Yuri Klavdiyev's

ANNA

Directed by Vladyslav Troitskyi

The language of the performance is Russian

WARNING!
Сoarse language is used in this performance.
Not suitable for people under the age of 18.


 

Photogallery


Characters and performers

  Roman Iasynovskyi
  Dmytro Kostyumynskyi
One-Who-Listens-To-Sleeping   Dmytro Iaroshenko
  Solomiia Melnyk
Lena "Good-bye", prostitute   Iryna Kovalenko
Anna, housewife   Viktoriia Lytvynenko-Iasynovska
Serega "Left-hander" Viazemskyi, rifleman   Igor Postolov
  Vasil' Bilous
Kolian "Lonely", rifleman   Dmytro Iaroshenko
  Viktor Okhonko
Chairman, authority   Marko Halanevych
Vitia "Kiddy", rifleman   Volodymyr Minenko
  Zo

"Anna" is the performance-western of young Russian playwright Iurii Klavdiev which represents modern "new drama": burning social issues, naturalism, marginalia, using of foul language and searching of a new hero in unheroic times when human passions grow smaller. Some out of the way place in Russia and western entourage: isolated people in their idle existence between home-distilled vodka and imported heroin invent their own Hollywood, playing shooters-cowboys. The scheme is the same - there are good and bad guys, there is a sheriff - local chairman - there are farmers and women and there are enemies Ц neighbor village of cannibals.
This is a little bit Tarantino as action and dialogues are taken place within the frames of the classic realistic theatre traditions - amidst black walls, deal boards on the floor, bear fells, Orthodox icons, old tape recorder and rough wooden table. Delicate and even florid style of speech is sometimes alternated with foul language which is (as well as shooting) frequent but
organic. "Why does someone have to start to burn your houses and to kill you for you to start thinking?" - asks local crazy incendiary. "Who am I and who needs me?" - asks themselves lost post-Soviet generation.

 

Anna is the play-western there worlds of the West and provincial Russian village get mixed up. The events take place at present time. Armed young people establish their power. The game they invented turns a village into closed and tough society.

CCA DAKH lead by Vladislav Troitskyi got stronger in the spirit in numerous mistrial battles and has felt strength in itself to step on unknown territory of contemporary social drama. While domestic dramaturgy is still searching its theatre the director turned to the popular nowadays in Russia author Jury Klavdiev. It is not for nothing that Russian press calls this playwright the myth creator of a new urban culture of ideological chaos period. World of his pieces are industrial environs ruled by violence, fear and animal relations between people.

This staging is of Їblack humor genre and that·s why the acting resembles by style Criminal reading-matter of Tarantino.

Natalia Shevchenko, Ukrainian week 18.01.2008

 

Two the most important senses are synchronized first by a crazy shaman-gynecologist and afterwards by Anna itself ­ half-taught Russian literature teacher who came to a village in Moscow suburbs for a rock festival. She met there her future husband and stayed there finding it quite interesting. But soon her interest fades growing into usual surviving and immaculate observance of Code of Fathers ­ the code of superstitions and rules that replaced the law. Anna will say in the end what she almost liked to be a shot, to play in war, hence the most important is to make it interesting. This is the sense number one. Shaman-gynecologist sets on fire houses. He says: Why is it for you to start to think someone necessarily needs to start to burn you. To kill. To huddle you into burning basements. This is the sense number two. Because only your dreams look like normal life. That is rather the bitter and accusatory conclusion’

By the way, just from Anna starts a staging of new dramaturgy in Kiev. And not only because DAKH was the first theatre that has entered this zone but also because Anna was seen, heard and answered to. And, who knows, maybe it is the starting point for a new theatre in Ukraine.

Marysya Nikityuk, www.teatre.com.ua  13.02.2008

 

Besides swearing there are sudden pneumatic shots, screams, hits by belts on naked back, smudge ­ all almost at the same time. Beautiful with cold unsmiling beauty heroes drink, eat, talk and from time to time shoot each other. By its intensity the action resembles film of Gela Babluani 13. You can·t tell what will happen next and there is a whole chromatic octave of contradictory feelings.

One of favorite themes of Klavdiev -loneliness of man ­ is one of the main motives in Anna. Habitants of a village wander around an exclusive circle of The Universal sorrow and can·t find any better than skirmishes and drinking.

With all that you can·t call the play depressive. It is rather gloom and even furious truth of life with a firm pivot of a strong spirit.

Anna Sanina, Playbill January 16.22.2008

 

In spite of richness of the plot the unity of place and almost unity of time is kept in the play. Troitskyi has rammed all this bundle of fear, violence and hatred into a tiny room of his theatre hall that made an emotional concentration critical at some moment. Besides, they have shot on a stage almost all the time and a couple of times have burned something backstage because of which stage and spectators· hall were clouded by quite a stinking smoke. Through this smoke and firing, cursing and cynic dialogues a collective face of a new generation could be seen ­ the face of a scared child who is terrified to live.


Olga Ostroverkh, 24 ua, 21.12.2007


 

Anna? is topical provincial story with all the attributes of the genre: non-normative vocabulary, shooting from guns and big but unhappy love. On the whole, something that is called now a social drama. Almost all the actors· staff is occupied in the play and besides, two actors· staffs are provided. It is interesting also that the play was staged by Vladislav Troitskyi who always seemed to evade common and too social plots. Good luck!


In Kiev Way, 19.12.2007


Two acts. 2 hours.


Back
Go to