07 August 2007, 15:23 Culture

Stand on the hill

Interview with Rimas Tuminas

Svetlana Polyakova Rimas Tuminas, recently appointed artistic director of the Vakhtangov Theater, told Park Culture about how he intends to win, and about the dead of Woe from Wit.

The news ahead of the start of the upcoming theater season was the appointment to the post of artistic director of the Vakhtangov Theater of Rimas Tuminas, the creator and permanent director of the Maly Theater of Vilnius, who staged several hits on the Moscow stage (including “We Play Schiller ...” in Sovremennik and “The Government Inspector” in Vakhtangovsky) and more than once brought his performances to Moscow. The season will begin at the end of August, but for now Tuminas is rehearsing “Woe from Wit” at Sovremennik and developing a strategy for attacking “Lithuanian directing”...

- Mr. Tuminas, you are taking over as captain of a huge liner: compared to the Vakhtangov Theater, the Maly Theater is a yacht. A liner with so many people, traditions and overgrown shells...

— I understand that it is preferable to surprise Moscow by making such touring or production forays. When there is a flair of mystery, expectation, it is easier to be loved. Some intrigue is maintained. And when you pretend to become one of your own, you risk being punished for such ambitions. I don’t claim to be “one of mine.” I'm at the theater. This is the single space in which both I and the Vakhtangov Theater exist. There are no boundaries here.

I'll probably have to maintain some distance. We need to distance ourselves somewhat so as not to start by immediately entering the bowels of the theater and all its problems. You won't be able to get out of this later. Just as you cannot get involved in military actions without first observing the progress of these actions from somewhere on a hill. Otherwise, they will kill you first, seeing you as the main enemy. Not because I'm afraid of anything! But I want to win together with the theater. And this victory is possible. I don't plan to stay in Vakhtangovsky forever. But my program is long-term - four years

— Weren’t you embarrassed that the other contender for the post of Vakhtangovsky’s artistic director was Robert Sturua?

— I was glad that such an offer was made to Robert Sturua . If he accepted it, I intended to collaborate with the theater if called. Sturua is close to my blood. But Sturua took a break. But they offered me more free terms, they said that they could wait a year if I agreed. And they caught me doing this. It was at the end of May - I said yes in principle. By the way, I have already invited Sturua to the production - the Vakhtangov Theater, of course, its aesthetics. You will be surprised, but he suggested staging “Princess Turandot”. I can imagine how unusual Sturua’s “Turandot” will be. So I’m thinking: should I do this now? Maybe later, when both the theater and the audience miss “The Princess”? We will decide this in the coming days.

- What are you going to play?

— I’m thinking about Chekhov. But we must start with Shakespeare. "Troilus and Cressida" or "Richard III". If “Richard”, then it will be a restored play that I staged in Vilnius, but the leading actor died (he was only 52 years old). And something was left unfinished, unsaid. This will be in January. In any case, there must be good literature. These one-nighters, the so-called “hotel plays”, when they mix up rooms or mix up women - once upon a time there was a comedy of disguises, a comedy of errors, and in such a pathetic form it all came back. It's interesting to find comedy in tragedy. Look at life with a smile, at the passing time - time is passing, and we must say goodbye to it, not get angry, learn to enjoy the passing time. The gentle power of the theater must prevail.

— Even before your official appointment, you invited several European directors to stage the Vakhtangovsky production...

— I would like to organize a strong directorial attack on the actors. If Russia has opened the door to the West, especially since the Vakhtangov Theater has always had a scent of freedom, playfulness, and has always been open, then I will invite both Western and Lithuanian directors. Such an injection of European theatrical language.

I take this responsibility upon myself, I guarantee it. Let's say the Swedish director Etienne Glaser is now staging Shakespeare's "The Tempest" at my Maly Theater. I saw his performances - Dante's The Divine Comedy and Strindberg's The Dream - and I was amazed by his aesthetics, simply fascinated. It's very accurate in style; in taste, high, theatrical taste, special humor and theatrical magic, it is very close to the Vakhtangov Theater. After the release of the play in Vilnius, this will be in September, I have already invited it to be staged at the Vakhtangov Theater. Maybe it will be Dante, or maybe Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale or Strindberg. Strindberg is a difficult playwright, but Etienne Glaser is probably the only one who understands him, makes him transparent, light, and humorous. His ability to work with the actors of my theater, who did not accept strangers, were accustomed to working only with me, is also captivating - this is bad, because I can neither get sick nor die, I have become a prisoner of my theater

—Have you finally abandoned the theater you created? Has someone been appointed in your place?

- No one yet. I didn't quit the theater. The issue will be resolved at the level of the Prime Minister of Lithuania, who is very interested in me working in Russia. Maybe this will be called a long business trip or delegation.

But maybe the Vilnius Maly Theater and I need to part ways for a while so that I can return changed. And so that they miss me. So that they try themselves in another theatrical language. In the summer, while watching a production by Etienne Glaser, I felt happy that I was finally freed from this captivity. Doors have opened - I can get sick, die or leave. This means that my actors are able to profess and understand a different aesthetic, very close to ours, however, but with a different director (not just any director, but an interesting one). They have already grown up, they understand and should be able to understand the philosophy of art in which I have always raised them - without losing, without changing, but adapting themselves to the language of another director, and this works out.

— Your appointment coincided with the production of “Woe from Wit” at Sovremennik...

- While we are rehearsing the tragedy...

— As far as I know, you have an author’s attitude not only to the genre, but also to the characters. The heroes for you - Sofya, Famusov and Molchalin - are extremely nice people. And Skalozub is a big child...

“You have never seen such a soft and sentimental person in your life!”

— What are the representatives of the Moscow elite like in your performance?

— There is no beau monde in the play and there is no need for it.

- How so, what about the ball?

- “Since we are in mourning, we cannot give a ball.” Sophia says: “Come in the evening. Under the piano."

- Will they still come?

- They will come, but they are all dead. They were called, they rise from their graves once a year...

- Will there be a vampire ball?!

- No, normal faces. They were invited to life. For warmth. This is what happens in winter. And so they warmed up. Someone played the piano a little. And then Petrusha (who is almost my main character) takes everyone away. They might not come back next year. Or maybe they will return - Petrusha sends them to eternity. This died a long time ago, there is no need to make tragedies out of this, we just need to feel sorry for them - and someday we will be the same.

The main task today is to prevent actors from returning to clichéd ideas about Griboedov’s heroes. And they are very attracted.

- Still would!

- Yes, I’m not an interpreter! I just read what is written.

— Will you conduct “pro-Lithuanian” cultural activities? Contribute to the promotion of Lithuanian theater?

— In order to have the moral right to expand cooperation, I understand that first of all it is necessary to stage a performance. Therefore, the first step towards cooperation will be taken only next summer - the tour of “Madagascar” and “Masquerade”. In the meantime, we need to stand on the hill and tighten up our reserves.