On November 14, the Puppet Theater named after Hovhannes Tumanyan marks its 80th anniversary of the foundation. Aravot.am asked the Theater director, artistic director and producer Ruben Babayan about the kind of the celebration, whether it is going to be marked in the so-called traditional style. “Our theater does nothing in a traditional style, so will be on that day. We have planned to have a one-hour celebration. As for the kind of celebration, I do not know also, because it is organized by the Theater young actors and producers, moreover, there will be no speeches. Toasts and wishes will be voiced only during the stand-up party, because the best words are born when you have a glass of wine in your hand,” said Mr. Babayan.
Since he is the head of the Theatre since 1998, we asked about the achievements that are registered during his office. “The Theater attended over 60 international festivals abroad, plus in Armenia, with over 20 name performances by various staging directors: puppet shows, dramatic, musical, pantomime, and ballet. Soon, our ballet PRO Shamiram is leaving for Germany. Only this year, we attended over 10 international festivals with various performances. I am very happy that mainly the works by our young staging directors are going abroad. The theater is also a center of cultural in a certain way, there are always exhibitions here, cinema and theater festivals, concerts, such as “Woman” fest is kicked off, Vahan Artsruni’s two concerts, jazz concerts …”ArmFest”, “ArmMono”, “Theatre X” and other festivals are expected here in the near future. The main base for our theater. In short, the more you move ahead, you see that more horizons are opening up. It is good, because as soon as you think that you have achieved great things, then it is time to think about the retirement,” said our interlocutor.
We asked the renowned artists about what the person heading the theater should refrain from and what qualities he should have. “I think he should have a little sense of humor and not to poke the nose everywhere. The form of the ruling is the appointment of the right people to the appropriate positions and to trust people. Otherwise, if you poke your nose everywhere, it means that you do not trust, then either you should replace this person or yourself. Incidentally, when I became the director of the Theater, the first sentence that I pronounced at the general meeting was as follows: I do not know how the Theater should be, but I know how it should not be. And now, every time when I do not like something, I realize that this thing does not correspond to the Theatre, and what corresponds to the Theatre, honestly I do not know. One thing, however, is clear that as soon as you are trying to place the Theatre into some frames, it ceases to be a theater, because the theater is a free realm of creativity that recognizes no boundaries. At the same time, the theatre is also a production, and it is necessary to be able to combine everything with the forms typical to the laws and the state structure, in which the theater survives. Thus, finding the gold average in-between these two is a bit difficult, but when you succeed, both the wolves are fed and the sheep are safe,” opines Ruben Babayan.
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Gohar HAKOBYAN
