Fear of Taming

FEAR OF TAMING

by Olia Stoianova

DIRECTOR:

Stefan Spasov

Set & Costume Design:

Nina Pashova

Music:

Theodosii Spassov

With all the life-coaching courses, universities, psychotherapists, churches, shrinks, pseudo-occult gurus, and the whole gamut of religious practices, and meditations, nobody seems to get to the heart of the matter. Almost nobody succeeds in handling themselves and raison d'être. “Nowadays it really seems strange to see a happy man,” to quote Chekhov.

Fear of Taming tells, understandingly and humorously, the stories of four people, trying to fathom out the causes of and the reasons behind their failures, to voice their hatreds and loves, but also to see the meaning of a second chance in life of everyone. Or probably prompts us to reflect on the soft, but strong wisdom of good and humaneness, and also on possibly dealing with the fear of taming, i.e. with getting used or adapting to it and its ramifications. Or as a character says: “Just say something nice and be done with it!”

Fear of Taming was written in 2014; won Peter Kovachev Playwriting Award 2014; nominated in the Authorial Reading category, Drumev’s Theatrical Festivities International Festival 2015, Shumen; published in Olia Stoianova’s book of plays, Small Rituals of Bidding Farewell, 2015.

Stefan Spasov

Fearlessly about Fears

We live in a time when people seem to have forgotten that not only success but also failure is part of life. The question is how individuals cope with their mistakes, fears, and failures. With their guilt, doubts, and disappointments? Are we able to talk straightforwardly to strangers about all our fears and failures?

The characters in Fear of Taming are trying to fight their fears in their own manner: gathering to tell all their mistakes and failures so that they can move on normally. One day a man, who is really guilty and knows not how to live with his guilt joins the group: his is not some fictional stories or peccadilloes, but guilt with a capital ‘G’. Nothing feels the same anymore: it is difficult now to distinguish good from evil, and where to draw a fine line between guilt and forgiveness. The million-dollar question is how to keep moving forward in life after such a life-changer.

Olia Stoianova

DRAMATURG OF THE PERFORMANCE:

PhD Svetlana Pancheva

Assistant director:

Meglena Dimitrova, Iva Manolova

Poster and leaflet designer:

Yanina Petrova

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Bozhidar Markov

Premiere: 10th and 11th of September 2020