Theaters in Kiev Free Stage Theatre


1. Morituri te Salutant	2. Born in Return	3. Dmitriy Bogomazov

Address: 71, Olesya Gonchara Str., Kiev
Phone: +38044 486-80-40

Website: http://www.vilnascena.kiev.ua/

Another strongly pronounced “director’s” theatre of Kiev. The specificity of the “Free Stage Theatre” lies, first of all, in its founder – stage director Dmitriy Bogomazov. He’s the representative of new generation of domestic stage directors, an active propagandist of “antididactic”, democratic theatre. It means that the performances do not impose common views, emotions and conclusions to the spectators; they’re presented as “opened aesthetic structures, resonant in every single spectator in its own way”, as the director said himself.

Bogomazov came to stage direction in a pretty mature age of 29 y.o. He was studying on a course of Eduard Mitnitskiy – today’s stage director of the Kiev State Academic Drama and Comedy Theater on the Left Bank. That’s where he staged his first performance “Sorceress” after play by Karpenko-Kariy. Retrieving Ukrainian classics from its stereotype “rural stall”, Bogomazov made Ukrainian village more strict and deep, giving to the performance original music accompaniment, and taking the conflict out of social and ethnic plane to the plane of pure art.

The performances of Dmitriy Bogomazov staged in Russian Drama (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”), in the Drama and Comedy Theater on the Left Bank (“The Queue”, “Some wine, or 70 percent alcohol”, “The last hero”) charm the spectators with the correctness, accuracy, harmonicity, allegory and original director’s style.

Co-authors of Bogomazov are impressive representatives of different directions in modern art – painter Alexander Druganov, composer Alexander Kohanovskiy, choreographer Larisa Venedictova (she also has her own theatrical studio in National Center for Performing Arts named after Les Kurbas).

“Free stage” was founded in October 2001. The troupe of the theatre is formed with young actors, aged under 30 y.o. They are mostly graduates of culture universities of Kiev, Lviv, Kharkiv.

For a long time the theatre of Bogomazov didn’t have its own permanent scene. The performances were played in the gallery of arts “Lavra”, on the scenes of Kiev Drama Theatre on Podil and Kiev Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theater for Young Spectators. Since 2006 on the basis of rehearsal ground the experimental studio scene was opened, it is situated on 71, Olesya Gonchara str. and seats 20 spectators. Due to little roominess Bogomazov prefers to work on other stages, where he’s always welcomed.

For a short period of time “Free stage” earned a reputation of one of the most interesting theatres in Kiev. Performances of the theatre received prizes from “Kievskaya Pektoral” awards, they were invited to take part in international festivals: “Golden Lion” (Lviv), The Festival of European Theatre in Grenoble (France), The Festival “Donumenta” in Regensburg (Germany). With premiere “Roberto Zucco” the theatre took part in the French Culture Days in Ukraine “French Spring” and Kiev Culture Days in Krakow.

The theatre, that’s being created by Dmitiry Bogomazov doesn’t fit into general theatrical tone and background. Scenic manner and director’s thought of Bogomazov is closer to modern European theatre. That’s why the French were so interested in his works. This theatre’s often discussed, criticized and praised, but nobody’s indifferent to it. We hope that You won’t be indifferent as well.