Zhanna Krikorova: Most of Armenian politicians have lost the connection with God, they don’t belong to the theatre

Director Zhanna Krikorova told Alpha News that almost all three recent plays were staged during the blockade.

“Theatre is the place where I feel like a duck to water. The most interesting is that all three recent plays in Stepanakert were staged during the blockade. There was a stage play that we started preparing last September, and presented it in December. Even then, instead of flowers, actors were given bouquets of vegetables, beets and carrots, and other “delights” from garden. Then, there was a performance of children’s troop based on the play “Dragon” by Evgeny Schwartz, it told the story close to the situation in which we all find ourselves today.

It is the complex adult work but the children played it perfectly. Another play “Out loud” consisting of two parts was staged in July. The first part was the voice of Mayakovsky, the artist who chose to remain true to the idea rather than kill the poet inside of him. The second part of the play was the voice of Artsakh, which also chose remaining true to the idea and today is on the verge of extinction, maybe even on the verge of death. I don’t know how to say it without spreading panic and how to say it without sounding too optimistic, but it is the choice that we made.

We are responsible for this choice. And for all these 30 years, one had to understand and realize what is going on with the world in order to think soberly. It is hard to work in this situation because of two-hour rolling blackouts, but in the future, they could last even four hours. Sometimes we organize rehearsals by the light of the kerosene lamp or candlelight. Many of our actors live far from the place where our theatre workshop is located. There has been no transport for several months and you have to get home in complete darkness. But we come and rehearse, because our work helps us to overcome a lot of things. Today we can call it an art-therapy for both actors and spectators. People come to the theatre and thank us for the breath of fresh air, for the hope.

Yesterday, the play Feast of Predators was staged in the State Drama Theatre named after Vahram Papazyan. As far as I know, it is about the Second World War. Tomorrow we will go to watch this performance, and I believe there would be a full house, which means that we really want to live, we are trying to live, not to survive in lines for bread.”

Commenting about the current situation in the Armenian political theatre, Zhanna Krikorova noted that she would never offer a role to Armenian politicians.

“Absolutely not. Theatre is the family, where everything is built on love and mutual respect. The atmosphere in which we create is essential. Creative work is a connection with God. I would venture to say that a lot of our Armenian politicians have lost this connection with God, they don’t belong to the theatre,” artistic director of the Stepanakert Russian Drama Theatre Zhanna Krikorova said.