Saturday, February 2, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Abbee Reviews "The Seagull"
Abbee Warmboe lets you know everything about "The Seagull" at the Vakhtangov Theater.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Review of "Life and Faith"
Ladies and gentlemens,
My extensively long review of Life and Faith, a play by Lev Dodin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUc-_-e3-co
It feels strange to be home, and walking around with a black Russian fur hat in Minneapolis is very fun, because the ladies are like "oh what good lookin' sexbomb" and the guys are like "nice hat". I win.
My extensively long review of Life and Faith, a play by Lev Dodin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUc-_-e3-co
It feels strange to be home, and walking around with a black Russian fur hat in Minneapolis is very fun, because the ladies are like "oh what good lookin' sexbomb" and the guys are like "nice hat". I win.
Scott Grandt's Review of "The Secret of the Old Cupboard"
Otherwise known as "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe"
Time Sucks.
A round planet was a really stupid idea. We should have stuck with flat, then we wouldn't have time zones. I'm glad all those punk explorer guys are dead--serves them right for being all progressive.
It is nearly eight in the morning, and I have not yet slept, as it still feels like 4 in the afternoon to me. GAAAAAAH.
It is nearly eight in the morning, and I have not yet slept, as it still feels like 4 in the afternoon to me. GAAAAAAH.
Further Stuffs.
Hey guys--it's pretty weird in some ways being home(ish) again... the worst thing so far is that I am cruelly forced to understand every word spoken by every person having a cell phone conversation near me, no matter how annoying they are. Also I miss the sense of accomplishment you get from even the smallest conversational successes when in Russia. The best thing about being back, of course, is seeing people (like my Mama!) that I've been a continent away from for upwards of a month, and remembering all about it to tell them. And knowing all the songs. :)
Okay, I promised to finish up the funtimey summary for our post-Moscow days, so here goes, in brief:
Novgorod
The Train - My first sleeper train ever! The first train ever for some of us, so all in all a pretty exciting experience. The toilet facilities were fairly sketchy, but it was pretty sweet travelling through the Russian night-time on your very own fold-down leather bunk, no matter how teeny and awkward the cabins were. Also, hilarity ensued when some of the boys were saddled with harboring a confused stowaway in their luggage rack... funtimes.
The Church of Marc-Did-Not-Make-Up-the-Legend (to his great chagrin) - Novgorod is pretty darn icy in the wintertime. Running on ice is not a particularly effective means of transportation, nor a wisely-chosen leisure activity. Nonetheless, the female contingent of our class did our best to fulfill a local Novgorodian superstition, that girls wishing to find a good husband should run around a certain small (thank the Lord) stone church, three full circuits, and in doing so increase their divine luck for this event. There was much falling, and debilitating laughter of the parts of both the girls being idiots and the boys watching us being idiots. I believe video footage is available. Also, it should be made known that Tess won the race. So she gets the best husband, by champion's rights.
The Kremlin (the prequel) - In essence, the former Kremlin is much like the larger, current one--high red wall, lovely gates, a number of very historical things inside. Exceptions include: The Bell. Which is very important to people of the city, though it serves no ringing functions and never has (actually, I believe there was a non-ringing bell by the gardens in the Moscow Kremlin as well... people were just less excited about it). The Church. Which there is only one of here, rather than seven in the new Kremlin. There was a baptism service going on while we were there, which was neat. The Moat. I swear this fortress had a moat, and if anyone happens to know that it was never filled with water and has always just been a ditch, please do not tell me because I will be very very sad. The Moscow Kremlin does not have a moat.
Also, the hotel was nice. They had delicious pancakes and jam.
St. Petersburg
Peter and Paul Fortress - I have way too many cloudy-light panorama pictures from this day. It was irresistable, coming across the bridge on the way there, and then the view from the wall of the opposite river bank, with the Hermitage and Winter Palace over on the right side (our first glimpse of it). The fortress was great; the wall itself is super cool, and then all the buildings inside have been converted into small museums of various things--we toured the house where the Decemberists were held for interrogation and sentencing, and there's even a space museum in an old propulsion laboratory within the compound. They have a really cute satellite called "Proton" in there... among a lot of other cool thing like, y'know, landing capsules and rocket boosters and Cosmonaut suits and things. But I took a picture of the Proton.
The Hermitage - This is the most humongous museum ever. Well, probably not, but we spent over three hours there, and I only made it through the first floor and a couple of rooms on the second floor. (So, <3 Egypt<3, Rome, Mesopotamia-in-brief, and European Arms & Armor, plus distracted glances at Italian and Dutch art while I ran around with my map trying to get up to the Byzantine Empire on the third floor.) Abbee and Tess didn't even make it through French Art... holy man.
The Church of the Savious on the Spilled Blood - If this church was any less beautiful, I would probably not ever talk about it (or its little market), out of pure spite for its having such a long and awkward name. However, it is probably one of the most gorgeous interior decorating projects I have ever paid seven dollars to see. (Which is not too many, but whatever.) The ENTIRE SURFACE of the interior wall is done in what looked like probably half-inch ceramic tiles, enormous murals of the life of Christ covering everything-even the pillars. The floor is mostly covered in carpet for protection, but you can view certain roped-off sections of it, made from fitted pieces of Italian marble, which form all kinds of geometric designs, flowers, and whatnot. The most amazing part is that it fell mostly into disuse shortly after its construction, and then during Soviet times was used as a warehouse, so what you can see now is all total reconstruction. It looks just like brand-new. Incredible.
And one final note, on Airlines - Lufthansa = ... I don't even know. It's like a hotel in the air. Only you don't have to pay for food. Or movies. Also, Germans appear to be completely incapable of being either early or late. 9:00am departature means 9:00am departure, and that's just the way it is. Either you can get your job done on time for takeoff... or you do it faster.
And United/the Chicago airport = bleagh. Lufthansa should give them some moist towlettes with which to clean up their respective acts.
Okay, I promised to finish up the funtimey summary for our post-Moscow days, so here goes, in brief:
Novgorod
The Train - My first sleeper train ever! The first train ever for some of us, so all in all a pretty exciting experience. The toilet facilities were fairly sketchy, but it was pretty sweet travelling through the Russian night-time on your very own fold-down leather bunk, no matter how teeny and awkward the cabins were. Also, hilarity ensued when some of the boys were saddled with harboring a confused stowaway in their luggage rack... funtimes.
The Church of Marc-Did-Not-Make-Up-the-Legend (to his great chagrin) - Novgorod is pretty darn icy in the wintertime. Running on ice is not a particularly effective means of transportation, nor a wisely-chosen leisure activity. Nonetheless, the female contingent of our class did our best to fulfill a local Novgorodian superstition, that girls wishing to find a good husband should run around a certain small (thank the Lord) stone church, three full circuits, and in doing so increase their divine luck for this event. There was much falling, and debilitating laughter of the parts of both the girls being idiots and the boys watching us being idiots. I believe video footage is available. Also, it should be made known that Tess won the race. So she gets the best husband, by champion's rights.
The Kremlin (the prequel) - In essence, the former Kremlin is much like the larger, current one--high red wall, lovely gates, a number of very historical things inside. Exceptions include: The Bell. Which is very important to people of the city, though it serves no ringing functions and never has (actually, I believe there was a non-ringing bell by the gardens in the Moscow Kremlin as well... people were just less excited about it). The Church. Which there is only one of here, rather than seven in the new Kremlin. There was a baptism service going on while we were there, which was neat. The Moat. I swear this fortress had a moat, and if anyone happens to know that it was never filled with water and has always just been a ditch, please do not tell me because I will be very very sad. The Moscow Kremlin does not have a moat.
Also, the hotel was nice. They had delicious pancakes and jam.
St. Petersburg
Peter and Paul Fortress - I have way too many cloudy-light panorama pictures from this day. It was irresistable, coming across the bridge on the way there, and then the view from the wall of the opposite river bank, with the Hermitage and Winter Palace over on the right side (our first glimpse of it). The fortress was great; the wall itself is super cool, and then all the buildings inside have been converted into small museums of various things--we toured the house where the Decemberists were held for interrogation and sentencing, and there's even a space museum in an old propulsion laboratory within the compound. They have a really cute satellite called "Proton" in there... among a lot of other cool thing like, y'know, landing capsules and rocket boosters and Cosmonaut suits and things. But I took a picture of the Proton.
The Hermitage - This is the most humongous museum ever. Well, probably not, but we spent over three hours there, and I only made it through the first floor and a couple of rooms on the second floor. (So, <3 Egypt<3, Rome, Mesopotamia-in-brief, and European Arms & Armor, plus distracted glances at Italian and Dutch art while I ran around with my map trying to get up to the Byzantine Empire on the third floor.) Abbee and Tess didn't even make it through French Art... holy man.
The Church of the Savious on the Spilled Blood - If this church was any less beautiful, I would probably not ever talk about it (or its little market), out of pure spite for its having such a long and awkward name. However, it is probably one of the most gorgeous interior decorating projects I have ever paid seven dollars to see. (Which is not too many, but whatever.) The ENTIRE SURFACE of the interior wall is done in what looked like probably half-inch ceramic tiles, enormous murals of the life of Christ covering everything-even the pillars. The floor is mostly covered in carpet for protection, but you can view certain roped-off sections of it, made from fitted pieces of Italian marble, which form all kinds of geometric designs, flowers, and whatnot. The most amazing part is that it fell mostly into disuse shortly after its construction, and then during Soviet times was used as a warehouse, so what you can see now is all total reconstruction. It looks just like brand-new. Incredible.
And one final note, on Airlines - Lufthansa = ... I don't even know. It's like a hotel in the air. Only you don't have to pay for food. Or movies. Also, Germans appear to be completely incapable of being either early or late. 9:00am departature means 9:00am departure, and that's just the way it is. Either you can get your job done on time for takeoff... or you do it faster.
And United/the Chicago airport = bleagh. Lufthansa should give them some moist towlettes with which to clean up their respective acts.
Home Again.
After so much anticipation for our return to Minnesota, I find myself (gasp) missing Russia. Reasons being that the turbulent flight from Chicago to Minneapolis made me really sick, the food here tastes weird because it's actually healthy, it's like a million times colder outside, and I miss all of the girls and guys on our trip. I think after living with the same 15 people for every second of every day for a month it makes sense to go through some withdrawl. So far I've had my cat to keep me company, pictures to upload, clothes to launder, Heath Ledger movies to watch, and lots of lounging to do. I have a feeling this break is going to be fabulously boring. I miss museums! And I can't wait to see everyone again and have blini parties everyday (please?) when we get back to school. Love, Greta
Sunday, January 27, 2008
mixed feelings?
for these reasons, i am excited to go home:
-seeing people i heart
-showering whenever
-drinking tap water
-movies on the airplane in english
-everything in english
i will miss:
-blini
-the wide array of museums and high-heeled boots
-walking around all day long
-highly carbonated water
-attempting to understand all street signs as i pass them
-seeing people i heart
-showering whenever
-drinking tap water
-movies on the airplane in english
-everything in english
i will miss:
-blini
-the wide array of museums and high-heeled boots
-walking around all day long
-highly carbonated water
-attempting to understand all street signs as i pass them
Hello/Goodbye
Hey Folks! So here we are at the end of our happyfun Russia times, and I thought I might sum up some of the exciting things we discovered during the daytimes, before our nightly theater excursions and assorted other group activities.
Moscow
Red Square - You can't come to Moscow and not see Red Square. It's just now allowed. The Kremlin, of course, is the main event, and though it's a bit of a trek around the wall to get into the compound, the six or seven cathedrals inside are definitely worth seeing. If you're lucky (which we were), you might even catch a choir of monks in one of them. St. Basil's Cathedral, outside of the Kremlin wall, is very exciting to wander through if you like stone stairs, towers, and lots of twisty passageways. It feels like a castle, only with stuff painted all over the walls. Lenin's tomb is very impressive as well, in a creepy, intimidating way. Sooo much marble for such a tiny little man. There's also a really ritzy mall next to the Square... underground.
Tretyekov Gallery - This art museum has a pretty sweet front door, and is about twice as big as it seems. We went carefully through the main floor (lots and lots of portraits at the beginning), but then discovered a whole second level underneath it once we'd run out of time. Sadtimes.
The Circus - The circus in Russia is definitely worth the ticket price (we paid about $16). The show we saw was a special Christmas Eve (the Orthodox holiday) event, with an exciting adventure involving Santa Claus (Grandfather Frost), a bright young heroine, and a naughtly top-hatted man who (we think) stole television. Along with the story we saw some trained dogs and monkeys, a fancy-stepping horse (and one dressed as a unicorn), and some incredible trampoline and trapeze work by people dressed as princes and pirates, respectively. We thought one young buccaneer was going to snap his neck when he finished his group's routine with a head-first dive into the net from the apex of the circus dome, but he landed it with a beautiful sommersault. Also, the ice cream they sell at the circus is DELICIOUS.
Christmas Party! - A bunch of us showed up at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Christmas Day, expecting to watch a bit of an Orthodox service, but after a quick look through the cathedral, what we found outside was a rousing stage show, with singers, sword-dancers, a magician, and a story about a princess. After a while, the crowd did some dancing of their own, which we participated in, and a grand time was had by all, even though it was horribly COLD out.
The Metro - Okay, we didn't really discover the metro, but I think it's worth a mention. Seeing some of the stations, you would never guess that it was just another stop in the largest and probably the cheapest ( about 40 cents a ride, including transfers) public transportation system in the city. They. Are. GORGEOUS. I bought a whole pack of Metro Postcards... I don't think any of the subway systems in America can boast of being postcard-worthy.
Teremok - We love Teremok. Delicious, satisfying blini with stuff in them, cooked up fresh and hot for you for less than four dollars, on practically every other street. Amazing.
Business Lunches - If you think the Dollar Menu is a great idea, you should explore the world of the Russian business lunch. On weekdays during the early afternoon, cafes all over the city have three-or-four-course meals that amount to about half the price of ordering the same food off the regular menu, usually under 8 dollars. We even got one at a fancy-shmancy Indian restaurant with candles everywhere and mirrors on the ceiling. Sooo yummy.
Okay, time to get off for now. Novgorod and Petersburg to come!
Moscow
Red Square - You can't come to Moscow and not see Red Square. It's just now allowed. The Kremlin, of course, is the main event, and though it's a bit of a trek around the wall to get into the compound, the six or seven cathedrals inside are definitely worth seeing. If you're lucky (which we were), you might even catch a choir of monks in one of them. St. Basil's Cathedral, outside of the Kremlin wall, is very exciting to wander through if you like stone stairs, towers, and lots of twisty passageways. It feels like a castle, only with stuff painted all over the walls. Lenin's tomb is very impressive as well, in a creepy, intimidating way. Sooo much marble for such a tiny little man. There's also a really ritzy mall next to the Square... underground.
Tretyekov Gallery - This art museum has a pretty sweet front door, and is about twice as big as it seems. We went carefully through the main floor (lots and lots of portraits at the beginning), but then discovered a whole second level underneath it once we'd run out of time. Sadtimes.
The Circus - The circus in Russia is definitely worth the ticket price (we paid about $16). The show we saw was a special Christmas Eve (the Orthodox holiday) event, with an exciting adventure involving Santa Claus (Grandfather Frost), a bright young heroine, and a naughtly top-hatted man who (we think) stole television. Along with the story we saw some trained dogs and monkeys, a fancy-stepping horse (and one dressed as a unicorn), and some incredible trampoline and trapeze work by people dressed as princes and pirates, respectively. We thought one young buccaneer was going to snap his neck when he finished his group's routine with a head-first dive into the net from the apex of the circus dome, but he landed it with a beautiful sommersault. Also, the ice cream they sell at the circus is DELICIOUS.
Christmas Party! - A bunch of us showed up at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on Christmas Day, expecting to watch a bit of an Orthodox service, but after a quick look through the cathedral, what we found outside was a rousing stage show, with singers, sword-dancers, a magician, and a story about a princess. After a while, the crowd did some dancing of their own, which we participated in, and a grand time was had by all, even though it was horribly COLD out.
The Metro - Okay, we didn't really discover the metro, but I think it's worth a mention. Seeing some of the stations, you would never guess that it was just another stop in the largest and probably the cheapest ( about 40 cents a ride, including transfers) public transportation system in the city. They. Are. GORGEOUS. I bought a whole pack of Metro Postcards... I don't think any of the subway systems in America can boast of being postcard-worthy.
Teremok - We love Teremok. Delicious, satisfying blini with stuff in them, cooked up fresh and hot for you for less than four dollars, on practically every other street. Amazing.
Business Lunches - If you think the Dollar Menu is a great idea, you should explore the world of the Russian business lunch. On weekdays during the early afternoon, cafes all over the city have three-or-four-course meals that amount to about half the price of ordering the same food off the regular menu, usually under 8 dollars. We even got one at a fancy-shmancy Indian restaurant with candles everywhere and mirrors on the ceiling. Sooo yummy.
Okay, time to get off for now. Novgorod and Petersburg to come!
Bye Bye Russia
I'm sad because we only have like 15 more hours in Russia. :(
All we have left is a masters class and our last group dinner.
That is all I'm going to write because Jenia is sitting behind me and freaking me out.
All we have left is a masters class and our last group dinner.
That is all I'm going to write because Jenia is sitting behind me and freaking me out.
Farewell Russia
What to say. I mean, we'll be heading home very soon right now. That is, within the next 18(ish) hours. So what can I say that hasn't been said. Like many of those on the trip (I would arguably say everyone) I would really like to go home to share my experiences with my close friends and family. Even now, I can feel the dull excitement of coming home after being gone for a long time. But even so, I am reminded of something that John Freedman (a guy we talked with after K.I. From Crime who translates plays into American English) said about his own experiences with Russia. As he put it, you may not realize it right away, but something about Russia hooks in your soul and you don't know anything else but that you want to come back. Well, at least the way it was for him. And you know, I think I can honestly say the same thing. Something about this place also calls to my soul in a very strange way. Although I can't understand hardly anything people are saying or read many of the signs, or even understand many of the plays we see, I just know deep down that I want to come back, I need to. So, as I find myself saying goodby to the country, I find myself more inclined to be saying goodbye quickly and quietly since I know that someday, hopefully soon, I'll be returning.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Only One More To Go
That's right. In five minutes or so, we will be taking off to a production of "The Inspector General." This is our last production in Petersburg--sad day. Tomorrow we will have a master class with some crazy Russian director, at least I hope he's crazy. It promises to be some sort of adventure in the very least.
As a group, I feel like this was a good trip (this says absolutally nothing, I know). However, it is apparent that a lot of us long for home; and our wishes will be granted soon enough.
Olaf and I got stopped by police yesterday. We were coming out of the metro after the play, and they singled us out. We showed them our passports and everying; one of them seemed to want to make trouble, but the others seemed to get him to let us go, which was good because I really had to pee.
Well, it's time to head off to our last production in Russia--for must of us anyway. I'm positive I'll be back for more theater in this oversized country.
Tootles for now.
As a group, I feel like this was a good trip (this says absolutally nothing, I know). However, it is apparent that a lot of us long for home; and our wishes will be granted soon enough.
Olaf and I got stopped by police yesterday. We were coming out of the metro after the play, and they singled us out. We showed them our passports and everying; one of them seemed to want to make trouble, but the others seemed to get him to let us go, which was good because I really had to pee.
Well, it's time to head off to our last production in Russia--for must of us anyway. I'm positive I'll be back for more theater in this oversized country.
Tootles for now.
Russians Are Nice.
As our trip comes to a close, I've been thinking about what I've learned. After a lot of the plays we've seen we've had the opportunity to speak with members of the cast. At first we asked a lot of questions about their experiences in Russian theater, but recently many people have asked us personal questions about our perceptions of Russia. After first arriving, I admit I was a bit terrified of Moscow. Everything was bigger and faster than I'm used to, and I felt like I was thrown into a city without any social skills that I usually rely on. Even after adapting to our neighborhood and time schedule, I still felt like an outsider. I've come to realize while in St. Petersburg that Russians aren't just the solemn, serious people I had thought they were. The people who we've had experiences with are usually members of the service industry, and I can definitely understand now why they aren't always overjoyed to be dealing with a huge group of rambunctious American students who can't speak their language. When we've really had our brightest moments here are times when we're not expecting Russians to be positive with us, but people have gone above and beyond to make us feel welcome. A woman at the grocery store tried for quite a few minutes to wish Scott a Merry Christmas. Actors have signed autographs and taken photos with us. A busy, famous director took over an hour of his time to talk to us about Russian cinema. An usher at the Maly theater here in St. Petersburg was so moved by the play "Life and Fate," but still cared enough to ask Katie and I how we felt about it. So many of these people are humble and willing to give us the gifts of their time and work with us to express opinions across a language barrier. As much as I miss home, I'm starting to realize that Russia isn't a huge unknown to me, and we can find wonderfully patient, kind people if we look past the precipitation.
So tomorrow is our last day in St. Petersburg and I am a bit bummed. I absolutely love it here and hope I have the opportunity to study here senoir year. It's sucha beautiful city, the architecture is just amazing. The museums are some of the best in the world. The food is delicious and fairly cheap and the weather is just my style, grey and rainy. I could however do without the mud. Our last play is tonight which I am not to bummed about. I loved seeing the plays it was a great experience. But I am all played out. I usually see maybe three or four a year and this was like 22 in a month.
Last nights play was one of my favorites that we've seen, the set was bad, the script was bad. It was an accident that we even saw it at all (the actor in the play we bought tickets for broke his leg so it was cancelled). But there was just something about it that really impressed me. It was pretty easy to follow some of the dialogue just from the movement of the actors and this is the first play we've seen that we havent had a summary of that I have felt that way. Then end was absolutely killer for me. I was on the verge of tears and this wave of laughter sweeps through the row I'm sitting it. The ending was cheesy over done, and probably comprobable to the ending of the Seagull. But I liked it and it reminded me of a fairy tale.
I am excited to see Gogol tonight. Should be interesting and we have the whole script for it so I will be able to follow what is happening. Then tomorrow is packing, and spending the last of my roubles. Then back to the states for a break before the start of normal classes.
Last nights play was one of my favorites that we've seen, the set was bad, the script was bad. It was an accident that we even saw it at all (the actor in the play we bought tickets for broke his leg so it was cancelled). But there was just something about it that really impressed me. It was pretty easy to follow some of the dialogue just from the movement of the actors and this is the first play we've seen that we havent had a summary of that I have felt that way. Then end was absolutely killer for me. I was on the verge of tears and this wave of laughter sweeps through the row I'm sitting it. The ending was cheesy over done, and probably comprobable to the ending of the Seagull. But I liked it and it reminded me of a fairy tale.
I am excited to see Gogol tonight. Should be interesting and we have the whole script for it so I will be able to follow what is happening. Then tomorrow is packing, and spending the last of my roubles. Then back to the states for a break before the start of normal classes.
My thoughts as they come to me
I am tired today. It is snowing and wet here in St Petersburg. Tonight we will see the Inspector General by Gogol. In class today we learned about Gogol and how he was a horrible professor for as long as that lasted. I think he had a nice haircut.
I am sad that it is our last play of the trip. I came on this trip primarily because I love Russia, but over the last couple of weeks I have found that I also love Russian theater. I am still not very good at articulating what I love about it, which Marc will attest to after reading all my journals.
I wonder if I can get through customs with a kilo of those Alyonka chocolates. I just really want to share those with everyone I know (because I don't want to feel guilty about eating a whole kilo by myself).
I need to spend all of this money Marc keeps giving us. And probably I shouldn't spend it on more scarves.
Tomorrow we will have a master class. We are all a bit apprehensive about it because none of us really know what is going to happen. After that we will have a great big Azerbaijani meal as a farewell dinner. I am excited to eat my first Hachapuri (spelling?).
Last night we went to a play called something like "The Butterflies are Free," written by Leonard Gershe (an American author) in the sixties. It was strange to see our first American play as interpreted by Russians. We were supposed to see Scapin, but one of the actors in that broke his leg or something. THEN we were supposed to see something about hunters which would have had raining on the stage, as I remember. However, we we got there this is what was presented. The ticket lady handed each person entering a little program about the show calling it a "прекрасный спектакль." It was about a blind man who gets to know the woman living in the apartment next to him, and about his mother who can't let go because she is worried about him living on his own. "It all spirals out from there."
It was not the best show we've seen, but it was interesting to see how they interpreted an American play and changed it to appeal to a Russian audience (i.e. the ending which in the original play is a normal happy ending,but in the play we saw what actually happens and what it means is open to interpretation).
Well that's all for now. See you soon.
I am sad that it is our last play of the trip. I came on this trip primarily because I love Russia, but over the last couple of weeks I have found that I also love Russian theater. I am still not very good at articulating what I love about it, which Marc will attest to after reading all my journals.
I wonder if I can get through customs with a kilo of those Alyonka chocolates. I just really want to share those with everyone I know (because I don't want to feel guilty about eating a whole kilo by myself).
I need to spend all of this money Marc keeps giving us. And probably I shouldn't spend it on more scarves.
Tomorrow we will have a master class. We are all a bit apprehensive about it because none of us really know what is going to happen. After that we will have a great big Azerbaijani meal as a farewell dinner. I am excited to eat my first Hachapuri (spelling?).
Last night we went to a play called something like "The Butterflies are Free," written by Leonard Gershe (an American author) in the sixties. It was strange to see our first American play as interpreted by Russians. We were supposed to see Scapin, but one of the actors in that broke his leg or something. THEN we were supposed to see something about hunters which would have had raining on the stage, as I remember. However, we we got there this is what was presented. The ticket lady handed each person entering a little program about the show calling it a "прекрасный спектакль." It was about a blind man who gets to know the woman living in the apartment next to him, and about his mother who can't let go because she is worried about him living on his own. "It all spirals out from there."
It was not the best show we've seen, but it was interesting to see how they interpreted an American play and changed it to appeal to a Russian audience (i.e. the ending which in the original play is a normal happy ending,but in the play we saw what actually happens and what it means is open to interpretation).
Well that's all for now. See you soon.
We are rapping up our time in St. Petersburg/Russia. Wow, I cannot believe that it has gone by so fast. I know that is a typical thing to say but it really is amazing how fast things move. St. Petersburg has been great. If there were nothing else here (there is plenty) I would visit just for the hermitage/winter palace. It is amazing. Perhaps what I liked about it most is how vast and different each one of the exhibits are. There are exhibits that range from displaying picasso's to egyptian tombs and countless other ancient relics. Not to mention that the museum itself is a piece of art. I cannot wait to get back and read up on all that I have seen in Russia. I am very glad that I came on this trip and can mark it up as a life experience. Who knows if I will ever get the chance to come back here. Hopefully I will, but there is the possibility that I will not. Being in Russia in the last month has changed my outlook on a lot of things but also has given me new goals to shoot for. It has sparked the inspiration to travel. After experiencing this foreign culture, I want to know what other cultures and wonders await in a the many regions of the world. THere are so many places to go, so many incredible things to see. If I am lucky, I will get to the chance to see a few more of them. Anyway, we leave early Monday morning. While everyone back home is getting ready for bed, we will be traveling to the aiport on the other side of the world. Weird. Although I will miss Russia, I admittedly am anxious to get home to see the family. There are many stories to tell as well (make sure you pry about your own child's experiences).
From Russia to home,
marcus mittelsteadt
From Russia to home,
marcus mittelsteadt
Thursday, January 24, 2008
McDonald's
Yesterday I succumbed to the wonderful sensation of McDonald's. It's amazing how I don't eat very much fast food at home, but when i'm almost half way around the world it tastes so good. The greasy, oddly yellow french fries are a taste of delight, along with a McFlurry that is better than any you can get in the US. That's another thing. Why is it that fast food restaurants that started in the US look so much nicer in foreign countries? The one here had a seperate section just for a Kafe with a bunch of different coffee drinks. Not to mention the bags. I don't know what it is about them, but Russians love their bags. I ordered my meal to go, and so the lady put my fries in a bag, realistic, but then she proceeded to put my McFlurry in another little bag and my fanta in another. To top it all off, I then got all of those in a heavy duty plastic bag, complete with the McDonald's slogan in Russian. Amazing.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Babushkas
I am posting using Jenia's account, because I lack proper blogging skills. - Katie
Before coming to Russia, I heard many things about “babushkas”. I formed an image of them in my mind – stern elderly ladies wearing molding fur coats and hats and wielding their sturdy handbags with power. Not-so-friendly grandmas who budge in front of you in lines, yell at you on the metro if you don’t give them your seat for the one stop they will be riding, and scold you in fast angry Russian if you make some unwitting cultural mistake, like sitting on the floor (you might freeze your ovaries!).
Getting here, I realized that my picture of a babushka wasn’t completely off track, yet it was. There are definitely those who will budge in front of you without a second thought, or yell at you for some unknown reason, and when you say, “Izvinitye, poszhalusta, ya nye znyaiyu” (“I’m sorry, I don’t know”), they continue to scold and gesticulate all the more.
But, the babushkas are wonderful, too.
We were riding the metro in Moscow, and as usual, because of my money belt, I looked pregnant (see any picture of me on this trip for confirmation). I ended up standing next to three babushkas sitting down. As the train began to move, one tapped me on the arm, and then all three of them began trying to offer me one of their seats. I was at first very surprised, but I soon realized that they assumed I was pregnant, and wanted me to be able to sit. I thanked them and had to say no several times, before they finally accepted with smiles. We got off at the next stop, and they smiled me on my way. I was so moved by their kindness. Perhaps it doesn’t seem like much, offering a seat to a girl you think is pregnant, but I was really touched.
Also, we have come to learn that babushkas are the best people to ask for directions. Clare and I were searching for a particular coffee shop the other day, and we asked many babushkas for directions. Every time, they were so willing to help, though they may have had no idea where exactly we wanted to go. Our Russian is fairly minimal, and most babushkas we talk to don’t speak any English, but they are always determined to try and help. There was one lady in particular who was so sweet. I asked her if she knew where a certain coffee shop (that I was probably pronouncing wrong) was. Her face lit up, and she straightened and said proudly, “Da! Ya znayu!” (“Yes! I DO know!”). She spoke and spoke and pointed straight ahead, then smiled broadly and waved us on our way. Clare and I never did actually find where we were looking for, but that babushka was so incredibly sweet that we both agreed she had made our night.
I love the babushkas here. Sometimes I just want to ask them for directions, though I know where I’m going, just to get a chance to talk to them. Every one we’ve ever asked (and there have been many) has been sweet and helpful. I am enjoying touring very much, and the theater experiences have been wonderful. But, I think the babushkas are one of the things I will miss the most when I leave Russia.
St. Pete
When I first arrived in St. Pete I felt confussed. I did not want to leave Moscow for I had fallen in love with the city. I felt that should I open myself up to a new city I would hurt Moscow; so i shunned the city of St. Pete. The first two days in the city were easy to shun. The city smelled and I got lost many a time but now I do not know. For on the third day I visited The State Hermitage Museum and felt a tingle in my heart. I no longer know who I love and have to fight for anwers.
Thomas
Thomas
Monday, January 21, 2008
BLINI BLOG!
So, it's about time for this blini blog that we've been talking about so long. And by "we" I mean Tess and I, and I'm sure everyone else on our trip would agree with us.
We love blini!
In Moscow our main source of blini was tepemok. There were so many different kinds to order and for the first week that is pretty much what we ate for most of our meals. Along with 'wonderful' instant coffee, hehe not so wonderful but cheap! It is so much fun because they are in these stands on the street and you can watch them make it! It is sad because one of the three stands we usually go to was taken down near the end of our stay because it was only up for the Christmas/New years time. But there was another one one block away not even, and then another in the other direction of our hostel.
We got to Novgorod and had to go a whole two days with out blini until we arrived in St. Petersburg. There are two blini stands really close to our hostel. One is a tepemok but they look different and I have yet to go to it, and the other is just a generic blini stand that I can't remember the name of, it's like sundisk or something. Their blinis are a different shape, they are squares and more oily. There are also a lot of indoor tepemoks which Tess and I went to today. It was facier and more expensive, but still just as tastey! We took a video to show you all but that'll come later, when I figure out how to make it work.
Well that's all for the Blini Blog!
We love blini!
In Moscow our main source of blini was tepemok. There were so many different kinds to order and for the first week that is pretty much what we ate for most of our meals. Along with 'wonderful' instant coffee, hehe not so wonderful but cheap! It is so much fun because they are in these stands on the street and you can watch them make it! It is sad because one of the three stands we usually go to was taken down near the end of our stay because it was only up for the Christmas/New years time. But there was another one one block away not even, and then another in the other direction of our hostel.
We got to Novgorod and had to go a whole two days with out blini until we arrived in St. Petersburg. There are two blini stands really close to our hostel. One is a tepemok but they look different and I have yet to go to it, and the other is just a generic blini stand that I can't remember the name of, it's like sundisk or something. Their blinis are a different shape, they are squares and more oily. There are also a lot of indoor tepemoks which Tess and I went to today. It was facier and more expensive, but still just as tastey! We took a video to show you all but that'll come later, when I figure out how to make it work.
Well that's all for the Blini Blog!
Well we just arrived in St. Petersburg two days ago (today the 21st is our second full day). I am amazed at how different it is from Moscow. Polar opposites. In Moscow one could definitely see the soviet influence. Incongruity of buildings of different time periods was also evident in the wide range of design and artistic styles. The skyline looked like a game of tetris, no two buildings were of similar height, color, or design. In contrast, European influence and city regulations on building are noticeable in the height uniformity and similarities in design of many buildings. Whereas Moscow struck awe in you with the sometimes frightening buildings of the stalin era and somewhat cold feeling that eminated from the buidings, Petersburg is a city that impresses you with the beauty of the wide winding boulevards and European artistic influence. To me St. Petersburg is a more inviting city simply because it is less foreign to me (Moscow is truly like any other city I have ever been to). However, I feel that if you really want to experience Russia, and feel the history that is there in architecture and personality of the population, you need to visit Moscow. I am hesitant to say it but St. Petersburg seems almost like a mask put on for tourists to hide what Russia really is. This is easy to see in the amount of english spoken in Petersburg versus Moscow. Truly if you want to see what I felt was more representative Russia (not in a bad way, just different) then you have to visit Moscow.
Theater here is amazing. It is such a cultural experience. There is not really an American institution to which I can compare Russian theatre. It is somewhat like what movie theaters are to us, but even more important. They are an educational tool here, and something used to voice opinions, ideas, and commentary. The development of theater into an educator and tool of commentary is likely the result of Russias long history of censorship and repression of challenging ideas. Theatre in Russia is truly a lasting impression of Russias past. It is quite an amazing thing to see a Russian theatre performance.
Theater here is amazing. It is such a cultural experience. There is not really an American institution to which I can compare Russian theatre. It is somewhat like what movie theaters are to us, but even more important. They are an educational tool here, and something used to voice opinions, ideas, and commentary. The development of theater into an educator and tool of commentary is likely the result of Russias long history of censorship and repression of challenging ideas. Theatre in Russia is truly a lasting impression of Russias past. It is quite an amazing thing to see a Russian theatre performance.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
St.Petersburg Church, comedy, and hot wings
Well Hai readurs!
Today was our first full day in St.Petersburg and I did a lot of fun things, yay. I woke up in the morning, and instead of joining the group and going to a Lutheran church (I think), Thomas and I went to a Russian Orthodox service in a monestary by the river. Before we got there we got very lost, and ended up walking a lot more than we should have. Luckily the church has a very large gold dome that is impossible to miss once you reach the river. As we walked through the entrance, we got very depressed because there were a lot of beggars, most of them were missing at least one limb. It made me sad that I didn't have smaller bills or coins with me. Anyways, also when you start walking in, there is a lot of bread for sale. In fact the church itself was selling bread (maybe for the service? Or possibly it was blessed in some way). Well, we finally got into the church and I dropped my jaw. The church was mongolarge, yet not overwhelming. The designs, trims, lamps, icons were spectacular. I can honestly say that it is the best church I have seen so far. The choir sang beautifully. It was not as dark and erie as I had expected, and it often blurred "glory chords" that I often hear in Lutheran services. The best part of the service was the end, when these HUGE gold doors closed off the altar, and then an even larger green curtain drew behind it. We found a map of Petersburg on our way out, and we had realized our first mistake when trying to find the church, and corrected it, yay.
So we still got lost, even with the maps aide, which tells you that, despite being gridlike, it is very easy to get lost in st.petersburg. We ended up stopping because we had no clue where we were. We looked around for about 4 minutes, and we realized we were only a block away from our hostel, and that we had been to the corner we were standing at 3 times the night previous. We proceeded to laugh, and eat at a Shawrma hut. Thomas got his favorite little Shawrma, which is basically a gyro with different meat, and I got a piece of rotiserie chicken and delicious fried potatoes with strange russian ketchup on top (it has a cinnamony kick to it, Yumerzz!). Okay, so then we had class, which was pretty laid back, just went over some important stuff, like to not wash my cucumbers in the water because I might get Geardia (spelling help?). P.S, the cucumbers (3 big ones) were only 80 cents on the street.
Onwards, we went to a play called Too Clever by half. The theater was very small and very personal. The seats were positioned on two sides of a longer corridorlike shape, with doors on both sides. Kind of strange, but I think it worked very well, and transitions between scenes took absolutely no time at all, which made me a little sad because my butt hurt on the wooden bench, and I couldn't get up the whole time without being a theater pooper. My impressions of the play were such: Acting was superb, script was very funny, lighting was a little bit annoying because the audience had a spotlight on them, Entertainment was a 14 out of 10. I liked this one a lot. We also spoke to the actors and actresses after, and they were very nice and absolutely histerical. They should just film them interacting and sell it and make lots of money.
After the theater, Katie, Claire, Thomas and I went to a place called Hot Wings, because whats more Russian than hot wings? (sarcasm joke). Well, the waitress was very nice, and we ordered some delicious hot wings and fatty fried things, which was more than enough to make us happy, BUT the night got even better. Some random old Russian (on a Sunday night), began to sing LIVE Russian ballad music. The guy was absolutely incredible, and was very happy that we were clapping for him. Did I mention we were the only ones in the restaurant? So we had this Live singer signing corny Russian music to Americans, absolutely lovely. On the way back we did NOT get lost, and that made me feel much better, and now its 1 AM so I should probably go to sleep so I can have delicious continental breakfast at 9 (boiled egg, cereal, tea, cheese, bread).
-Jenechka Bashirovich
Today was our first full day in St.Petersburg and I did a lot of fun things, yay. I woke up in the morning, and instead of joining the group and going to a Lutheran church (I think), Thomas and I went to a Russian Orthodox service in a monestary by the river. Before we got there we got very lost, and ended up walking a lot more than we should have. Luckily the church has a very large gold dome that is impossible to miss once you reach the river. As we walked through the entrance, we got very depressed because there were a lot of beggars, most of them were missing at least one limb. It made me sad that I didn't have smaller bills or coins with me. Anyways, also when you start walking in, there is a lot of bread for sale. In fact the church itself was selling bread (maybe for the service? Or possibly it was blessed in some way). Well, we finally got into the church and I dropped my jaw. The church was mongolarge, yet not overwhelming. The designs, trims, lamps, icons were spectacular. I can honestly say that it is the best church I have seen so far. The choir sang beautifully. It was not as dark and erie as I had expected, and it often blurred "glory chords" that I often hear in Lutheran services. The best part of the service was the end, when these HUGE gold doors closed off the altar, and then an even larger green curtain drew behind it. We found a map of Petersburg on our way out, and we had realized our first mistake when trying to find the church, and corrected it, yay.
So we still got lost, even with the maps aide, which tells you that, despite being gridlike, it is very easy to get lost in st.petersburg. We ended up stopping because we had no clue where we were. We looked around for about 4 minutes, and we realized we were only a block away from our hostel, and that we had been to the corner we were standing at 3 times the night previous. We proceeded to laugh, and eat at a Shawrma hut. Thomas got his favorite little Shawrma, which is basically a gyro with different meat, and I got a piece of rotiserie chicken and delicious fried potatoes with strange russian ketchup on top (it has a cinnamony kick to it, Yumerzz!). Okay, so then we had class, which was pretty laid back, just went over some important stuff, like to not wash my cucumbers in the water because I might get Geardia (spelling help?). P.S, the cucumbers (3 big ones) were only 80 cents on the street.
Onwards, we went to a play called Too Clever by half. The theater was very small and very personal. The seats were positioned on two sides of a longer corridorlike shape, with doors on both sides. Kind of strange, but I think it worked very well, and transitions between scenes took absolutely no time at all, which made me a little sad because my butt hurt on the wooden bench, and I couldn't get up the whole time without being a theater pooper. My impressions of the play were such: Acting was superb, script was very funny, lighting was a little bit annoying because the audience had a spotlight on them, Entertainment was a 14 out of 10. I liked this one a lot. We also spoke to the actors and actresses after, and they were very nice and absolutely histerical. They should just film them interacting and sell it and make lots of money.
After the theater, Katie, Claire, Thomas and I went to a place called Hot Wings, because whats more Russian than hot wings? (sarcasm joke). Well, the waitress was very nice, and we ordered some delicious hot wings and fatty fried things, which was more than enough to make us happy, BUT the night got even better. Some random old Russian (on a Sunday night), began to sing LIVE Russian ballad music. The guy was absolutely incredible, and was very happy that we were clapping for him. Did I mention we were the only ones in the restaurant? So we had this Live singer signing corny Russian music to Americans, absolutely lovely. On the way back we did NOT get lost, and that made me feel much better, and now its 1 AM so I should probably go to sleep so I can have delicious continental breakfast at 9 (boiled egg, cereal, tea, cheese, bread).
-Jenechka Bashirovich
St Petersburg!
We have arrived in the very wet and very beautiful city of St Petersburg! Everything feels a bit smaller here and not all of the shops are open 24 hours (what???). It's not quite as fast-paced or efficient as Moscow, but I still like it here. I think all of us were a bit suprised yesterday when Marc told us that the street the hostel is on no longer exists. Yes...we literally have no street because it's been torn up. I think it's going to take everyone a couple of days to get their bearings here...most people are exploring the town today and I am taking advantage of our new found internet access! Yay! I'm a little bit nostalgic for Moscow, and the glorious hotel in Novgorod, and the cozy (?) overnight train ride--people bond in close quarters, right?--but I'm so excited for all of the theater here in Petersburg and the amazing Hermitage Museum. Russia rocks my socks off.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
A Chocolate Haven
For being a chain restaurant, Shokoladnitsa is a warm, inviting haven of goodness. Not every one is the chocolate comfort that I have come to love. We have had quite the stroke of luck, for by our hostel is a hidden Shokoladnitsa paradise. You walk in and it looks like a kind of dumpish place, but once you see the chocolate colored chairs and the artitic 20s style pictures your image totally changes. The ciabatta sandwich with soft, fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. Mmmmm... Then hot chocolate is so thick and the blini oozes with warm, smooth chocolate mixed with raisins. A surprising, but delicious mix. Today I spent hours talking with a group of people about various topics, from movies to politics to religion, and it was very nice to just sit back in the comfortable chairs and absorb. It is definitely a highlight of this Russian experience.
Farewell Moskva!
I'm finally comfortable enough with Moscow to go it alone for a few hours, which feels really liberating...even though I basically mean that I'll be walking home from the internet cafe alone. I now know my way around pretty well and don't feel like every Russian out there is ready to steal from me or whatever. Jenia is the only one who has run into trouble (I mean Chechans) here. I just have to make sure never to smile at foreign men or talk to strangers without others with me. Haha. Yikes. ************
I have been pretty impressed with a lot of the plays we have seen. Cosmetics of the Enemy was so good, I want to put on a production of it in English someday. Apparently it was translated from French into Russian. Lisa translated the Russian into English, and Sonia and Scott read aloud the play prior to seeing it. I am going to do my video review on Cosmetics of the Enemy, so I won't say anything more about it here. ************ It's far better to read a whole play from start to finish than to read a synopsis or a blog entry about the play, before seeing it in Russian. If you know what is said where, you at least have some hope of following the play, even if, like me, you don't speak any Russian. I can now say "I want little Christmas tree dog!" in addition to my wonderful "What a beautiful potato cat!" in a grammatically incorrect manner. I'm sure you're all quite impressed with mad Russian skills. I have to say, this language is hard to hear. I can always sound things out by reading them in a sort of correct way, which is nice. ************ Last night we saw a great play called KI from Crime. Though there were two girls and a boy in it in addition to the main actress, the kids didn't say or do much. Basically, it was a one woman show, in which Oxana (her real name, I believe) delivered a thoroughly animated and upsetting performance. The woman claimed that her husband had been run over by horses and had died that day, that he was an excellent husband, and that she was very sad to see her and her children left on the street with nothing and no husband or father. She kept on saying how they had been rich but now they look like paupers. However, there is no way that she had been married to a well-to-do man because she and the children looked entirely too poor and acted destitute. Oxana said how she had tuberculosis and that was supposed to create lumps on the brain, and that she was no longer mentally with-it. Well, duh. The woman was crazy, as was shown by the text, which had been written in a spastic/fast-speaking/overly emotional manner. The woman performed the text well, sometimes whispering, sometimes shouting, often opening, walking through, and slamming a door. She never seemed to know where she was, what she was doing, why she had been left without a husband, or who the other characters in the play were (with the exception of her children). By other characters in the play, I mean the audience. We were a part of her charade; we were her listeners and her guests at her reception after the memorial service (scene two). Some people in our group were fortunate enough to sit at her table, and were directly addressed by the woman. Jenia was addressed several times, as was Marcus. She made Marcus stand up and demanded some sort of an answer from him....which was funny, because Marcus knows as little Russian as I do. Thankfully she also spoke sometimes in English. She is one of the only Russians I have met who is fluent in English. Last night was her 299th performance, and so she knew the text very, very well. She had performed parts of it in English before, and all of it in Spanish/Portuguese. She's toured many parts of the world (Europe, New York, South America) with this play. It was nice that she spoke key lines of the play in English, so that we knew what parts of the play were which. We had read the play previously. Something interesting she told us during a short talk-back after the play is that she always plays the character true to how she is feeling that night. If she is tired, then so is the character. If she's feeling great, the so does the character. She doesn't try to play the character the same nightly. This makes sense, yet it's a new idea for me. I found that greatly interesting. Also of course her performance must change depending on the audience's reaction to her. This makes sense. Audiences can make or break any performance and they always, always change peformances. Even when you're not on stage, this is the case. If you find yourself telling one story to two different groups of people, your narrative may not change, but your delivery always will. ********** Everyone on this trip seems to be stoked for the night train to Novgorod tonight. It will be an eight hour train ride...we leave Moskva around 8 PM and travel north and slightly west until the early morning. It's a sleeper train, and we'll be in rooms of four. I have never been on such a train ride and I am also excited. Sure, being on land is tenchinally nicer I'm sure, but there's something appealling about trains...... ********** Kaitlin
Moscow Never Sleeps
Oh hai readers,
This is my first post since I got here. It was nice to arrive in Russia and get rejected by a banker lady as a FLUENT Russian speaker. That was sarcasm, it doesn't work very well in text. Either way my general impressions of Moscow is that it is very business orientated. Almost everyone is all about business. They even have things called business lunch(pronounced exactly as is but with a Russian accent) in all restaurants. Yesterday Fedya(thomas) and I experienced our first business lunch, and we fell in love with it. It is so cheap. Usually you get a salad, soup, a main dish with a side, bread, and a drink, for 7 to 10 dollars. I have not been let down by the food in Moscow. Every restaurant has impressed me in some way, but back to my cultural observations; Many Russians seem very stern. It seems very out of place to smile in public. The youth are often seen hanging out inside of a metro or underground crossing, huddled together drinking beers. With that type of situation, it seems like Moscow might be ignoring some the younger generation.
I have met a few interesting characters here in Russia. I met two Irkurtzkies who told me many stories about how Moscow has changed. He basically argued that Moscow has no Russian culture left; its all about business, and does not hold a correct image of Russian culture. He also suggested to me that I pick a random Babushka in a metro, give her 100 dollars, and live with her for a month, then I will experience culture.
Well, my business lunch is ready to eat, so I will cut this one a little short.
We saw a play yesterday, K.I from Crime. Almost all of our group loved it. The acting was absolutely astounding. It was basically one wonderful Russian actress, and she would often interact with the audience. At one point, she ended up talking to me. She just stared into my eyes, and there was so much fire and passion in her eyes. I thought the play was mediocre, I dont know why, but I left with the feeling of mediocrity. Nonetheless it was the best acting I have ever witnessed, and I whole-heartedly appreciated K.I from Crime.
Jenushka Bashirov
This is my first post since I got here. It was nice to arrive in Russia and get rejected by a banker lady as a FLUENT Russian speaker. That was sarcasm, it doesn't work very well in text. Either way my general impressions of Moscow is that it is very business orientated. Almost everyone is all about business. They even have things called business lunch(pronounced exactly as is but with a Russian accent) in all restaurants. Yesterday Fedya(thomas) and I experienced our first business lunch, and we fell in love with it. It is so cheap. Usually you get a salad, soup, a main dish with a side, bread, and a drink, for 7 to 10 dollars. I have not been let down by the food in Moscow. Every restaurant has impressed me in some way, but back to my cultural observations; Many Russians seem very stern. It seems very out of place to smile in public. The youth are often seen hanging out inside of a metro or underground crossing, huddled together drinking beers. With that type of situation, it seems like Moscow might be ignoring some the younger generation.
I have met a few interesting characters here in Russia. I met two Irkurtzkies who told me many stories about how Moscow has changed. He basically argued that Moscow has no Russian culture left; its all about business, and does not hold a correct image of Russian culture. He also suggested to me that I pick a random Babushka in a metro, give her 100 dollars, and live with her for a month, then I will experience culture.
Well, my business lunch is ready to eat, so I will cut this one a little short.
We saw a play yesterday, K.I from Crime. Almost all of our group loved it. The acting was absolutely astounding. It was basically one wonderful Russian actress, and she would often interact with the audience. At one point, she ended up talking to me. She just stared into my eyes, and there was so much fire and passion in her eyes. I thought the play was mediocre, I dont know why, but I left with the feeling of mediocrity. Nonetheless it was the best acting I have ever witnessed, and I whole-heartedly appreciated K.I from Crime.
Jenushka Bashirov
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Yay interwebs
We did a very exciting thing today. Marcus, Scott and I managed to locate what might possibly be the sketchiest internet cafe in Moscow. It's proper name being Internet Klub. But its cheap, nice, and seems to be working far better than the internet at the nice non-sketchy place right down the road from us.
So far the highlight of the trip besides the delicious food was out excursion yesterday to see some student film projects at a film school whose name currently escapes me. I very much enjoyed the films as they relied very little on language and very much on rockn color and sweet camera angles. It was nice to see something that truly transcended languauge barriers. In fact oddly enough the one with speaking was the worst of the lot in my opinion.
The plays so far have been a mixed bag, each has its own merits. It is difficult to judge a play without understanding the language. So needless to say my judgment of plays is a bit off. I like the ones with lots of movement, color, and interesting sets more than the introspective ones.
Tonight we head out to Novgorod and I am super excited for the night train. I know next to nothing about Novgorod so it should be interesting. I have high hopes for the Little Prince as it is one of my favorite books.
Yay interwebs, Yay Russia.
Tonight we head out to Novgorod and I am super excited for the night train. I know next to nothing about Novgorod so it should be interesting. I have high hopes for the Little Prince as it is one of my favorite books.
Yay interwebs, Yay Russia.
Post from a sketchy internet cafe
So, the normal internet cafe I visit is currently full. So, what do I think is a good idea? Ask where another one is. So this wonderful 24 hour cafe Marc told us was so close is not very close. It's accross the giant street in the basement of a really sketch building. I'm actually not quite sure how we found it. We kind of started wandering around the alleys of a couple places and wooshe, we where there. I am at computer number 4 right now, w/ Clare blogging to my left and Marcus struggling to get his blog to work. Interesting news I hope for those of you sick of reading about theater and how awesome this theater was or how awesome russia is.
Things to do in Russia: Eat at Teremok. Go to sketchy markets. Ride in Moscow metro. explore alleys with groups of friends (before dark). Enjoy Russian water.
Things not to do in Russia: Eat at Teremok every day. Explore alleys with groups of friends (after dark). Get drunk and talk to Gypsies. Enjoy Russian tapwater.
Things to do in Russia: Eat at Teremok. Go to sketchy markets. Ride in Moscow metro. explore alleys with groups of friends (before dark). Enjoy Russian water.
Things not to do in Russia: Eat at Teremok every day. Explore alleys with groups of friends (after dark). Get drunk and talk to Gypsies. Enjoy Russian tapwater.
Chandeliers
This doesn't have to do with the actual theatrical performance, but the chandeliers here are amazing. They are everywhere--in the theaters, the metro, sparkling and unique. We went to the performance of Cosmetics of the Enemy last night and the chandeliers there were all blown glass. They were incredibly exquisite and beautiful. Maybe I'll Fedex one back to Olaf... Tonight is our last night in Moscow and we leave tomorrow. On the one hand, I will miss this city because it has grown familiar and it's so incredibly clean and exciting. On the other, we get to go to Novgorod and then to St. Petersburg. There we can see the winter palace and I am so psyched! You betcha! We went to a film school yesterday and saw some final products of students. There was one on the Collector--a young man who seduced and then killed women, symbolizing each one of them with a certain butterfly which he tacked on his wall. It was a definitely creepy story, but the camera work and coloring we quite well done. Alrighty, that's it for now. See you in the future!
An insider
It is often difficult to travel, to live out of a suitcase. To truncate ourselves into an overhead storage bin. This group, however, I feel has quickly grown into the comfy walking shoes we brought with us. We don't fit in, but we don't always throb our American beacon.
I now know some things about theater. We have seen half of the days pass, and then at night we run off to one of the hundred and forty theaters in Moscow. Firstly theater is cheap. The government subsidises each theater, so tickets to a ballet the other day, were only 8 dollars. Secondly paid work is cheap. The sets in almost every theater have been the most impressive aspects of the show. This is not only because I don't speak the language well either. They are dedicated to the best. In the words of a famous film director we met yesterday, "They work until it is done." He was speaking of his students, but this goes for the lot of them.
We have had many lucky experiences so far on this trip, Marc has many connections here.
I saw Lenin's body today. Strange.
I must go, my time at this computer is finished.
Olaf
I now know some things about theater. We have seen half of the days pass, and then at night we run off to one of the hundred and forty theaters in Moscow. Firstly theater is cheap. The government subsidises each theater, so tickets to a ballet the other day, were only 8 dollars. Secondly paid work is cheap. The sets in almost every theater have been the most impressive aspects of the show. This is not only because I don't speak the language well either. They are dedicated to the best. In the words of a famous film director we met yesterday, "They work until it is done." He was speaking of his students, but this goes for the lot of them.
We have had many lucky experiences so far on this trip, Marc has many connections here.
I saw Lenin's body today. Strange.
I must go, my time at this computer is finished.
Olaf
Monday, January 14, 2008
Waking up in Russia is an excellent start to any day.
Oh, how I've missed the internet.
Sitting in an internet cafe, I know that probably every Russian in here is aware that I am American. While this is a slightly uncomfortable feeling, and though I know I am glaringly foreign here, I love Russia. And I love that Abbee says that all the time, because I know we are all having an amazing time. Even with all of the amazing theater we go to see and the many museums we skip through, I find that some of the most beautiful moments of the trip come from the small bilingual experiences we all have. Whether it's some slightly sketchy guys asking us for a light on the street or a darling woman in the theater testing out her limited English and wishing us health and happiness...these moments of communication for me are infinitely valuable. I'm still in awe of the fact that we are able to observe and even participate a little in Russian culture and daily life. I think it's safe to say that we have all gotten into the swing of life here, and I appreciate Russians more than ever.
...which is to say nothing of our fearless leader Marc!!! He is really fabulous and we are so lucky to spend this interim with a professor as knowledgable as he is about Russia and its theater.
I think so far, my favorite production has been the play based on the novel by Tolstoy, "Resurrection" at the Moscow Art Theater. Despite only speaking a little Russian, its message resonated as strongly as ever. The acting featured subtle yet beautifully significant archs of emotion. The set was wonderfully creative and simple. Last night during class, we talked about how even the set changes were made to be a part of the action, and not merely a technical nessecity. The real beauty of the play was that it crossed over the language barrier and tapped into cross-cultural themes, which were communicated honestly and meaningfully. It was really wonderful.
Also, since I'm writing such an enormous blog, I might as well say that all of the participants on this trip are wonderful! It's been so much fun getting to know everyone and sharing Russia with you guys :)
Sitting in an internet cafe, I know that probably every Russian in here is aware that I am American. While this is a slightly uncomfortable feeling, and though I know I am glaringly foreign here, I love Russia. And I love that Abbee says that all the time, because I know we are all having an amazing time. Even with all of the amazing theater we go to see and the many museums we skip through, I find that some of the most beautiful moments of the trip come from the small bilingual experiences we all have. Whether it's some slightly sketchy guys asking us for a light on the street or a darling woman in the theater testing out her limited English and wishing us health and happiness...these moments of communication for me are infinitely valuable. I'm still in awe of the fact that we are able to observe and even participate a little in Russian culture and daily life. I think it's safe to say that we have all gotten into the swing of life here, and I appreciate Russians more than ever.
...which is to say nothing of our fearless leader Marc!!! He is really fabulous and we are so lucky to spend this interim with a professor as knowledgable as he is about Russia and its theater.
I think so far, my favorite production has been the play based on the novel by Tolstoy, "Resurrection" at the Moscow Art Theater. Despite only speaking a little Russian, its message resonated as strongly as ever. The acting featured subtle yet beautifully significant archs of emotion. The set was wonderfully creative and simple. Last night during class, we talked about how even the set changes were made to be a part of the action, and not merely a technical nessecity. The real beauty of the play was that it crossed over the language barrier and tapped into cross-cultural themes, which were communicated honestly and meaningfully. It was really wonderful.
Also, since I'm writing such an enormous blog, I might as well say that all of the participants on this trip are wonderful! It's been so much fun getting to know everyone and sharing Russia with you guys :)
News from Kaitlin
I was a little hesitant to come back to this wonderful little internet cafe (which is beneath a Moscow department store that's next to a dance club that's between the Kremlin and Godzilla's Hostel) because when I was here earlier today, some married 40-year-old Armenian banker dude definitely tried to buy me coffee and get my telephone number 8 times and asked me if I was married et cetera. I made the mistake of talking to him because I am programmed to be friendly by default. I figured he wanted to get on the internet and was having problems, and wanted my help. It turns out he wanted to give me his business card. And his business, if you know what I mean. Men here are definitely more forward. So I told the guy I didn't speak Russian and he asked me if I spoke French. I said I spoke some French. So we had a conversation in English/French/Russian. An Australian named Carlo who is taking 12 months to travel the world and jokes that since he's been gone for 9 months, babies are "popping up everywhere" tried to pick up anywhere between four and six of us American girls up the other day. He's super friendly and he has been staying at our hostel. Thankfully he's leaving today. Some of the other girls were hit on extensively by Slavic people and French people and basically, non-Russians. We don't actually maintain much direct contact with Russians. Ya nee gavaru pa ruskie. I don't speak Russian. I don't know how to spell that either.
Tonight several of us are going to a Georgian restaurant with our TA Lisa. She will translate the menu for us, I am sure. Georgian restaurants are probably pretty expensive, but I have read that their food is the best in the world. Literally. My guidebook told me that there's a myth that God tripped over the mountains and spilled his dish over Georgia, and that's why their food is so good. Apparently Georgia has been, for better or worse, a big trade route/army route et cetera through the mountains, so they have the influence of various regions of the world in their culture and in their food.
I always wanted to go to Russia because I did ballet and character dancing for ten years, and Russia is extremely influential in those areas. I remember wearing what we hoped were culturally accurate dance costumes from all different countries through the years, including Russia and doing Russian dance somewhat. Today in the Armory Museum Shop at the Kremlin I bought a doll for my doll collection (of so far four dolls from around the world) who is wearing such an outfit. We saw some perhaps? historically accurate costumes on Christmas morning. There were four dancer/singers on a stage outside of the Church of Christ our Savior (beautiful!) but they were singing modern music. Very joyful stuff. Yesterday we went to a ballet in the Kremlin. I was thoroughly, thoroughly impressed by this. Theater is hard for me to understand because of the language barrier, which is why I've been putting off talking about it. But ballet, I get. Music is the universal language (or is that love?) so I got that too. Harasho. Or however you spell that. That's "good."
I'll post again some time and focus more on theater.
Tonight several of us are going to a Georgian restaurant with our TA Lisa. She will translate the menu for us, I am sure. Georgian restaurants are probably pretty expensive, but I have read that their food is the best in the world. Literally. My guidebook told me that there's a myth that God tripped over the mountains and spilled his dish over Georgia, and that's why their food is so good. Apparently Georgia has been, for better or worse, a big trade route/army route et cetera through the mountains, so they have the influence of various regions of the world in their culture and in their food.
I always wanted to go to Russia because I did ballet and character dancing for ten years, and Russia is extremely influential in those areas. I remember wearing what we hoped were culturally accurate dance costumes from all different countries through the years, including Russia and doing Russian dance somewhat. Today in the Armory Museum Shop at the Kremlin I bought a doll for my doll collection (of so far four dolls from around the world) who is wearing such an outfit. We saw some perhaps? historically accurate costumes on Christmas morning. There were four dancer/singers on a stage outside of the Church of Christ our Savior (beautiful!) but they were singing modern music. Very joyful stuff. Yesterday we went to a ballet in the Kremlin. I was thoroughly, thoroughly impressed by this. Theater is hard for me to understand because of the language barrier, which is why I've been putting off talking about it. But ballet, I get. Music is the universal language (or is that love?) so I got that too. Harasho. Or however you spell that. That's "good."
I'll post again some time and focus more on theater.
So far, So good
As we have seen more theater on this trip by this point, I'm very happy to say that it's been very impressive. I'm liking what I'm seeing from most production. In general, the acting has been supburb, and staging and been interesting in a way that it's hard to take your eye off of what is going down on stage.
So, at this point my favorite production has been "Antony and Cleopatry." It was very raw and honest. I had never read or seen this play, so I had mixed reaction going into. Every aspect was well exicuted and well thought out. Every action had a purpose. It involved music that was beautiful yet haunting. I say kudos to the director--it was you who really made this production spectacular.
Other good plays: Genesis 2 was great as well. We say it in a very small theater (black box-like). It was an in-your-face kind of show that I could really connect with. It only had three characters, but this one also used music to give every line rythm; at times this was very enjoyable and entertaining, and at other times you barely noticed. I also enjoyed Resurrection Super. This was in a large sor of black box theater. The set was really amazing--not realistic. It was cold and industrial. The cast was large for this play, and most everyone seemed really impressed by how they used the cast to change the set between scenes.
I did find the production of "The Seagal" that we saw upseting. In this one, it was mostly the director's fault for not really know what he wanted to express. The sad thing about this is that the acting was pretty top notch--maybe even the best I've seen so for, but the director had to ruin a perfectly moving moment with such things as dead characters getting up and dancing pushing weeble trees to and fro.
Anyway, Some of us went to a ballet yesterday--"Sleeping Beauty." It was in a huge theater inside the Kremlin. Dancing was good, the stage was pretty, but the lighting was bad because it was such a huge stage.
We leave Moscow soon, and that makes me sad--I do like it here. I've had fun walking the streets and riding the beautiful subway they have. The people have been fun (Muscovites and Oles alike).
Nick
So, at this point my favorite production has been "Antony and Cleopatry." It was very raw and honest. I had never read or seen this play, so I had mixed reaction going into. Every aspect was well exicuted and well thought out. Every action had a purpose. It involved music that was beautiful yet haunting. I say kudos to the director--it was you who really made this production spectacular.
Other good plays: Genesis 2 was great as well. We say it in a very small theater (black box-like). It was an in-your-face kind of show that I could really connect with. It only had three characters, but this one also used music to give every line rythm; at times this was very enjoyable and entertaining, and at other times you barely noticed. I also enjoyed Resurrection Super. This was in a large sor of black box theater. The set was really amazing--not realistic. It was cold and industrial. The cast was large for this play, and most everyone seemed really impressed by how they used the cast to change the set between scenes.
I did find the production of "The Seagal" that we saw upseting. In this one, it was mostly the director's fault for not really know what he wanted to express. The sad thing about this is that the acting was pretty top notch--maybe even the best I've seen so for, but the director had to ruin a perfectly moving moment with such things as dead characters getting up and dancing pushing weeble trees to and fro.
Anyway, Some of us went to a ballet yesterday--"Sleeping Beauty." It was in a huge theater inside the Kremlin. Dancing was good, the stage was pretty, but the lighting was bad because it was such a huge stage.
We leave Moscow soon, and that makes me sad--I do like it here. I've had fun walking the streets and riding the beautiful subway they have. The people have been fun (Muscovites and Oles alike).
Nick
Privet Vsem
Good Afternoon from Russia.
In this post I would like to share with everyone back home just what all of us are experiencing each time we enter the theater. How the experience is different from in America and such. I begin at the beginning:
1) it is generally cheaper than going to American theater. Each of our plays cost between 200 to 500 rubles (8-20 dollars) for fairly decent seats in good theaters (in one of the most expensive cities in the world). In addition you can pick up tickets to virtually any performance in the city at kiosks on the street. Very convenient
2) Coat check is mandatory. And convenient so that you don't have your coat with you in a crowded theater. Also convenient is the binoculars rental at the coatcheck.
3) the Bufet. Yum yum. Delicious snacks, coffee and tea, and other fun drinks are always available in the theater (but you have to finish them in the bufet before you go to your seat).
4)Clapping-- my personal favorite. Russians love to clap. They clap before the play when they are getting impatient for the show to start. They clap during the play after especially good performances. They clap endlessly AND in unison after the play has ended. At the ballet yesterday, they even clapped along with some of the music.
5) Programs are not free. Usually you can pick one up for one or two dollars, but we usually don't... probably because it would add up and we wouldn't understand most of it anyway.
6) Theater etiquette is ignored. Before every performance, there is the standard announcement that cellphones and pagers need to be turned off, but during every performance multiple cell phones will ring. Additionally people will take pictures of the performance throughout, even though that is also allegedly prohibited.
Well I guess I'll end it here since I'm running out of time. I hope you got something out of reading this, and maybe next time you go to the theater you'll think, "Hmm, I wish I were in Russia so I could have an espresso at intermission or start clapping randomly."
In this post I would like to share with everyone back home just what all of us are experiencing each time we enter the theater. How the experience is different from in America and such. I begin at the beginning:
1) it is generally cheaper than going to American theater. Each of our plays cost between 200 to 500 rubles (8-20 dollars) for fairly decent seats in good theaters (in one of the most expensive cities in the world). In addition you can pick up tickets to virtually any performance in the city at kiosks on the street. Very convenient
2) Coat check is mandatory. And convenient so that you don't have your coat with you in a crowded theater. Also convenient is the binoculars rental at the coatcheck.
3) the Bufet. Yum yum. Delicious snacks, coffee and tea, and other fun drinks are always available in the theater (but you have to finish them in the bufet before you go to your seat).
4)Clapping-- my personal favorite. Russians love to clap. They clap before the play when they are getting impatient for the show to start. They clap during the play after especially good performances. They clap endlessly AND in unison after the play has ended. At the ballet yesterday, they even clapped along with some of the music.
5) Programs are not free. Usually you can pick one up for one or two dollars, but we usually don't... probably because it would add up and we wouldn't understand most of it anyway.
6) Theater etiquette is ignored. Before every performance, there is the standard announcement that cellphones and pagers need to be turned off, but during every performance multiple cell phones will ring. Additionally people will take pictures of the performance throughout, even though that is also allegedly prohibited.
Well I guess I'll end it here since I'm running out of time. I hope you got something out of reading this, and maybe next time you go to the theater you'll think, "Hmm, I wish I were in Russia so I could have an espresso at intermission or start clapping randomly."
"I Love Russia!"
... that's what I say like five times every day.
Theatre going here in Russia is so different from at home. Every show we've gone to at least one cell phone has gone off, at one show I must have heard at least five! I know cell phones go off in the U.S. too but I don't think as often. They also don't give you play bills here (not that I could read it) but you purchase them instead. One part that is really nice is how they don't open the house until 10-15 minutes before the show begins, I'm not sure why I like this so much but I do. Another thing with timing is how evening shows generally start at 7 not 7:30. My favorite difference is at the end everyone claps in unison, it is so fun.
Yesterday a bunch of us went to a ballet for a change. It was at this huge theatre in the Kremlin. The set was beautiful, with a lot of painted cut drops and others that would fly in and out. The costumes were also really nice, and the chorus of ballet dancers costumes went really well with the set. The lighing, however, was really bad. They seemed to be having some issues with the spots and operation of them. I've noticed about a lot of the plays we've gone too that the lighting is either really bad or really good nothing inbetween.
So I am really sad that we leave Moscow in like three days, I love it here! I wish I could speak Russian, but the only Russian I've mastered is ordering ice cream.
Theatre going here in Russia is so different from at home. Every show we've gone to at least one cell phone has gone off, at one show I must have heard at least five! I know cell phones go off in the U.S. too but I don't think as often. They also don't give you play bills here (not that I could read it) but you purchase them instead. One part that is really nice is how they don't open the house until 10-15 minutes before the show begins, I'm not sure why I like this so much but I do. Another thing with timing is how evening shows generally start at 7 not 7:30. My favorite difference is at the end everyone claps in unison, it is so fun.
Yesterday a bunch of us went to a ballet for a change. It was at this huge theatre in the Kremlin. The set was beautiful, with a lot of painted cut drops and others that would fly in and out. The costumes were also really nice, and the chorus of ballet dancers costumes went really well with the set. The lighing, however, was really bad. They seemed to be having some issues with the spots and operation of them. I've noticed about a lot of the plays we've gone too that the lighting is either really bad or really good nothing inbetween.
So I am really sad that we leave Moscow in like three days, I love it here! I wish I could speak Russian, but the only Russian I've mastered is ordering ice cream.
The Rest of the Plays in Moscow...
Greetings everyone. Here are the websites for the remainder of our plays while we're in Moscow:
The Seagull - at the Vkhatangov Theater. (Last Friday) This production was disappointing to most, though the acting was good.
http://www.vakhtangov.ru/performance/seagul/
Resurrection. Super! - at the Theater Studio of Oleg Tabakov (performed on the small, black-box stage of the Moscow Art Theater - Saturday night). This was a visually stunning production - top notch all around - even if people couldn't tell what was going on as the play hasn't been translated. It was directed by Yury Butusov. One of my personal favorite directors. The pictures are at the bottom of the web-page.
http://www.tabakov.ru/performance/resurrection_super/
Tartuffe - at the Moscow Art Theater. This performance got mixed reviews from our group. Some loved it, and some didn't like it. It was definitely a lot of spectacle and kept everyone's attention.
http://art.theatre.ru/performance/tartuff/
There's no play today, but tomorrow we go to see:
Cosmetics of the Enemy - a co-production of the Satirikon and the Pushkin Theaters. It will star Konstantin Raikin and Roman Kozak. No real pictures, but the website is:
http://satirikon.ru/?pageId=11&subId=42
Our final play will be:
K.I. from Crime - at the MTYUZ starring Oksana Mysina. This was a big hit last year and I'm looking forward to seeing it again (my third time).
http://www.theatre.ru/mtuz/performance/ki/
From there we'll head on to Novgorod where we'll see "The Little Prince" and then on to St. Petersburg.
The Seagull - at the Vkhatangov Theater. (Last Friday) This production was disappointing to most, though the acting was good.
http://www.vakhtangov.ru/performance/seagul/
Resurrection. Super! - at the Theater Studio of Oleg Tabakov (performed on the small, black-box stage of the Moscow Art Theater - Saturday night). This was a visually stunning production - top notch all around - even if people couldn't tell what was going on as the play hasn't been translated. It was directed by Yury Butusov. One of my personal favorite directors. The pictures are at the bottom of the web-page.
http://www.tabakov.ru/performance/resurrection_super/
Tartuffe - at the Moscow Art Theater. This performance got mixed reviews from our group. Some loved it, and some didn't like it. It was definitely a lot of spectacle and kept everyone's attention.
http://art.theatre.ru/performance/tartuff/
There's no play today, but tomorrow we go to see:
Cosmetics of the Enemy - a co-production of the Satirikon and the Pushkin Theaters. It will star Konstantin Raikin and Roman Kozak. No real pictures, but the website is:
http://satirikon.ru/?pageId=11&subId=42
Our final play will be:
K.I. from Crime - at the MTYUZ starring Oksana Mysina. This was a big hit last year and I'm looking forward to seeing it again (my third time).
http://www.theatre.ru/mtuz/performance/ki/
From there we'll head on to Novgorod where we'll see "The Little Prince" and then on to St. Petersburg.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Check out this blog.
I love the word blog. I love that I'm on the internet right now because it's been ridiculously difficult to get internet access on this trip. My remarks on Moscow would be the following: pretty cold, pretty dirty, pretty industrial, pretty sketchy, really awesome. Last night we saw Chekhov's "The Seagull". I was a big fan of the text in English and an averagely big fan of the performance, and I feel like the group had mixed reviews of it's beauty vs. general boredom. Tonight is Tolstoy's "Ressurection" but a SUPER! staging. I'm intrigued, but the synopsis was a little vague and full of run-on sentences. I've been mega impressed with MosFilm yesterday and the flea market today. Marc is a fabulous professor.
Signing off,
Greta
Signing off,
Greta
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Websites for the plays we've seen...
Greetings everyone. There have been requests for me to post websites for the various shows we've seen so that people can see production pictures of the shows. Here goes!
Tosca - at the Bolshoi Theater. Not much at the site, actually, unless you want to download the booklet for the production. The red - little-bo-peep costume says a lot about this production.
http://bolshoi.ru/ru/season/opera/repertoire/detail.php?&id26=27&act26=info
Antigone - at the Theater Na Taganka - directed by Yuri Liubimov. Go to the right-hand side of the page and you'll find pictures:
http://taganka.theatre.ru/performance/antigona/
Genesis No. 2 - at Theater Praktika - with Ivan Vyrypaev (the author - with whom we had a talk-back after the show. Just one picture, sorry.
http://www.praktikatheatre.ru/repertoir/play/detail.php?ID=953
The Secret of the Old Wardrobe - (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe) at the Theater on Maloj Bronnoj. This was so much fun. We also had a talk-back with the cast after this. It was full of kids and they got so into the play. There are pictures at the bottom of the webpage.
http://mbronnaya.theatre.ru/performances/shkaf/
Today is Shakespeare day and our two plays are:
Romeo and Juliet - at the Pushkin Theater. We saw this last year and it's a good production. I have a bit of trouble getting the images to open, but perhaps all blog readers will have more luck than I.
http://pushkin.theatre.ru/performance/romeo/
Anthony and Cleopatra. Versions - Directed by Kirill Serebrennikov at the Sovremennik theater.
http://www.sovremennik.ru/play/photos_b.asp?id=37&sub=spec&photo=1
Hope you enjoy these!
Tosca - at the Bolshoi Theater. Not much at the site, actually, unless you want to download the booklet for the production. The red - little-bo-peep costume says a lot about this production.
http://bolshoi.ru/ru/season/opera/repertoire/detail.php?&id26=27&act26=info
Antigone - at the Theater Na Taganka - directed by Yuri Liubimov. Go to the right-hand side of the page and you'll find pictures:
http://taganka.theatre.ru/performance/antigona/
Genesis No. 2 - at Theater Praktika - with Ivan Vyrypaev (the author - with whom we had a talk-back after the show. Just one picture, sorry.
http://www.praktikatheatre.ru/repertoir/play/detail.php?ID=953
The Secret of the Old Wardrobe - (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe) at the Theater on Maloj Bronnoj. This was so much fun. We also had a talk-back with the cast after this. It was full of kids and they got so into the play. There are pictures at the bottom of the webpage.
http://mbronnaya.theatre.ru/performances/shkaf/
Today is Shakespeare day and our two plays are:
Romeo and Juliet - at the Pushkin Theater. We saw this last year and it's a good production. I have a bit of trouble getting the images to open, but perhaps all blog readers will have more luck than I.
http://pushkin.theatre.ru/performance/romeo/
Anthony and Cleopatra. Versions - Directed by Kirill Serebrennikov at the Sovremennik theater.
http://www.sovremennik.ru/play/photos_b.asp?id=37&sub=spec&photo=1
Hope you enjoy these!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Hard up for internet.
I'm finding that it will be a big hassle to get access to the internet here in Moscow. The computer at the hostel is broken, and the computers that people brought with them are not always available. So, it all frustrating to get online.
Opera is beginning to lose any high regard in my handbook. After seeing Tosca at the Bolshoi, I was very disappointed with it. The biulding was nice, and the music as alright, but the performance itself was not good. I guess I just can't handle the idea the opera actors (if that's what we can call them) can't act at all. They make for a terrible stage performance.
On the other hand, I was very pleased the the Togonka Theater's production of Antigone. I felt the staging was very strong, the set was different in a great way, and they way it was used by the actors was excellent. I enjoyed the level of acting as well. I always new what the dynamic was on stage even though I couldn't tell what they were saying--they did all this without any type of over acting. There was chanting, flexible people doing flexible things, and a good dynamic as far as casting went. All in all--great.
We have two days now of no class or plays due to Russian Christmas. I hope to have fun and get some reading done.
Opera is beginning to lose any high regard in my handbook. After seeing Tosca at the Bolshoi, I was very disappointed with it. The biulding was nice, and the music as alright, but the performance itself was not good. I guess I just can't handle the idea the opera actors (if that's what we can call them) can't act at all. They make for a terrible stage performance.
On the other hand, I was very pleased the the Togonka Theater's production of Antigone. I felt the staging was very strong, the set was different in a great way, and they way it was used by the actors was excellent. I enjoyed the level of acting as well. I always new what the dynamic was on stage even though I couldn't tell what they were saying--they did all this without any type of over acting. There was chanting, flexible people doing flexible things, and a good dynamic as far as casting went. All in all--great.
We have two days now of no class or plays due to Russian Christmas. I hope to have fun and get some reading done.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Two plays down!
Well, last night we all sat through a disappointing Tosca at the Bolshoi theater. A lesson in mediocrity. Tonight we saw an impressive Antigone at the Theater "Na Taganka". It was a recent production by the legendary Yuri Liubimov. Everyone seemed to like the play pretty well. It was an exceptionally theatrical staging with good lighting and an interesting set. Lots of interesting music and good acting. Being able to understand the script worked well for me though most students were a bit lost at times. They seemed to enjoy it for the most part.
You can find images from the production at
http://taganka.theatre.ru/performance/antigona/
Click on the small pictures on the right-hand side of the screen and you can cycle through images from the rehearsals and the production.
Probably the most impressive thing for many of the students was seeing a Russian actor whom they know from the Night Watch/ Day Watch movies -- Valery Zolotukhin, who played the father vampire in the films.
Here's video of the students in the theater lobby - you might catch a glimpse of Zolotukhin in the background.
Scott was in seventh heaven as he got his ticket signed by him and some students got their picture taken with him.
The next few days we're not going to any plays as it is Christmas here. To all family members - we made it and everyone's doing well. Unfortunately the internet is down at the hostel, so it's a little hard for everyone to email parents as they promised. After the holidays it should get repaired.
You can find images from the production at
http://taganka.theatre.ru/performance/antigona/
Click on the small pictures on the right-hand side of the screen and you can cycle through images from the rehearsals and the production.
Probably the most impressive thing for many of the students was seeing a Russian actor whom they know from the Night Watch/ Day Watch movies -- Valery Zolotukhin, who played the father vampire in the films.
Here's video of the students in the theater lobby - you might catch a glimpse of Zolotukhin in the background.
Scott was in seventh heaven as he got his ticket signed by him and some students got their picture taken with him.
The next few days we're not going to any plays as it is Christmas here. To all family members - we made it and everyone's doing well. Unfortunately the internet is down at the hostel, so it's a little hard for everyone to email parents as they promised. After the holidays it should get repaired.
Friday, January 4, 2008
We have arrived!
Well, we made it. The trip over was quite smooth. The flights were packed, except for the last flight to Moscow which had only about 20 of us in the whole plane (and six crew members!). We each got a seat to lie down in - heaven after the transatlantic flight.
We had a bit of an adventure when I (Marc) got separated from the group. We were supposed to meet up on Tverskaya street (the main drag in Moscow), but somehow kept missing each other. Liza and Zhenya got everyone back to the hostel and we all eventually hooked up.
Clare said she thought I was crazy when I said they might wake up early in the morning...
I guess I'm not crazy. Good to know.
Today we head out to instruct everyone on the use of the metro. After that Liza and I need to go pay for some tickets previously ordered and then - to the Bolshoi Theater tonight to watch Tosca.
We had a bit of an adventure when I (Marc) got separated from the group. We were supposed to meet up on Tverskaya street (the main drag in Moscow), but somehow kept missing each other. Liza and Zhenya got everyone back to the hostel and we all eventually hooked up.
Clare said she thought I was crazy when I said they might wake up early in the morning...
I guess I'm not crazy. Good to know.
Today we head out to instruct everyone on the use of the metro. After that Liza and I need to go pay for some tickets previously ordered and then - to the Bolshoi Theater tonight to watch Tosca.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Stressin'
Hey friends. Happy '08. So I just figured I should attempt to blog since I'm ridiculously technologically inept and don't want to fail this assignment. I just returned to MN from FL and haven't packed yet. T minus 5 hours until we head to the airport. Yikes. Also, if someone could help me learn Russian on the plane that would be great.
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