Svabodny Teatr : alternative in underground (Photo) :: Charter'97 :: News

22 August the Minsk special militia regiment broke the first night of the “11 Shirts” play staged by the Svabodny Teatr (Free Theater) and its restaged “Legends of Childhood” .But 23 August in one of the private houses in the Minsk suburbs the theatrical performance was made despite of the law enforcement bodies attempts to prevent it. How do the alternative performances look like under extreme conditions?

The house premises are large. Around several hundred spectators, if any, can be placed there. There is neither a stage, nor stalls, nor dress-circle, nor balcony. There aren’t any wings. All the theatrical decorations are impromptu, the Radio Svaboda reports.

Only abroad the Svabodny Teatr makes its performances under classical theatrical conditions. As far as Belarus is concerned, flats, cafes, even forest clearings serve the stage here.

Svabodny Teatr makes experiments .Scenario writers and directors are not afraid of moving beyond the classical canons. One of the spectators Volga admitted that after getting acquainted with the creative work of the Svabodny Teatr she stopped attending the state theatres.

“We need something current, something about us. We are sick and tired of watching playa about the life of peasants; I am too far from that subject. I need something that may occur to me, something timely and current”, the girl says.

Actually all the performances of the Svabodny Teatr have current plots. That may be the episode in the workers dressing room at the national library construction site. Or the monologue of the prisoner from the Akrestsin jail or, as in the Legends of Childhood, the final scene runs about the history of the Belarusian orphan Vika Maroz which was not allowed by the Belarusian authorities to be adopted by the Italian family.

Actor Dzyanis Tarasenka says that many today’s Belarusian actors envy the Svabodny Teatr troupe which being Belarusian yet does not depend on the will of the Belarusian state and tours abroad.

“I have met actors who morally and spiritually are very poor. First of all, they care not about the arts but the wages and nothing more”, the actor is certain.

By the way, the Svabodny Teatr is very popular among the Belarusian theatrical gourmets. Moreover , the possibility to attend the performance of the “underground” group is a certain sign of belonging to
The theatre director Uladzimir Scherban says that constant militia pressing can cause only physical tiredness:

“We are not tired of that we are tired of constant lies and foul talks”.

Photo by "Nasha Niva", "Radio Svaboda"