Krasnodar, 24 September. Today we are talking with Arseni Fogelev, the newly appointed Director of Gorki Krasnodar Academic Drama Theatre.
Q.: How would you define the notion of ‘contemporary theatre’?
A.: Contemporary theatre is theatre that is keeping up with the times. It applies, first of all, to the principles of existence on the stage, and the issues dwelt on by the directors – they should correspond to current time and current circumstances. The contemporaneity at theatre is revealed not by modern costumes that the actors are wearing, or by ‘modernisation’ of some classic texts. Nothing of the kind.
Q.: What do you as the director consider the main thing for contemporary theatre?
A.: I am a man that is in many respects oversaturated with theatre, so I like moving away from deliberate staginess. What I mean are those means of expressiveness that can be found in an orthodox theatre: an understandable plot, linear construction of the performance, illustration of the time and processes, and ornate costumes. As a spectator, I am little interested in such things, but this does not mean that other people are not interested in them.
Q.: Recently, you were appointed Director of the Krasnodar Drama Theatre. What are those important things that you want to preserve in the theatre, and what novelties would you like to bring in?
A.: In fact, the idea of my program is simple: the territory of success must be increased within Krasnodar first, then it should expand to the region and southern part of Russia, and then – to the national theatre map. First of all, a theatre must constantly work on the quality, because today’s spectators are fed with performances. Due to the abundance of films and TV serials around us, it is hard for a theatre to compete with the contemporary plot content. Now the audience do not need any prompts; as soon as they see a picture, they can understand the direction of the plot. The contemporary viewer has a very strong sense of associative perception. This is why it would be useless to show and explain something just for the sake of the process. I believe that what we all need is to hide, to conceal all senses for as long as possible.
Q.: What can you say about the work with the team?
A.: What the actors need is to support their tone and professional energy. We have talented actors who deserve victories. Of course, there is some lack of balance in the personnel: for instance, there are more women than men, though it should be quite the contrary; the average age of 40 to 50 years is represented by just two or three actors. Nonetheless, the troupe is absolutely strong. What the actors really need are good and competent directors. It should be both directors-tutors, directors-innovators, and directors that during a rehearsal can reveal their actors from an unexpected side.
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