"The Theater Landed in Vitebsk". The Kolas Theater Troupe Presented a Festive Performance on the Occasion of the Theater's 90th Anniversary
"The Theatre Landed in Vitebsk" was the title of the festive performance, in which, according to director Mikhail Krasnobayev's concept, the past of the renowned company merged with the present. Spectators had the opportunity to travel back to the distant year of 1926, when graduates of the studio at the Moscow Art Theatre arrived in the city on the Dvina, laying the foundation for the Second Belarusian Theatre.
The first theatre was opened a little earlier in Minsk, and it was for this theatre that the studio was recruited. But by a happy coincidence, they were sent not to the capital city, but to provincial Vitebsk.
While working on the book, Arkady Podlipsky found documents that suggest that the initiator of opening the theatre in our regional center was Sofya Shamardina, the then head of Glavpolitprosvet and the theatre section of the People's Commissariat of Education of the BSSR. At that time, she was an influential woman – the wife of the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR, Iosif Adamovich. In her youth, she was friends with Igor Severyanin, Fyodor Sologub, Korney Chukovsky, Velimir Khlebnikov, and was once considered Vladimir Mayakovsky's fiancée.
Of the 35 actors in the first troupe, three became People's Artists of the USSR, six became People's Artists of Belarus, seven became Honored Artists of the republic, and two more became Honored Artists of Arts of Belarus. Impressive numbers! In total, over 90 years, the Kolas Theatre has nurtured a whole galaxy of prominent actors and directors. They were all remembered by name at the gala evening.
Images from the theatre's past were interspersed with scenes from contemporary performances, showcasing the skills of the current generation of Kolas actors. The performance was opened by People's Artist of Belarus Tadeusz Kokshtys,
who took to the stage almost 60 years ago and remains a sought-after actor to this day. For their dedication to art, he, along with People's Artist of Belarus Svetlana Okruzhna, were awarded special prizes established by the Kolas Theater.In the second part of the anniversary evening, officials and fans of the Vitebsk troupe took to the stage. A welcome address from the Head of State Alexander Lukashenko was read by the First Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Belarus, Irina Driga. She also presented a Certificate of Honor from the Ministry to Honored Artist of Belarus Tamara Skvortsova and a letter of gratitude from the Minister to the young talented actor Roman Solovyov.
– Throughout its 90 years, the Yakub Kolas Theater has not lowered its creative standards and has always served and continues to serve high art, – noted Irina Driga.
A Certificate of Honor from the regional executive committee was received by actress Zinaida Gurbo, and a letter of gratitude from the chairman of the regional executive committee was awarded to Grigory Sukhval, head of the artistic and production department. A group of actors and theater employees were recognized with awards from the regional and Vitebsk city Councils of Deputies and trade unions. Congratulations were sent by the heads of theaters in Belarus and the chairman of the Union of Theater Workers, playwright Alexey Dudarev.
Everyone wished the theater longevity, good productions, and sold-out shows. And former Kolas actress, People's Artist of Belarus Tatyana Markhel, performed "Happy Birthday" in a folk style, which delighted the audience.
The entire Kolas troupe came out for a bow, as they were involved in a performance even on this festive day. After all, an actor is truly happy on stage, and the greatest reward for him is the applause of the audience, which continued to sound even after the curtain closed.
And this evening it will open again, and the history of the Kolas Theater will continue.
Tatyana Pasternak. Photos by Anton STEPANISHCHEV. "Vitebskiye Vesti".