Photograph by Elena Petrova

 

By Tatyana S.Tkach – Special (Russian State Institute of Performing Arts (RGISI), senior lecturer at the Department of Russian Theater- Location: Saint-Petersburg. Russia – e-mail: tatkach@yandex.ru

From May 22 to 29, the 25th International Theater Festival for Young Spectators, named after A. A. Bryantsev, and the «Youth Theater Festival» was held. The festival hosted over a hundred guests from various cities across Russia and many countries worldwide. Among them were Lebanese scholar Talal Darjani, a professor, theatrical activist, dramatic designer, playwright, screenwriter, and doctor of philosophy. He is the founder and president of the Creative and Cultural Association «The Other Theatre-Actor Academy.» Darjani shared numerous dramatic adaptations from Russian literature classics and Arab and international literature. The festival’s program featured around thirty theatrical performances, creative workshops, and scientific and practical conferences, providing participants with vibrant experiences and sparking reflections on the art of theater.

 

• Tatiana Tkach: You must have attended many international festivals. What stood out to you about this one?

Talal Darjani: Indeed, I have attended numerous international festivals. I must say, this festival was exceptionally well organized, thanks to the efforts of the Director of the Youth Theater, Svetlana Vasilievna Lavretsova. Everything was clear, comprehensible, and precise, almost as if orchestrated by a computer. The program was intense, yet I managed to attend every theatrical performance and event. It was challenging, especially since I also wanted to savor the beauty of the city. I have greatly missed Leningrad. I studied here in the lab of A. Tovsto Nogov for six months during the Soviet Union days, then moved to Moscow to join the GITIS course under Andrei Goncharov. That was thirty-four years ago, and now I am visiting the city for the first time since then. I roamed the streets of your beautiful city, visited museums, and slept only four hours a day.

 

• Tatiana Tkach: What did you particularly like about what you saw?

Talal Darjani: Many things. For instance, the Belarusian productions of “The Master and Margarita” directed by Tatiana Sambuk, and the puppet show “Belvedere Hotel” directed by Matteo Spiazzi, featured wonderful and harmonious performances by the actors who truly understood the messages they conveyed to the audience.
I was also deeply impressed by the modern theatrical adaptation of F. M. Dostoevsky’s «Crime and Punishment» presented by the Yevgeny Kochetkov Youth Theater in Voronezh. Their attempt to explore the motives behind people’s actions in the current era was particularly striking.
Watching these performances made me reflect on the state of Arab theatre. I found myself almost in tears, thinking: “Why don’t we have elaborate productions like this in our region? Why?!!!”
Sadly, Lebanon lacks a true theater tradition. There is no established methodology for directing or acting, nor is there an institute dedicated to training artists. Although there is a university department that educates artists, architects, and actors, it lacks a structured methodology. I am attempting to introduce such a methodology into the educational process. My thesis at the GITIS Institute was titled “The Role and Importance of Soviet Direction in the Development of Lebanese Theater.»
Imagine, in Lebanon, there are no theater critics, despite the presence of dozens of newspapers and magazines that write about and cover theatrical performances on television.
It’s a tragedy—no, a disaster. In my work on theatrical performances, I employ the methodologies of Stanislavsky and Meyerhold. Among the works I have directed are «The Dream of a Ridiculous Man» by F. M. Dostoevsky, «The Master and Margarita» by M. A. Bulgakov, and pieces based on the writings of A. S. Pushkin.

 

• Tatiana Tkach: How did the Arab public respond to Russian authors? Was there any rejection of Orthodox themes?

Talal Darjani: No. I approached it as if the events were set in Lebanon. Take Bulgakov, for instance: his story of Pontius Pilate set in the Middle East is a timeless Russian classic. It remains ever fresh, touching the heart by exploring man’s inner world. It inspires a dream of achieving the fullness of human existence and the path to the ideal.

• Tatiana Tkach: Did you see similar works at the festival?

Talal Darjani: Unfortunately, the current trend leans towards productions highlighting vices, human depravity, and the decadence of moral society. However, at the festival, I saw productions that focused on moral pursuits for humanity. This is what contributed to the festival’s success. I expected nothing less, knowing the Russian theater school and the greatness of Soviet theatre. I often speak about the importance of this school in Germany, France, and England… After all, there is no theatrical methodology anywhere outside Russia. There are systems dependent on individual directors’ worldviews, but I’m talking about a comprehensive methodology. Before Stanislavsky, Meyerhold, and Nemirovich-Danchenko, there was nothing like it, and nothing has matched it since.

• Tatiana Tkach: The festival hosted creative laboratories for young actors and directors. How meaningful did you find them?

Talal Darjani: For me, they were both interesting and useful. I met some young people who were concerned about continuing the Russian system of working with actors, which is very encouraging. They design all their concepts themselves.

 

• Tatiana Tkach: Was there any scenography at the festival that particularly interested you?

Talal Darjani: I enjoy scenography. When I saw the palace bridge opening, it gave me an idea for the scenography of a Dostoyevsky performance. I believe a set designer, like an actor, must hear, move, and react to the characters’ actions and the events on stage. Unfortunately, I didn’t see much of this at the festival performances.

 

• Tatiana Tkach: What did you take away from the festival? What are you bringing back home from St. Petersburg?

Talal Darjani: The joy of theater has reignited my memories. It’s as if I haven’t spent thirty-four years away from the marvelous world of Russian theater. I witnessed real theater again on stage—real actors, real masters of the art in the hall, and a truly engaged, educated audience. The silence in the audience and their immersion in the theatrical narrative—it’s nothing short of miraculous.