Ilgiz Zayniyev: ‘In our Tatar theatre, everything should be in Tatar. With translation into Russian’

“Plans have changed significantly”

Since a busy person has plans scheduled for several years in advance, how seriously did they have to change them since the end of December? How did the organizations react to this? Should we expect anything from Zayniyev the playwright and Zayniyev the director in the near future?

Yes, my plans have changed significantly. I had productions in Almetyevsk, in Naberezhnye Chelny, here in Kazan. There were also several offers around Russia. I had to refuse, but everyone seems to be understanding. Thank them very much. But since I became a director, I have released Abugalisina at the Ekiyat theatre. Soon we will start rehearsing Dunno there, God willing. Speaking about the playwright, I think I have rehearsals of my plays in two theatres now. So everything seems to be, knock on wood, work is going on.

Will you get some kind of special education in connection with your new position?

Some kind of special education — I don’t know, I don’t have time for it yet. But for some reason everyone is surprised, although I managed the theatre as artistic director for five years. People don't really understand what an artistic director is, and it's financial and creative responsibility. That is, I have five years of experience in financial management of the theatre, so I'm not new to this field.

If the old building remains under the Kamal Theatre, what functions could it have?

The peculiarity of the old building is that it is built in such a way that it can only be used for performances. There are no extra rehearsal rooms, no other halls. That is, any attempts to make a school or something else out of it... Nothing will come of it. There are simply two stages where you need to play, there is a foyer, there are dressing rooms for the actors. This is the peculiarity of the building on 1, Tatarstan Street. I think we could make, for example, a separate documentary section of the drama theatre in the small hall. And maybe, if we talk about dreams of a musical theatre, this issue could also be closed.

“I don’t think anything brilliant was missed”

We heard at a recent press conference about working with drama, music, education, children, I heard there will be literature and an exhibition space. But at the same time, the staff structure of the theatre should also change...

Yes, there will be new directions, different directions. And there will be supervisors who will have to come to the theatre management with options for solving problems, with their proposals. Just like the next director comes, say, to the chief director. These are the powers these people will have.

Can we say that My Wool Socks, which will be shown in March, is the last premiere in the old building?

Provided that the building does not remain ours, yes. Otherwise, if the building remains, of course, some new performances will be played here. Premieres will also be specially prepared for this building.

I read that there are nine premieres this season. Does this mean that we will have even more dramatizations and translated texts, since there are no more playwrights?

It all depends on the directors who will stage these plays. Maybe they, maybe we are missing something, some plays. Although I don’t think that anything brilliant has been missed. Maybe this very number of premieres will encourage the appearance of new texts, new plays. And if we have young directors, they will, accordingly, attract their generation, they will have writers of their generation, and they will develop each other, as I hope. And if there will be translated ones, why not?

The idea of a playwright’s school was voiced. We had seminars, plays were written, but things didn't really go well after that — what's the matter? And isn't there also a problem with the specialists who will teach drama?

There is an opinion that it is impossible to teach a creative profession, but you can learn it. Here, of course, everything depends on the people themselves. If you wrote one play and want the whole world to stage it right away, then this, I think, is too presumptuous, that is, you have to be ready for sacrifices, self-sacrifice, waste of time, nerves, be ready to work. At seminars you can get some direction and, maybe, even to take wings. And then it's a daily work, as it seems to me. Personally, nothing comes easy to me. It's still hard for me to write.

“I am in favour of creating an interesting product”

How many more residents, partners of the theatre have not been announced? Will there be any opportunity to show up with a good idea and hold an event?

As for residents, the theatre is open, we meet with someone every day, talk. We are interested in some things, and not in others. First of all, we must not forget that this is a Tatar theatre, specifically a Tatar theatre. And based on this, you can make your own suggestions.

In what genres, forms of Tatar theatre is there a lack?

It seems to me that in all genres there is always something missing. Someone will say that there are a lot of comedies, but few good comedies. There is almost no good drama left, serious drama, philosophical drama. And some modern youth genres, maybe fantasy — to attract young people.

To what extent will the new building be more focused on the viewer who does not know the Tatar language? Or, on the contrary, will you try to attract a new Tatar viewer from the 97% who do not go to the theatre?

I cannot say which viewer from which percentage we will attract. I am a supporter of creating an interesting product. And the viewer will find himself, as it seems to me. If we talk about language, yes, of course, in our Tatar theatre everything should be in Tatar. With translation into Russian. An exception may be some individual lectures, and internal, professional ones, for us, and not for the viewer, master classes and the like. Now it is impossible to take and tell everything. We need to try.

Have you learned anything about your native theatre in these two months?

No, I haven’t learned anything new. Even though I left, I was still close to this theatre. Always.

Rustam Minnikhanov said that the new theatre building would be fully operational by summer. Does this mean that the entire repertoire or a significant part of it will start playing on Khadi Taktash Street?

He meant work in the complex, street, park areas, inside the theatre, and so on, as far as I understand. A significant part of the repertoire will move to the new building. This process will take at least three months.