Educational programme for the "Legacy. Theatre. The Greats" exposition begins
The creative programme of the "Legacy. Theatre. The
Greats" exposition project has begun at the National Centre RUSSIA. The
project marks the 150th anniversary of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia
and is being implemented with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the
Russian Federation and the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives.
The first event was a stage speech workshop entitled "The Poetic Word on
Stage: Experience, Practice and Meaning", led by Honoured Artist of Russia
Yelena Olenina. Anyone could gain new experience that would prove useful not
only on stage, but also in everyday life.
Yelena Olenina explored working with poetic language through works by different
authors, from Alexander Pushkin to Bella Akhmadulina. Participants learned how
poetry differs from prose, how an actor can find the right intonation to convey
the author's intention through the sound and rhythm of verse, how to "read"
an author through sound, and even how to make a poem "breathe".
"The most difficult thing for an actor is not memorising a poetic text,
but trying to convey all the author's meanings to the audience. To convey them
without destroying the author's unique melody. Every author has their own
music, and this music must be felt and understood. In general, one could talk
about poetry endlessly and listen to it around the clock. Many people spend
their whole lives searching for 'their' author," said Honoured Artist of
Russia, member of the Union of Writers of Russia, director and teacher Yelena
Olenina.
According to the expert, poetry is not merely text, but a genuine dialogue
between the author and the reader. For this dialogue to take place, it is
important not only to hear the rhythm and intonation, but also to learn to
trust the word.
"When you engage with original works of poetry, you are communicating with
their creators. So do not be afraid to read a poem aloud. Trust the author and
the line, and try to understand every letter and every punctuation mark.
Perhaps you may even begin writing poetry yourself," Yelena Olenina
advised.
The creative lesson prompted a strong response from the audience. Everyone came
in search of something personal and important: inspiration, understanding or
the very "key" to poetic language that can be so difficult to find
alone.
"I work as a teacher at the Aviation Centre, but I am very interested in
speech technique and culture, and whenever I find lectures like this online or
elsewhere, I always enjoy watching and attending them. The workshop was very
interesting and heartfelt, and I learned a great deal. I believe such meetings
are particularly important for the younger generation because, in the era of
short-form thinking, it is important that something like this reaches them and
stays with them. And, of course, it is very helpful for developing the
intellect," shared workshop guest Valentina Pozdnyakova from
Yekaterinburg.
The "Legacy. Theatre. The Greats" exposition, marking the 150th
anniversary of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation, is being
held under the motto "A Union of Happy People". The exposition brings
together more than 600 exhibits provided by 117 theatre organisations from 29 regions
of Russia and introduces visitors to the history of the Union and the diversity
of theatre professions. The exposition can be visited free of charge until 25
September with advance registration on the russia.ru website. Guests can also
use an audio guide recorded by leading performers from Russian theatres.
The Moscow Drama Theatre "Chelovek" ("Human") is
represented at the exposition by costumes and headwear from the production
"Hamlet", masks of the Actress and the Amateur from the production
"Night Vigils", as well as photographs and a poster for the
production "Cinzano".
Yelena Olenina's series of workshops as part of the
"Legacy. Theatre. The Greats" exposition will continue with new free
creative lessons open to everyone. The latest schedule is available on the
russia.ru website in the "Events" section. Visitors can also register
for programme events on the website.
Event photobank
An extraordinary exhibit welcomes guests to the National Centre RUSSIA: an enormous elephant standing almost three metres tall. It is a fully fledged theatre character.
The project is being implemented with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives.
A new themed area dedicated to theatre posters has been added to the "Legacy. Theatre. The Greats" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA.
