Vazov’s People
by Alexander Sekulov
Creatives:
Directed by Diana Dobreva
Set & Costume Design by Mira Kalanova
Composer: Petia Dimanova
Cast:
JULIAN VERGOV, VLADIMIR PENEV, VALENTIN GANEV, VALERI YORDANOV, ZAFIR RADJAB, LYUBOMIR PETKASHEV,
STOYAN PEPELANOV, STEFAN KUSHEV, DIMITAR NIKOLOV, VASIL DRAGANOV, STELIAN RADEV, PLAMEN DIMOV,
KONSTANTIN ELENKOV, BLAGOVEST BLAGOEV, YAVOR VALKANOV, JORETA NIKOLOVA, EVA TEPAVICHAROVA,
BILYANA PETRINSKA, ALEXANDRA VASILEVA, PARASKEVA DZHUKELOVA, MILENA ATANASOVA, ALBENA STAVREVA,
IRINA MITEVA, VOLENA APOSTOLOVA
Bulgarian people border Vazov on all sides. He has given names to everything in Bulgariandom. This is why, down through the centuries, our mountains shall always be as ‘high and blue’ as ever, our deceased shall ‘join another regiment’, our ‘beloved motherland’ shall always be ‘so beautiful’, his ‘lyrics shall always be read’, ‘the language of our forefathers’ shall always be ‘sacred’, our mothers shall always ‘give birth to us twice’. His words provide an anchor for us in a world that relishes the cancelling of God, motherland and family, a world of volatile souls, without a belief in our historical existence. Through Vazov’s word we come to understand ourselves: what we don’t know ourselves to be, what we find it difficult come to terms with in ourselves, what we do not believe we are. This is why the question Where Is Bulgaria is not a matter of geography, but rather of being.
Alexander Sekulov
Our work on this production faced a special challenge due to its scale. Theatres rarely take to military conflicts, national catastrophes or ethnic disasters owing to the specifics of the theatrical techniques and devices, let alone to epic stories, where not only individuals, bit also entire social and cultural strata exist, move and interact. And this movement is immersed in a particular historical moment, over which arguments rage on even a hundred years later. Still, our inner duty to present Ivan Vazov as an ever-living image, to look at us through his eyes, to stand silent once again in awe of his power to outline our fate as a nation, came above all else.
Diana Dobreva
In-house dramatist: Svetlana Pancheva
Assistant Director: Olga Nedialkova
Poster & Leaflet Designer: Yanina Petrova
Photos by Gergana Damianova
Premieres on 7, 8 October 2021.
Unsuitable for under 14s.
Running time: 2 hrs 30 m, without an intermission.
