Nothing has depreciated in my whole life. Perhaps some forms have
changed within the bounds but I have retained all I believed. I am the same
person as I was. I can’t be changed much, I mean making performances. I still
try to maintain everything that is fascinating in theatre and anything that is
done there to be unusual for the audience, it is simply necessary. We go to theatre
to see something new. For example, when we go to exhibition and we find out
familiar paintings, we are excited when we can identify the authors - this is
Matisse, or Gudiashvili. However, this does not work the same way in the
theatre. As soon as people recognize an actor in performance, theatre loses its
charm and magic. People often recognize “it’s Sturua’s performances” and I feel
discontent about it… I want them to say, “oh, this performance does not look
like Sturua’s work”.
I can
stage thousands of performances like “Maria Callas” and I am sure that I am the
most realistic director in Georgia. Although “Maria Callas” is not staged as primitive critics
perceive it; there is a magic, which goes beyond realistic boundaries. However,
they do not notice it, Fortunately or unfortunately.
Now, we are working on Polikarpe Kakakbadzes plays. We are not
sure yet whether we will show it to our audience or not, because it appeared to
be quite challenging and hard to stage and to play. Well, we will try… Instead
of revolution, I brought a “transfiguration” concept in the play. Revolution is
already outdated and reaction to this word is always specific – this word is
linked to soviet plays.
Commissioner…
as you know, there were many female heroes who took part in revolution. They were pretty scary types. Soviet
drama addressed this issue pretty well. As for transfiguration, it cannot be
passive – once, our Savior went up the hill. He changed… No one knows what
happened there. But his apostles realized that he was not a human any more. Son
of a man, at the same time was the Son of God. The nation is better to change
for the better, for this, the nation must not be transfigured. They tried to
change us during nine years, but fortunately we have not changed. Though,
debris of that distorting mirror, still are around us. I mean Andersen’s gnomes
mirror, which was broken and debris hit people’s hurts and heads, and that
people become wicked. That’s why it’s better
to preserve the nation's core beliefs and traditions that they during several
thousands.