A Talk with Stage Director

"At the ark at eight, or Save yourself, Penguin!"

On 11 February, a musical play for the whole family "Save yourself, Penguin!" will be shown in the Cultural Centre "Mir". We've talked to the stage director Vera Annenkova that after having graduated from Boris Shchukin Theater Institute, has worked for more than 10 years as a stage director at the Ostrovsky Moscow Regional State Drama Theater, as a chief stage director of the Moscow Regional State Theater for Young Spectators. And the audience of Dubna has already seen several of her performances. Also, Vera Mikhailovna has been the chief director of the Moscow State Drama and Comedy Theater (Noginsk) and since 2019 the production centre "AMMA Production" where the play "At the Ark at Eight, or Save yourself, Penguin!" is produced has been headed by her.

Vera Mikhailovna, how have "Penguins" come into your life?

Ulrich Hub's play "At the Ark at Eight" has worldwide acclaim! This play is one of the best written for children. It has so happened that I have put on a lot of plays for children and dramatic material is very important to me. "Educate by entertaining!" - is the basic formula of any play, especially for children. A child learns about the world, makes his discoveries and theater is a great way to help him to do that ... A child learns simple truths through a fairy tale, by playing a game. Who are we? Why did we come into this world? What is good and evil? It's so important to know how to be a friend!

At first, Hub's play seems to be a simple story about three merry penguins, about three friends! But it turns out that making friends is not so easy... Especially if you have to make a hard choice... The language of the play is amazingly lively and close to the child. There is humor and mischief in the play, even though the situation the characters find themselves in is not a joke - the Flood. This is a serious matter even for God... I fell in love with this material from the first reading. It's such a blessing for a stage director to find his own play that has everything. The theme is deep, the characters are vivid and the language is beautiful! That's why I'm excited to bring this material to life!

In your opinion, how important is it for a theater director for children to have an idea about pedagogy and psychology?

A stage director that puts on plays for children needs to know a lot about the child psychology. The pedagogical function of the director is to do no harm! A child is open to this world and like a sponge he absorbs everything that this world offers to him... Therefore, when composing a play, the director must take this into account and understand his responsibility! A fairy tale must be a fairy tale! Children do not have gray - they either have white or black. The child should clearly understand what is good and what is bad. The mission of the theater for children is to instill in the child the basic rules on which this world works and be sure to teach the child the skills of how to find himself in this world. Every fairy tale is a lesson: "A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it, a lesson for good fellows..."

I can go on and on about this subject... I have studied the morphology of fairy tales. There are some very serious papers on this subject. But I am not going to state them here, otherwise it will already be a scientific report. It is important for me, with my scientific, pedagogical and psychological background, to remember one thing: a play for children should still be a real fairy tale. After all, the taste is instilled from the very first performances. Scenography, costumes, music, acting - everything has to correspond to a single idea and immerse the child in an atmosphere of magic and miracles. They will still have time to become cynics and snobs... Our task is to prolong their true childhood, to instill in them the most important skill - the feeling of beauty! And this beauty is not only the visualization of a fairy tale, but also the mental and spiritual principles that are inherent in a person!

What influences the child more during the play? Or is it still a set of tools that helps the young audience to better understand fairy tales, to develop their artistic taste, to broaden their horizons, to develop speech and the ability to express their feelings?

All of them have an effect at once. The play is mischievous and bright, with wonderful music by Egor Shashin. Our penguins make real jazz! And the choreography by Danil Muzipov will make the whole audience dance! Klyona Radkevich's costumes make our Penguins so cute and Dove so stylish - a feast for the eyes! But the most important thing is that this story is told and sung by a team of wonderful and talented artists: Mikhail Malikov, Maxim Dementiev, Aksinya Oleinik, Alina Maznenkova - bravo!

Do you think that children as an audience are more demanding than adults?

A child does not know how to lie. And if a child is bored at the performance and it does not capture him, he will always find something to be busy with. Therefore, when putting on a performance, one needs to take into account the age of the young audience... I can talk endlessly about the peculiarities of working for children, but the most important formula here is: "For children, as for adults, only better!" And we have to remember that there are no trifles in the theater. Every detail is important. Children are very attentive and do not forgive approximations. They want to believe in a fairy tale!

What is the main idea you, as a director, have put into your play?

The main idea of the play is in the play itself. Even though a lot is talked about God in the play, I would not call it a religious play, but rather a universal one (although the acting characters in the play are penguins and a dove). In the finale, the most important words are heard that there is a little bit of LIGHT in each of us! The spark of God! And if each of us reminds ourselves of this more often, then perhaps, there will be peace on earth! Fear and hostility will disappear! We will learn to listen to each other and forgive! We will accept each other as we are. No wonder the Lord has left a sign in the sky - a rainbow! It is a symbol of hope for the best! We have called the play "Save yourself, Penguin!" And our penguins are rescued and save their friend not only from the Flood. Above all, they save their LIGHT! After all, the ability to sympathize and help friends is the beginning of true charity!!! Save yourselves, Penguins - be merciful!

Interviewed by Eleonora YAMALEEVA,
photo by AMMA Production