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International Theatre Festival Alexandrinsky
1st Annual International Theatre Festival Alexandrinsky sees its main goal in presenting national theatres of different countries which are developing various classical stage traditions and seeking for contemporary means of expression. To keep up traditions and to find new ways of speaking to the audience are the main tasks for any national theatre culture today. Accordingly, the International Theatre Festival Alexandrinsky is going to demonstrate the world practice.
The main distinction between Alexandrinsky Festival and other International Theatre Festivals of our country lies in a high concentration on the creative work of “historically distinguished” theatres, which can represent nationwide significance.
This specific festival project is the first and exclusive for the federal theatres of Russia. In this regard, the Alexandrinsky Theatre is initiating the movement related to the integration of the Russian national theatres into the system of the national theatres of different countries.
Watching the performances of that level and kind, which different national theatres can present, will give you a chance to plunge in the atmosphere of national art in the context of its traditions and innovations. That means the perception can’t be isolated. Moreover, it is a rare chance for the Petersburg audience to meet the art of the largest national theatres on one stage and in one period of time.
We hope that Alexandrinsky Festival will create a kind of panorama of contemporary status of different national theatres cultures and gradually represent the leading trends of today’s theatre world.
The program of the Festival offers classic drama performances and new productions, made either by the famous master directors or “rising stars” of stage direction.
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“I believe that the Alexandrinsky Theatre, being a national stage, should invite the best performances of different national theatres to St. Petersburg. That’s why we’ve made a decision to organize International Theatre Festival Alexandrinsky. I am convinced that the project can give unique experience to all of us and bring the answers to many questions, which the national theatres wonder about.
For example the question of national stages development is already a complex problem. Today this question can shrink to the question: What` s next? Should we remain the museums of art and keep our traditions or should we change somehow? How can we get some status? What is the national stage nowadays? We have to answer those questions keeping in mind the whole theatre process which can sometimes be chaotic, crazy, fussy and, unfortunately, imagined. On the one hand, the national stage is a kind of quintessence of theatre culture, and on the other hand, new trends and influences make a challenge. Inviting such theatres as Piccolo, Norodowy, Finnish National Theatre or Maly Theatre to our Festival we hope to joint efforts and ”come closer” to the answers.
When organizing the Festival, we also reckoned that we should bring something new to St. Petersburg, something that our audience had never seen before. We shall say Theodoros Terzopoulos, whose performance (Oedipus Rex) is an opening one for the Festival, is a brilliant expert in Greek tragedy. That’s why we wanted our audience to see his approach and style. I believe that every performance of the Festival program will give our guests a chance to know something original. I am strongly convinced that such festivals as an opportunity to meet “another” theatre give a very useful emotional and aesthetic shake-up, bring the context insight and level up our creativity. It seems as if we all need it!”
Valery Fokin
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