The world-famous playwright Ivan Vyrypaev is coming to Bulgaria at the invitation of the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov" to participate in the discussion "Theatre and Politics - Intersecting Spaces". The discussion between Vyrypaev and director Galin Stoev will take place on 18 June (Sunday) from 16:30 to 18:00 on the "Apostol Karamitev" stage at the National Theatre and is part of the New Stages Southeast festival programme.
In their first public meeting following the outbreak of the war, the two will converse on the way theatre is made in the current geopolitical and cultural context, insofar as after the pandemic and in the context of the hostilities in Ukraine, it is impossible to have a theatre experience solely within the realm of the artistic.
Vyrypaev and Stoev are among the most prominent names on the European theatre scene, linked by a long friendship and creative collaboration. In addition to sharing their thoughts on the intersection between the theatrical and political spaces, the two will also address what they do in the current crisis of meaning and the shifting notions of good and evil, in what ways they have found new challenges and how they "use" theatre as a platform for active reflection on current events.
With over 20 plays written, produced and performed in over 250 theatres worldwide, Ivan Vyrypaev is one of the most well-known and produced contemporary playwrights. His theatrical career began with a degree in acting from the Theatre Institute in his hometown of Irkutsk. In 2001 he settled in Moscow, where he graduated from the Shchukin Theatre Institute. He helped establish the alternative theatre space Teatr.doc, which opened with his play Oxygen, which was a huge success and was immediately hailed as a manifesto for new Russian drama. Vyrypaev's theatre texts are well known by the Bulgarian public thanks to productions directed by Galin Stoev, Javor Gardev, Chris Sharkov, Mladen Alexiev, Ivan Dobchev and others. Due to Vyrypaev's categorical anti-war positions, his plays are now banned in the Russian Federation.
Galin Stoev graduated from NATFA with a degree in theatre directing after studying under Prof. Krikor Azaryan. Initially he created a number of performances based on classical authors (Corneille, Strindberg, Shakespeare, Aeschylus, Büchner, Brecht, Musset) and then gradually turned to contemporary dramaturgy (Mishima Yukio, Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, Philip Ridley). He defines the meeting and friendship with Ivan Vyrypaev as one of the most important events in his life. In 2002, he staged Vyrypaev’s play Dreams (titled Archaeology of Dreaming), followed by performances of Oxygen, Unbearably Long Embraces, and Being №2 (presented at the 61st Avignon Festival, in Rome, Brussels, Paris, and Ottawa). In 2017, Galin Stoev staged Vyrypaev's play " Delhi Dance" at the National Theatre.
Admission to the event is free until all the seats are filled. For this reason, pre-registration and express confirmation of reserved seating is required.
Your registration can be done by e-mail at: registration@nationaltheatre.bg by 16 June (Friday), 17.00, by giving your two names and phone number for contact.
A video recording of the discussion will be published on the National Theatre's YouTube channel.
The event is part of the third edition of the New Stages Southeast festival, this year under the heading "Drama and Politics". The festival is organized by Goethe-Institut Bulgaria in partnership with the National Theatre, RCCA " Toplocentrala", "Organization for Contemporary Alternative Art and Culture - 36 Monkeys" and Odeon Cinema.
As part of the festival's programme, the discussion "Horizons for Bulgarian Dramaturgy" will take place on the 18th of June, at 14:00, in the National Theatre's South Hall, while at 19:00 a performance-reading of the play "Line of the Sun" by Ivan Vyrypaev will take place on the “Apostol Karamitev” Stage - part of ProText 12. Admission to the reading requires a ticket, which can be purchased at the theatre box office and online.
The programme for the New Stages Southeast festival (12-18 June) can be found here.