I.Metshin: “Self-isolation is a tough time for all creative people, but it should not affect inspiration”

The Mayor of Kazan visited the backstage of the Tatar Theater of Young Spectators named after G.Kariyev, which introduces viewers with online performances.

The Tatar State Theater of Young Spectators named after Gabdulla Kariyev is preparing to present an online show “Colorado passions” to the audience, the premiere was scheduled for May, 2020. The Mayor of Kazan Ilsur Metshin got acquainted with the work of the theater during the self-isolation period.

Guzel Sagitova, director of the theater, gave the Mayor of Kazan a tour of the Kariyev theater. According to her, performances on the stage of the theater were stopped from March 19 due to the spread of coronavirus infection. However, the theater did not stop its work and switched to the online platform.

The Tatar Theatre of Young Spectators adapted quickly to the new conditions – theater fans can now watch their favorite performances online. Video shows of the ongoing repertoire are available for public access. Among them are Extraordinary shoes, Smart Guy and one of the last premieres, winner of the Tantana award in the category Best performance for children – Tales of Khikmet. The Mayor of Kazan asked about the cost of viewing these performances. “Recordings of performances are available by a subscription, and their cost is proportional to the cost of a ticket to the theater,”- G. Sagitova replied. According to her, in the near future there will be an online broadcast of play “Colorado passions” by Fanavil Galiyev, the premiere of which was scheduled for May, 2020. Besides, archived videos of performances can be viewed for free.

Ilsur Metshin took a look at the hall where the main stage is located. “Usually, there are activities in every corner of the theater, such as rehearsals, dance and vocal classes, readings”, - said G.Sagitova. During the self-isolation period, there are online meetings of the Kaleb creative team, consisting of young theater fans, poets, musicians, artists and directors of Tatarstan. On October 1, the creative team plans to stage a big concert “Our song”, so rehearsals and discussions of the program are held regularly.

Ilsur Metshin joined the discussion of the concert and asked the artists how they manage to work in self-isolation. Elmir Nizamov, composer, said that he is currently working on the musical “Altyn Kazan”. “There is a lot of free time that can be used for creativity, but I still want to meet my colleagues as soon as possible and go on stage”, - said E.Nizamov.

“Self-isolation is a tough time for creative people, but it should not affect inspiration”, - said I.Metshin.

The theater actors also showed the head of the city an excerpt from their own film dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the TASSR. It tells the story of the formation of the republic. The Mayor of the city highly appreciated the work, and also expressed hope that premieres will soon be staged at the theater. “Nothing can replace live communication with the audience, the energy and aura of any theater is when the audience and artists are face to face. I want the artists to come on stage as soon as possible, and find an appreciative audience there”, - said I.Metshin.