The play Man or Woman? was performed at the closing ceremony by Kris Niklison of Holland. The performance was peculiarly instructive for our actors: despite being in demand by popular film directors (Peter Greenwell, in particular) Niklison, contrary to our actors, does not receive any permanent even symbolic assistance from those in power to implement her intentions.
She has no clue about guaranteed state donations for her theater and does not think that “the state is supposed to take care of the national culture.” She counts exclusively on her own strength, skill, and talent. The fact that in her brilliant show she uses elements of circus, pantomime, eccentric farce, and drama speaks volumes in itself. She is able after a most complicated acrobatic trick to make an audience weep from feelings of tragedy. And, after all, Kris is not a prominent actress, only highly professional one able to compete with hundreds Western actors of such class.
It seems that for us such being ready for anything is rather exotic and even not needed: why bother if the state still in some way finances theaters. However, nobody knows how long it will keep doing it. Ukrainian actors, at least, should realize that by developing universality in themselves they will be able to stand up when hand that gives grows poor.
