RIGHT TO REST
Dmitry Brusnikin School, Theatre Union of Russia and Praktika Theatre, Moscow
Presented in the frame of Russian Case 2020
based on Alexander Galich`s biography
Director: Sergei Karaban , Igor Titov
Set designer: Daria Ufimtseva
Director: Sergei Karaban , Igor Titov
Set designer: Daria Ufimtseva
“Right to Rest” is a production where the audience doesn’t only get to learn a story (the genre is defined as “musical biopic about Alexandre Galich”), but can also participate in creating an alternative to what happened in reality. The basis of the story is formed by the Union of Writers 1971 meeting report. This document reflects how the decision was taken to exclude Alexandre Galich from the Union. He, whose name is closely linked to the idea of “author song”, poet and script-writer, actor and playwright became unpopular with the authorities and was chased away at the beginning of 1970s, not only from the Union of Writers, but also from the country. The document in its unaltered form, long speeches of Galich’s fellow writers – coping with this is not an easy task even for documentary theatre, yet the production has been created by graduates of that very workshop at Moscow Art Theatre School where Dmitry Brusnikin made a pedagogical revolution: from the very first days students work with verbatim techniques and contemporary writing. Now already professional actors of “Brusnikin School” have a better-than-many ear for the voice of life today. The audience doesn’t find itself in a theatre space, the production is played in the Central Scientific Theatre Library. Nothing has changed here over many years, this library by itself is a memory space. Sitting at desks, the audience “witnesses” historical events. Alternative story number two is in the music. New adaptations of Galich’s poems are heard in the production. It’s as if memory betrays us and poet Alexandre Galich turns out to be our contemporary.
…There is a meeting of the Union of Writers of the USSR on the creative work of Alexander Galich, in which Valentin Kataev, Agniya Barto, Alexey Arbuzov and other literary figures participate. Galich`s creativity is subjected to harsh criticism. As you know, the meeting ended with expelling of Galich from the Union of Writers, but the audience as participants in the meeting can “correct” the story and Galich will not be excluded ... After the performance, and exclusively by the “decision” of the audience, a concert can take place...
The performance was staged on the transcript of the meeting of the Union of Writers, when Galich was expelled. The text compiled by playwright Andrei Stadnikov, preserves all replicas with minor abbreviations, but without any editing or adaptation. The poet was being discussed by people whose names only literary critics remember and who praised the construction sites of communism and the military work of the NKVD officers. Besides them, however, quite great people also have the floor, for example, playwright Alexey Arbuzov, in whose studio Galich played, and Arbuzov has to renounce his student.
The spectators have a unique chance to "intervene" in the course of events and change a decision to exclude the Russian playwright, poet and screenwriter Alexander Galich from the Union of Writers. Together with the main characters - outstanding cultural figures – you will become a part of the historical meeting of the Soviet era.
Basic Production Information. Click here
Elizaveta Spivakovskaya
…There is a meeting of the Union of Writers of the USSR on the creative work of Alexander Galich, in which Valentin Kataev, Agniya Barto, Alexey Arbuzov and other literary figures participate. Galich`s creativity is subjected to harsh criticism. As you know, the meeting ended with expelling of Galich from the Union of Writers, but the audience as participants in the meeting can “correct” the story and Galich will not be excluded ... After the performance, and exclusively by the “decision” of the audience, a concert can take place...
Yandex.Afisha
The performance was staged on the transcript of the meeting of the Union of Writers, when Galich was expelled. The text compiled by playwright Andrei Stadnikov, preserves all replicas with minor abbreviations, but without any editing or adaptation. The poet was being discussed by people whose names only literary critics remember and who praised the construction sites of communism and the military work of the NKVD officers. Besides them, however, quite great people also have the floor, for example, playwright Alexey Arbuzov, in whose studio Galich played, and Arbuzov has to renounce his student.
Moskvichmag.ru
The spectators have a unique chance to "intervene" in the course of events and change a decision to exclude the Russian playwright, poet and screenwriter Alexander Galich from the Union of Writers. Together with the main characters - outstanding cultural figures – you will become a part of the historical meeting of the Soviet era.
Praktikatheatre.com
Basic Production Information. Click here
