In Kazan, Tuvan theatre's "Kultegin" play was compared to water of life

In Kazan, International festival of theatre art of Turkic people "Nauruz" just closed. Tuva was represented there by  V. Kok-ool Theater of music and drama with the play "Kultegin".

Tuvan actors presented their work on the stage of K. Tinchurin Tatar theatre of comedy and drama last Thursday evening. The hall was packed. The show went on in one breath. The actors' performance held the audience's attention from the first to the last minute of the production. The festival's experts, in judging the play, especially noted the expressive acting of Oleg Sat and Stanislav Iril, and the feminine acting of actress Aizana Chylbak-ool. The director-producer of the play Alexei Oorzhak played  the role of Alp Eletmish. The critics agreed in the opinion that the main theme of "Kultegin" was the theme of brotherhood of Turkic nations, which is very much in harmony with the idea of festival "Nauruz".

The roles of Kultegin, Bilge and Eres-Turan as little kids were played by Tatar boys. As a matter of fact, the texts of their roles were translated into Tatar language, and during the play they sand Tatar chastushkas (short songs). It is not surprising that after the curtains, the spectators produced a real storm of applause for Tuvan actors, and did not let them leave the stage for a long time.

Airam Gelzade, National artist of Republic Tatarstan, expressed the general impression of "Kultegin" on Tatar theatre audiences  in vivid and accurate terms:  "You gave the nourishing water of life of art to our roots, which were beginning to dry out, - she admitted to her Tuvan colleagues, thanking them after the show.

This festival carries no burden of competition. That is, there will be no winners and laureates. The task, as decided by its organizers, is complex and with many aspects: to get a complete idea about the condition of theatre art in Turkic-language countries and regions of Russian federation, to feel out the most promising directions of its development, and, finally, to present  the actors, directors and playwrights with a rare opportunity of creative mutual enrichment.

The first conclusions reached by the specialists after watching 33 shows by creative teams from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia and Turkey, were critical enough. In their opinion, Turkic-language theatre stopped developing, it is tied up in stereotypes which originated during the Soviet era. This concerns the stage design, which is poor in innovations, and play writing, which, just like before, exists on historical materials, the problems and events of distant past.  For that reason, the present, with the social, personal and esthetic changes of recent decades remained beyond the bounds of the methods of theatre art.

Just like in years past, Turkic-language troupes, with rare exceptions, continue to consider the national identification of their theatres as their most important task, which drastically narrows the field of  creative exploration.

There are weaknesses also in the directing that most of the productions have in common. There is a very obvious feeling of the director's "ego"; almost none of the producers had for his goal to let the actors' individuality and talent be discovered. Such approach is an obstacle to the growth of  performing artists, and it turns their creativity into a mediocre craft.  Possibly that is why there are practically no actors and actresses from Turkic-speaking regions among Russian theatre and cinema stars.

On Friday, the Tuvan theatre of music and drama left Kazan to return home.