Vladislav Troitskyi: “First there has to be someone who provokes”

It seems that tireless director, father and founder of Contemporary Arts Centre DAKH found a right way to consolidation of Ukrainian actual art. He is the one who thought of Gogol FEST that thundered in Kiev all the week through with impressive blend of styles and genres. How do crazy ideas come and what does it lead to and also what is theatre and how to fight it we talked about to Vladislav during the festival

“24”: Vladislav, isn’t it a bit too early for such a festival? Hence, the year 2009, the year of Gogol’s bicentenary is ahead…
The present Gogol FEST is a “zero cycle”, working out of technology. To make a good project that will later turn into annual contemporary art festival we need to start early. Next stage will be in April-May, 2008 during two weeks. I hope to make it in Arsenal again. Everything depends on work tempo of our builders (present tempo is satisfying for us). I want to suggest to director of Arsenal the idea of consecutive reconstruction of the complex in sections. In a free from building zone cultural life can occur non-stop. In the meantime here we are lacking of dressing rooms, windows instead of wholes and solider doors – there are some draughts…
Are you satisfied with a level of art works at the festival?
Undoubtedly, many top masters were presented here. At the same time, in about one month time before the festival we issued a call for the open-program where each one could present anything without any censure. Of course, there were poor works as well. But in general everything was convincing. Thanks to Klim the exhibition turned not into a dead museum but into a real theatre exposition. People wondered in it like in labyrinth. Besides the exhibition the audience could listen to all kinds of music.     
Will next festivals be held in the same polyphonic format?
We really wanted to join young people to the project and to help artists finally meet one another. Living in enclosed professional space they often don’t realize what happens outside. Getting together all kinds of art brings in a good communicative effect, catharsis I’d say. For instance, 400 people came only for the round table with writers.
How big was a budget of Gogol FEST?
It was rather symbolic - .000. But I’m good at spending money. The general sponsor was “Grand Gallery”. Literally at the last moment the firm Eurocar turned up. Actually, Cogol FEST is a very good image advertisement. I think that sponsor package for the next festival will be thicker. Montage of pictures, installation of electric devices, cleaning of the territory was done by actors of DAKH who worked from morning till night. And now we still have to pump out the water, export the ground and equipment… And all that on the threshold of tightest touring schedule: performances in Lvov and Germany and then in France are ahead. After that we are making the opening and closing of “Youth” cinema festival…
Your nationality is Russian but I’d say that even Shakespearian plays at your theatre are very Ukrainian.
You see, I accept another culture and work on it without imposing my own one. Though, my conscience is formed by Russian literature. I successfully worked in Hungary favoring all Hungarian. I think I’d succeed in Russia and Germany as well.    
Do you visit Kiev theatres?
Not really.
Bored?
The thing is that I’m busy every evening at my DAKH. And secondly, I’m very subjective concerning theatre. I’m afraid I won’t be able to watch most of the plays physically.
In Kiev, by the way, Moscow Theatre touring now with academic “Controller” by Gogol. How do you regard such a format?
Fine! I made “Wedding” by Gogol in the same format. And Zhenovach is a very good director at Moscow Theatre. The problem is that drama theatre on a big stage is quite a controversial phenomenon. A modern man used to cinema and TV format with it “normal” natural speaking and has some difficulties in receiving theatre conventionality when portraying life but talking unnatural voice. And, it seems to me, that young conscience doesn’t want to play this game anymore. That’s why many normal young people don’t go to theatres. They think it’s a “dreg” and at some point I agree with them. I suppose that drama theatre can exist in a format that is not bigger than 300 spectators. That’s the limit. As for Show theatre – this is something different. Different projects, different budgets.
Are you for studios?
Yes and no at the same time. I really like big forms. I literally squeeze my Shakespearian plays into Procrustean bed of DAKH. They are performed better in large spaces. DAKH now is over saturated with all kinds of ideas and projects and it starts to choke. Of course, this is a sacral zone, the lavatory. But there is nothing to do with it: the theatre over grew itself. For instance, with a great pleasure I’d get-up opera. I don’t have such a possibility yet. But I can’t complain: here it is – the “Arsenal”. The stage is bigger than at opera theatre.
You are pretty quiet in your utterances as for coryphaeus of Ukrainian theatre though it is fashionable to talk now about total crisis of the academic system.
That’s the way it is. In general that’s a global process but in Ukraine this crisis is seen especially brightly due to conservatism of the situation. And this situation can’t be changed radically because at once a great number of resentful people will turn up. Even not the unemployed ones – just the resentful ones. A different theatre and culture format needs to be formed first. Then audience will start to choose. And then, maybe, a law will pass that will limit terms of work for a main directors at theatres on a contract basis by the number of two. And norm of get-ups of young directors has to be equal to 30% of general number of plays.
But still you show favor to some of your colleague directors?
Of course, there are Dmitryi Bogomazov, Oleg Liptzin. But Liptzin doesn’t have a theatre, he is torn between Kiev and Germany. And at Bogomazov’s disposal is a room on 20 seats. It’s touching…A very talented director Vitalyi Malakhov is also a victim of circumstances. He has to earn his living. The same goes for Jury Odinokyi who is working in enterprise. The main problem is that there aren’t young directors in Kiev. Maybe they do exist somewhere but they haven’t got a space for work, real theatre stages.   
Perhaps, that’s the time to unite the forces?
No need. First there has to be a one person. The one who provokes. That’s what I’m directing my festival to: I’d like Gogol FEST to bring in cumulative effect that would begin to structure the culture that dwells now in marginal state according mass media. They think that people should be more interested in endless stories about Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforovich quarreling. Maybe all our politicians are honest people. I’m not their judge. But their problems are really of no interest to nobody. It looks like farce.