Nothing universal is alien – Newspaper Kommersant No. 198 (7399) of 10/25/2022

In Moscow, a press conference was held by the organizers and participants of the XVI International Theater Festival. A.P. Chekhov, where the program for 2023 was announced. The changed, but still impressive internationality of the festival is appreciated by Tatyana Kuznetsova.

The Chekhov Festival, which takes place every two years, celebrated its 30th anniversary in October 2022. Mikhail Shvydkoi, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, who opened the press conference, emphasized the leading role of Valery Shadrin, the permanent leader, general director and curator of Chekhfest, who proved that “in the most difficult – beggarly – conditions (Mr. Shvydkoi meant the beginning of the 1990s.— “b”) you can do incredible projects.” The co-founder of the festival, professor-theater Alexei Bartoshevich revived the memories of the brightest events of the “child of Gorbachev’s times”, especially noting the “dizzying feeling of freedom” that swept Moscow in those years. “And how we were loved in the world!” – the old-timers picked up, recalling the 2001 Theater Olympics with a carnival procession along Tverskaya, and a friend of the festival – director Peter Brook, the author of the concept of “universal unification”. After a nostalgic prologue, short announcements of their projects and performances were presented by the participants of the XVI Chekhfest, both present and absent (in the video performance mode).

The program turned out to be unexpectedly extensive, and not only in modern times. From May 24 to October 8, 2023, 15 performances from 13 countries will be presented in Moscow. Europe, for obvious reasons, will not participate in Chehfest, the playbill is dominated by Asia and South America – the latter mainly with dance projects. Argentine Erman Cornejo and his troupe will open the festival; in the past, luring Muscovites with old and salon tango, this time they will bring “Wild Tango” – judging by the photos, brutal and athletic. The Argentines are also closing the Chekhfest: the Contemporary Ballet of the San Martin Theater will perform “The Song of the Earth” to the music of Mahler. Cuban “contemporaries” will present “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff choreographed and directed by George Cespedes, and the musicians will be Russian: the Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, the Minin Choir and the children’s choir “Spring”.

The only Chekhov will be brought to the festival by the Brazilians, for whom the Russian classic is part of the school curriculum: Four actresses and two musicians will present Three Sisters in the form of a free interpretation under the telling title “To Moscow! Palimpsest”. For the first time, Chileans are coming to Moscow with the play Malen, about initiation, the legacy of ancestors and the dialogue of generations: choreographer Ricardo Curaceo Curice took 16 women in his production ranging from 10 to 70 years old. For the first time, Moscow will also see a troupe from South Africa – Vuyani Dance Company will show an unusual version of Ravel’s Bolero, in which choreographer Gregory Makoma heard the ritual mourning marches of the natives. The second source of inspiration for his play “Zion: Requiem for Ravel’s Bolero” was the novel by the South African Zakes Mda and its protagonist, the mourner.

China presents “Zhao Lian Art Company” with a plastic performance of marvelous beauty staged by Zhao Lian “in the style of Chan Buddhism”; The main accessory of the “Tea Spell” will be a unique artifact — a 9th-century tea set by Emperor Xizong. Vietnamese theater Thang Long will show a traditional national performance – a puppet show on the water with live musicians. But an adapted Shakespeare will arrive from India: actors with whitened faces, like those of mimes, will present the play “Macbeth: what’s done is done” – their own interpretation of the great tragedy.

Abundantly represented neighboring countries. The Russian Drama Theater will arrive from Armenia with the play “Gardenia” staged by Gor Markaryan. And with the artists of the Taganka Theater, Narine Grigoryan and her production team will make the play “Mumu” – the young Armenian director interprets Turgenev’s story as “a story about freedom – about a man who defends his true nature.” Another joint project will come from Belarus: the play by Konstantin Steshik “The Stone of Stupidity” was staged by Dmitry Zimin from Yekaterinburg. Kazakh director Farhad Moldogali, who went through the school of Vladimir Pankov, will bring the sound-drama Kulager based on Dzhansagurov’s poem, written at the height of the 1937 repressions. A performance full of symbols and metaphors accompanies the ethno-modern jazz band Steppe Sons. “Mother’s Field” will arrive from Uzbekistan – Nigora Goibnazarova staged her own staging of Aitmatov’s novel at the Syrdarya Theater of Musical Drama. Kyrgyzstan will finally show a performance for children called “Airplane Letters” with actors and puppets: director Ainula Kachkybek Kyzy composed a “theatrical production about childhood, death, life and dreams” based on the works of Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt.

Not exactly a “universal association”, of course, but still impressive – however, Valery Shadrin has a reputation for being one of the main pillars of the domestic production school. Now, however, one can appreciate the prescience that seems to be his long-standing fondness for exotic spectacles from distant lands. Even in the most prosperous years in terms of international cultural exchange, Southeast Asia in all the variety of traditions and modernity (from the Peking Opera to the South Korean avant-garde) made up at least half of the poster in the Chekhfest programs, so it seems that no completely revolutionary repertoire turn seemed to have happened. . It remains to be hoped that without further adjustments until the spring will do.