Free Theatre 
Photo 1 “The dialog of males”
Photo 2 “The dialog of males”
Photo 3 “Such a free butterflies”
Address: 2, Mezhygirska Str., Kiev (performances are shown in different halls)
Phone: +38044 543-32-66, 425-42-80
At the beginning a seagull arrived on the theatrical sky of Kyiv. That was "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". The staging of the Richard Bach novel was the first play, shown by the young Kyiv actors - graduating students of the Theatrical institute named after Karpenko-Каryi, troupe headed by the same graduating student stage-director Arthur Artimenyev in November, 1997. Thus, a new youth theatre, named "Free theatre", was born.
Over the years, opening of the "Free theatre", by the version of "Kyiv Vidomosti", was found to be the brightest event of the theatrical life of Kyiv in 1990th. For the past years "Seagull" travelled over many cities, and was shown about 300 times. The show is sold out for every performance in Kyiv. Possibly, the reason lies in eternal theme, touched upon in the parable of the American writer, and possibly, because all world attempts to show this legendary work were unsuccessful, but according to the reviews on the screenplay of the "Free theatre", it managed to break this tendency. For example, visitors of Ukrainian theatrical forums noted non-standard and original approach of this Kyiv theatre.
Taking into account all positive reviews and full house of "Seagull", the "Free theatre" considers this play as its visiting-card. An artistic leader of the theatre, stage-director Arthur Аrtimenyev calls his first play “the manifest of the Free theatre”.
А. Аrtimenyev is considered to be one of the most creative stage-directors of Ukraine. He is a graduating student of Dnipropetrovsk theatrical school. In 1997 he also graduated from the Kyiv state institute of dramatic art, speciality "Stage-director of drama theatre". For years of a stage-directing career, he put more than 20 plays in the different theatres of Ukraine, Russia and Serbia.
After the "Seagull" the "Free theatre" continued to persuade other flying creatures. Thus, in 1999 a play “Such a free butterflies” appeared on the stage. In this play of the American dramatist Leonard Gersh, the "Free theatre" is true to itself: heroes make mistakes, have doubts, fall in love, but do another step to become free.
In 2000 the "Free theatre" extended its repertoire. In 2002 the première of another play "The dialog of males" – an intriguing tragicomedy based on works of A. Averchenko, V. Rasputin, P. Vezhinov, P. Besson, showing the eternal internal conflict of a human and his "Ego" in a fight for love and personal happiness was performed.
In December, 2003 the premiere of the play for children "The naked king" based on the fairy-tales of Andersen took place on the stage of the theatre. For years of its existence, the theatre won a considerable amount of different awards: Grand Prix of the International theatrical festival "The Kind theatre" in 2004 for "The dialog of males", prizes of the International theatrical festival "Podmoskovnye vechera" "For the best direction" and "For the best actor duet" in 2006 and other. In May, 2007 the play "The dialog of males" was shown in the out-of-competition program of the Bulgarian National theatrical festival in Vrats, where the theatre got the special award.
Photo 4 “The gull”
Photo 5 “The gull”
Photo 6 Arthur Artimenyev
