The creator of the unique theater, Natalia Oralova, has passed away

MIRT’s heart stopped

Natalia Oralova is a teacher, director, composer. She was not known to the general public, but she was well known and will always be remembered by those who at least once in their lives encountered their own or someone else’s pain or misfortune. Natalya Oralova is the creator of the unique MIRT theater, one of the first integration theaters in the country.

A year ago she had a heart attack. But for her, who had had incurable illnesses all her life – mental retardation, autism and other mental disorders – her own illness did not count. The name of the theater she created in 2000 stands for “Workshop Integrated Rehabilitation Theater.” Professional and amateur actors, adults and children, healthy and not-so-healthy people played on its stage. For many performers, Natalia Pavlovna’s theater turned out to be the door to a normal life, full of events, meetings, communication and creativity. Here they felt that no medical diagnosis could hinder real talent. And most importantly, the MIRT actors felt enormous interest in themselves from the public, critics, organizers of various festivals and even the authorities, which, alas, does not happen often.

Working with such people, Natalia Oralova created amazing stage interpretations of Russian classics and modern drama, staged works by foreign authors and even Hamlet in English. And in all the performances of MIRT, original music was heard, her music – after all, Natalia Pavlovna began as a composer, was actively and successfully engaged in composing, and worked at the Moscow Hermitage Theater as the head of the musical department.

Her small theater was located in a five-story brick building on the ground floor in the Sviblovo district. A small hall, but equipped with light and sound, rehearsal rooms, a costume and props room – everything is like in an adult theater. And spectators came to Amundsen Street not for big names, fashionable names, but for something real that is difficult to explain in words. But those who saw the performances with the participation of its special artists forgot about the feeling of pity, which, as a rule, is a companion to this kind of performance.

But no, emotions of a completely different nature arose in the small hall from people who gave their special world, their perception to the theater. Such a connection, led by an adult, intelligent, talented, warm-hearted person, produced incredible results. Natalia Oralova’s MIRT was well known in the country and abroad, the theater went on tours in Russian cities and toured Europe, attracted the attention of many world-famous directors, teachers, and psychologists. Her assets include participation in Russian and international integration theater festivals and competitions – “PROTEATR”, “How beautiful this world is”, “Neprataptan Ways”, “Mystery”, “Philanthropist” awards, “Bronze Mask” and others. She was very proud of the Moskovsky Komsomolets theater award, awarded several years ago in the category “Best Integration Theater.”

The phrase “worked hard” was not for her. She lived for the theater, rehearsed joyfully, never thinking about the fact that she was taking on someone else’s pain. But last year, her heart made itself known, and Natalia Pavlovna ended up in the hospital. It seemed like they treated me and discharged me, but two weeks ago I felt unwell again, and again I was in the hospital. One day, Natalia Pavlovna’s son Daniil was unexpectedly informed that his mother had been transferred to intensive care. She never left there.

There have always been very few artists of the same level and caliber as Natalia Oralova. Not every even very gifted person can bear the enormous loads that are inevitable when a director brings together in one stage space people with acting experience and those who have little or no experience – their illness prevented them from acquiring it. Only a person with inexhaustible invention, imagination and an infinitely generous heart can overcome difficulties. This is exactly what Natalia Oralova was – it seemed that her energy and stormy, always festive, truly volcanic directorial gift would last for a long time. But suddenly everything changed… The heart stopped at the MIRT theater.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29213 dated February 9, 2024

Newspaper headline:
MIRT’s heart stopped