.
And of course, Dubna in summer is beautiful: motor ships, excursions, a warm atmosphere. The Festival becomes a bridge that unites the past and the future, spectators and artists. We give the audience this holiday and then smoothly enter the opening of the new season. Next year, we will reach the level of the Union of Theater Workers, the coverage will become wider, and we hope that groups from Belarus and other countries will come to us again. The topic is still under development but we are leaning towards the classics - it is eternal and always close to a person.
And we will wait for the audience, participants and friends again - next August, on the banks of the Volga, in the light of spotlights and with the same awe in our hearts. See you in Dubna!
The jury members thanked everyone for their participation and congratulated them on the successful completion of the Festival.
Honored Artist of Russia Viktor Ananin: "You have no idea what a terrible situation we were in - to choose the best of the good! I want to congratulate all the participants on the fact that they have shown themselves worthy. Thank you for your attitude to the theater, art. It was touching, somewhere more professional, somewhere less, but it doesn't matter. It is important that a sincere, bright and kind atmosphere reigned all the time. Thanks for it!”
Actor and director Dmitry Kreminsky: "Friends, the scenery is dilapidated, the costumes are worn out, the props will turn into dust! But those emotions and feelings that each of you broadcast from the theatrical stage settle in the place that is commonly called the soul. Take care of what you have received and we are fully grateful to you!"
Actor, director and teacher Andrey Ohanyan: "Thank you for coming, for being not indifferent, for your powerful "theatrical desires", for your burning eyes! We discussed grades for a long time and in a bloody way that means, we were not indifferent to what we had seen".
Maria KARPOVA, photos by Alexander KULDOSHIN