'Kyys Djebeliye'
The Olonkho Play staged since 2000
Creators:
Producer Andrey Borisov,
Honoured Art Worker Sakha Republic (Yakutia) and Russian Federation , the USSR and Russian Federation State Prizes winner.
Director Gerasim Vasiliev
The USSR State Prize winner, Honoured Artist of Sakha Republic (Yakutia), People's Artist of Sakha Republic .
Starring Stepanida Borisova,
Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, winner of the Sakha Republic State Prize, People's Artist of the Sakha Republic .
Highlights:
2002, Gold Mask Russian Theatre Festival: the prize of theatrical critics engaged on the festival.
2004, Played at Gold Mask 10 Years Anniversary as one of the best Russia 's plays.
2005, International Premier at the Saitama Theatre, Japan .
Description:
This play is the result of many years' creative searches of A.Borisov and of long collaboration with stage designer Gennady Sotnikov.
Being a student, A.Borisov dreamed of the Olonkho Theatre – such a theatre which would reflect philosophy, ethics, and aesthetic of the Sakha people. Sotnikov's stage design balances between abstract and concrete nature. His work creates the space of three worlds and conjunction of five time flows.
The main character of this epic story is heroine-warrior Kyys Djebeliye .
A.Borisov's vision strikes us with novelty, imagination flight, and ability to give a theatrical touch of Olonkho. We see a completely new theatre being born – modern and at the same time traditional. The World of Olonkho sounds like a vibrating string, like sounds of nature. It forms souls in harmony. In the Olonkho theatre, it isn't enough to sing toyuk, the Sakha ethnic epic singing or to be master of unique kylyhakh singing. It should be passionate and excited belief in beauty and power of myth.
Since the beginning of time during listening Olonkho it's accepted to express aloud your attitude to happening. Approval exclamations of audience, among which stands out traditional ‘ Noo!' at the end of monologues, plunge into the element of true folk theatre and express not only living traditions, but also success of theatre in showing genuine beauty and expression of toyuk.
Not every play based on national epics can become a new theatrical form. Epic work can be dramatized in any tradition. But in this case the question is not about dramatizing of literary folklore work, but new theatrical aesthetic, new phenomenon in the world of artistic culture, namely ‘The Olonkho Theatre'. That is the national classic theatre of the Sakha people.
Producer Andrey Borisov's Quote:
– We are beginning a new outcome to different historical space, to a different type of abstract thought, which is so evident in the texts of “olonkho” (the epic of the Sakha people). Our play “Kyys Djebeliye” is only one from numerous “olonkhos”. It was born as our cultural need.
I am sure that “olonkho” should become a sort of psychotherapy to our understanding. Today when the human consciousness is splinted and is deprived of integrity and harmony, it could be saved by the simple clearness of “olonkho”.
Thank goodness, that in spite of everything moreover Homer, “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” the Sakha people managed to keep the “olonkho”. “Olonkho” is the way to survive for the Sakha people. It is our life-saving from the time before TV and radio till modern time of informational globalization.
Why do I peoples of India be great peoples? The answer is that they tell about the heroes of “Ramayana” and “Mahabharata” like their contemporaries from the neighbor village. They know them till the fifty-fifth generation. I am sure if each the Sakha (Yakuts) reads at least three “olonkhos” from up to bottom, then we shall be able to tell our own word and justify the well-known saying that “there are no small nations”... |
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