Last year’s Taras. Slava (Taras. Glory) was about the last years of Shevchenko’s life, and this one tells the audience about a quite contradictory period of his life, when he was between 27 and 33 years old. Famous Kyiv actor Yevhen Nyshchuk played the key role. And by virtue of director Serhii Proskurnia, children became the words in the play. They ran around the stage, played snowballs with Shevchenko-Nyshchuk by throwing crumpled paper, and consoled their “father” when tsar verdict was announced: “without a right to write or paint.” However, both plays are just sketches, since the full four-part play will be staged in 2014. Two more parts of the tetralogy by Stelmakh will have been produced by Shevchenko’s 200th anniversary. The audience will be able to watch the play Dolia (Fate) in March 2013, and Beztalannia (Misfortune) will be staged some time in autumn 2013. It is notable that Kharkiv wishes to see Taras. Slova as well. The approximate date of performance there is May 22.
Yevhen NYSHCHUK, Honored Artist of Ukraine, actor at the Suziria Theater:
“Such projects as creating Shevchenko’s image impose serious responsibility, since there are numerous layers and cliches concerning Kobzar’s image and the way it should look. Though I am not from Cherkasy oblast, I have tried to comprehend all of this subconsciously. I let my sidewhiskers grow, tried to get a deeper understanding of Shevchenko’s psychological type. And I used some legends I heard to help me get rid of cliches. For example, we introduced the image of Krolevets rushnyk (an embroidered piece of cloth, similar to towel, used on special occasions). It was given to Shevchenko as a present, and then it was used to lower him into the grave. There were other symbols that most of the people are not acquainted with. I am deeply grateful to Cherkasy actors for their genuineness. I could sense that they were also hungry for this kind of plays.”
Serhii PROSKURNIA, director of the play:
“I am honestly glad that Nyshchuk accepted the invitation to play Shevchenko’s role. This choice of the actor gave us a broad set of tools to help interpret the image of the main character. In my opinion, Shevchenko between the ages of 27 and 33 is a ‘man of festival,’ a man that makes people fall in love with him. It is some kind of holiday that does not end. And Nyshchuk is a very flexible actor. He improvises on the stage, he is full of interesting acting ideas that develop the line that I offered him as a director.”
Bohdan STELMAKH, poet, author of Taras tetralogy:
“Twenty-three years ago Serhii Proskurnia staged two parts of the tetralogy in Lviv. We share the experience of seeing the whole tetralogy on stage. The first two parts in Cherkasy Theater slightly differ from the ones that were staged in Lviv. Their stylistics is different. Of course, I do have some premonitions, but in general I am happy that my work flourishes in Shevchenko’s homeland.”
