Crimean director comments on cancellation of Vakhtangov Theatre performances in Sevastopol
The scandal surrounding the cancellation of the Vakhtangov Theatre's tour in Sevastopol should not have arisen, as the tour schedule is prepared in advance, and the repertoire includes sufficient productions in addition to those by former artistic director Rimas Tuminas.
Vladimir Kosov, chief director of the Crimean State Academic Musical Theater, expressed this opinion on air on Sputnik in Crimea radio , reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"For me, as a representative of the theater, this is a sad story. But perhaps now is the time in our country when everyone must be accountable for their position and their words . In 2022, the artistic director of the Vakhtangov Theater spoke out sharply against state policy. He took the other side, and in this sense, I support Razvozzhayev . But there is another side to the coin: theater is a collective endeavor. And, unfortunately, the enormous troupe of the Vakhtangov Theater has also suffered as a result.
“ And in this sense, I regret that, due to the actions of the director, the tour did not take place, and we all suffered as a result : we, as spectators, did not see the wonderful Vakhtangov Theatre, and the Vakhtangov Theatre lost the opportunity to perform on Crimean soil,” he emphasized.
According to the musical theater's director, this situation should never have happened, as the tour had been planned long ago, and the Vakhtangov Theater has plenty of productions available for Crimea. It's difficult to say whether the scandal arose due to negligence or oversight.
"In 2022, there were many statements from our prominent artists and opinion leaders ; there was such a huge wave. I was also partially affected – my play, 'An Angel Came Out of the Fog,' was running in Lipetsk. It was a good project, it was sold out, and everyone was happy. But it was closed only because it used fragments of Alla Pugacheva's songs . And under the noise, under this wave, they began to rip everything up indiscriminately. Time passed, and the play was canceled. But Alla Pugacheva is not a foreigner ; her Soviet-era songs are still being performed, but the play is no longer there ," Kosov emphasized.