Productions

Scenographer Yekaterina Malinina (St. Petersbourg)

“The (Most) Simple Method for Quitting Smoking” is based on contemporary playwright Mikhail Durnenkov’s play. An early sketch of the production was created in September 2013 as part of the laborotory of modern dramaturgy co-produced by Russian Theatre, Von Krahl Theatre, Theatre NO99 and Tartu New Theatre.

“In Durnenkov’s play,” says director Ivan Strelkin, “I saw a world of lost people, people who no longer know what’s good, what’s bad, people who are drowned in their complexes, crave for something new but have no clue where to search for this desired new life. A world of people who are alienated from one another, who don’t hear one another, who speak in different languages.

The play is performed in two languages, Estonian and Russian, and often a character might speak Russian while another replies in Estonian. The production has two translators, the audience members have to choose their preferred language. Even the ones who can speak both languages have to make a choice because headphones are a part of the production’s artistic reality and the voice of the translator, the voice which comes from the unknown, the voice of God or the voice of a researcher who is experimenting on the human race is a character.” The cast consists of actors from Russian Theatre, Von Krahl Theatre and freelancers - Sergei Furmanjuk, Dmitri Kosjakov, Alina Karmazina, Roman Maksimuk, Leonid Ševtsov, Marina Malova, Loore Martma, Mart Koldits, Jekaterina Novosjolova.