The Chekhov International Theatre Festival was established by the International Confederation of Theatre Associations. The First Festival was held in the fall of 1992. Its first President Kirill Lavrov said that “the Festival is not a useless undertaking. It testifies our intent to exist in an open and boundless cultural space”.
In the almost 20 years of its history the Festival has been undergoing considerable changes while still trying to become a joyful and longed for event for all those who love theatre.
In the beginning its program was focused on those who in a large measure contributed to the splendid accomplishments of theatre around the world: Peter Brook, Giorgio Strehler, Peter Stein, Otoìar Krejca… But already the Third Festival featured the works of the directors who were famous in the world, but little known to Russian audiences: Ariane Mnoushkine, Robert Wilson, Christoph Marthaler, Krystian Lupa, Tadashi Suzuki and some others. The genre palette of the Festival was also enriched by new colors: opera and ballet productions, the performances of the Zingaro Equestrian Theatre. Decklan Donnellan’s works have been part of the Festival programs since the second of them.
The organisers’ have always done their best to invite theaters from Russian regions, as well as CIS countries and Baltic states.
In 2001 the Chekhov Festival was held at the same time as the World Theatre Olympics. Added to the traditional program of Russian and foreign theatres was “The Experimental Program” and two programs presented by Valery Fokin and Anatoli Vasiliev in the newly built facilities: the Meyerhold Center and the Theatre “School of Dramatic Art”. The Festival also featured the “Street Theatres of the World” program, its artistic director being Slava Polunin. The very fact that the International Committee for Theatre Olympics chose Moscow as the venue attested to the recognition of Moscow as a major center of the Festival movement, which happened largely owing to the successes of the previous Chekhov Festivals.
The geography of the Fifth and Sixth Chekhov Festivals expanded to include Asia and Latin America. Held within the framework of the Festival were the Japanese and Brazilian Seasons in Russia.
And one of the more distinctive features of the Chekhov Festival since 1996 is that in association with other international organizations it is sponsoring co-productions with foreign directors and Russian actors.
The Chekhov Festivals is also a space for exchanging ideas and experiences, meetings with artists, round-tables, readings of plays. In the years that have passed participating in these activities were Peter Brook, Ariane Mnoushkine, Peter Stein, Otomar Krejca, Giorgio Strehler, Theodoros Terzopoulos, Patrice Chereau, Andrei Serban, Decklan Donnellan, Eimuntas Nekrosius, Tadashi Suzuki, Heiner Goebbels, Matthias Langhoff, Krystian Lupa, Alexander Morfov, Stefan Moskov and some others, naturally including the outstanding Russian directors.
The program of the Seventh Chekhov Festival held in 2007 included large number of Canadian plays. This Canadian Season was marked by the presence of Robert Lepage, well-known modern theatre master and Marie Chouinard, the famous choreographer, as well as of the Cirque Eloize’s production “Rain” directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca etc. There have also been plays by Matthew Bourne, Pina Bausch, Peter Brook, Philippe Genty, Decklan Donnellan, Tadashi Suzuki, Lin Hwai-min, Robert Sturua, Olivier Py, Jo Kanamori.
Moscow program of the Festival listed more than 20 most interesting productions of the two latest seasons.
France was the Honorable guest of the Eighth Chekhov Festival in 2009, and the public was offered the most interesting foreign theatre and circus productions, especially French ones featuring the Nouveau Cirque genre.
Moscow welcomed with applauses the works of Victoria Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thierree, Aurelia Thierree, James Thierree, Mathurin Bolze, Johann Le Guillerm, along with the already known and loved Bartabas, Philippe Genty, Robert Lepage, Pina Bausch, Matthew Bourne, Lin Hwai-min.
Many participants were in Moscow for the first time, such as Mats Ek, Swedish choreographer, with his own drama production, Japanese theatre Bunraku, Australian modern opera ‘Navigator’, puppet play ‘The Overcoat’after ‘’ Gogol’s … by Chile ‘Teatro Milagros’ and ‘Rustam and Suhrab’ from Tajikistan.
Moscow program featured several new productions of Russian stage directors Yuri Lubimov, Petr Fomenko, Alexey Borodin, A. Shapiro, Kama Ginkas, A.Titel, D.Krymov, K.Serebrennikov, A.Ratmansky.
The Ninth Chekhov International Theatre Festival is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Anton Chekhov. Its program contains productions ‘after Chekhov, about Chekhov, to Chekhov’. 15 of them are co-produced by the Festival and Russian and foreign directors and theatres. The program also includes some plays of Moscow theatres that are staged on the anniversary occasion by M.Zakharov, S.Zhenovach, A.Konchalovsky, Y.Butusov, M.Levitin, Y.Pogrebnichko.
The Chekhov Year program consists of three parts: Chekhov Days in Moscow (January 26-31), IXth Chekhov International Theatre Festival (May 25 – July 30), and the worldwide tour of the Chekhov plays (January - December).
‘Art theatre for everyone’, a motto by Giorgio Strehler, the famous Italian director, remains abiding and actual for the Chekhov Festival. Our main idea is continually widening the audience, making theatre be longed for by the people of different background, and before all – the thinking part of our society who has always been attracted by the theatre throughout the history. We try to organize the program of the festivals to be accessible for everyone and somewhat elitist too. And it is also important that theatre professionals could find within the Festival what is necessary for them, for they could feel like part of the world theatre process.
IX Chekhov International Theatre Festival
May 25 – July 30, 2010
| Title, author | Director, troupe | State | Dates | Venue |
| "Nach Moscow! Nach Moscau!" Adapted from Anton Chekhov’s "Three Sisters" and "Peasants" by Frank Castorf |
Artistic Director – Frank Castorf
Volksbühne am Rosa Luxemburg Platz, Berlin, Germany, Chekhov International Theatre Festival (Moscow), Wiener Festwochen and Goethe Institute in Moscow
|
Germany,
Russia
| May 25, 26, 27 | Mossovet Theatre |
"Uncle Vanya (Watching
the woman kill herself)". Based on the like-named play by Anton Chekhov
|
Adapted, directed and designed by Daniel Veronese.
Daniel Veronese Company (Argentina)
|
Argentina
| May 26, 27, 28, 29 (â 13.00 è 19.00), 30, 31 ìàÿ | The Meyerhold Center |
"Ivanov" by Anton Chekhov. The company version
| Directed by Yuri Butusov.
Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre | Russia | May 26, June 8 | Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre |
| "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-Boom" – Procession | Directed by Dmitry Krymov.
School of Dramatic Art, Moscow, Chekhov Theatre Festival | Russia | May 28, 29, 30 | School of Dramatic Art, Moscow |
| "The Chekhov Brothers" | Directed by Alexander Galibin
Stanislavsky Moscow Drama Theatre
Chekhov International Theatre Festival | Russia |
May 28, 29,
June 8, 15, 16
| Stanislavsky Moscow Drama Theatr |
| "Three Years" by Anton Chekhov | Directed by Sergei Zhenovatch.
Theatre Arts Studio, Moscow | Russia |
May 30,
June 13, 26
| Theatre Arts Studio, Moscow |
| "Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov. An interpretation of the comedy |
Directed by Mark Zakharov.
Lenkom Theatre, Moscow
| Russia |
May 31 ìàÿ,
June 11, 22
| Lenkom Theatre |
| "Neva" | Written and directed by Guillermo Calderon.
Teatro en el Blanco (Santiago, Chili) in association with Santiago aMil Festival | Chili | June 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | The Meyerhold Center |
| "Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov | Director and Choreographer - Mats Ek.
Royal Dramatic Theatre (“Dramaten”, Stockholm, Sweden), Chekhov International Theatre Festival | Sweden | June 3, 4, 5 | Mossovet Theatre |
| "Nameless Poison - The Black Monk" | Choreography/Direction - Jo Kanamori.
The Noism Company, Niigata-city Performing Arts Center RIUTOPIA (Japan), Chekhov International Theatre Festival | Japan, Russia | June 4, 5, 6 | Pyotr Fomenko’s Workshop Theatre |
|
"Privy Notes Of a Privy Councillor"
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Based on «The Boring history» and other works by Anton Chekhov
Written and directed by Mikhail Levitin, The Hermitage Theatre
| Russia | June 8, 9, 10 | The Hermitage Theatre |
| "Whisper of Flowers" | Choreography - LIN Hwai-min.
Selections from Six Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (Taipei), Chekhov International Theatre Festival | Taipei, Russia | June 10, 11, 12, 13 | Mossovet Theatre |
| "DONKA" (A Letter to Chekhov) | Author and Director - Daniele Finzi Pasca.
Teatro Sunil (Lugano, Switzerland), Chekhov International Theatre Festival in association with Vidy-Lausanne un Theatre (Switzerland) | Switzerland, Russia |
June 15, 16, 17, 18,
June 19: 13:00 & 19:00, June 20: 13:00 & 19:00,
June 22, 23, 24, 25,
June 26: 13:00 & 19:00
| Pushkin Theatre |
| "Chekhov-GALA". A composition of five one-act plays by Anton Chekhov | Directed by Alexei Borodin.
The Russian Academic Youth Theatre and Chekhov International Theatre Festival | Russia | June 17, 18 | Russian Academic Youth Theatre, Moscow |
| "Three Sisters" by Anton Chekhov | Directed by Yuri Pogrebnichko.
Moscow Theatre OKOLO Doma Stanislavskogo (By Stanislavsky House Moscow Theatre) | Russia | June 17 | Theatre OKOLO (Near Stanislavsky house), Moscow |
| "Uncle Vanya" by Anton Chekhov. Scenes from country life in two acts | Directed and designed by Andron Konchalovsky.
Mossovet State Academic Theatre | Russia | June 23 | Mossovet Theatre |
| "I Am Seagull". After Anton Chekhov’s "The Seagull" | Adapted for the stage and directed by Akop Kazanchyan.
Armen Jigarkhanyan’s Theatre (Moscow, Russia), Yerevan TYS, International Confederation of Theatre Associations and Chekhov International Theatre Festival with support of the Ministry of Culture of Armenia and the CIS Humanitarian Cooperation Fund | Armenia, Russia | June 25, 26 | Armen Jigarhanyan’s Drama Theatre, Moscow |
| "Platonov". By Anton Chekhov. Scenic version – Juan Mayorga | Directed by Gerardo Vera.
The National Drama Center (Madrid, Spain) and Chekhov International Theatre Festival | Spain, Russia |
June 29, 30,
July 1, 2
| Pushkin Theatre |
| "Uncle Vanya". By Anton Chekhov. Scenes from country life in two acts | Directed by Rimas Tuminas.
The Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre, Moscow | Russia | June 30 | Vakhtangov Theatre |
|
"Cherry-Brandy" ("The Creation")
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Music by Alain Mahe. Choreographed by Josef Nadj. The National Orleans Center of Choreography (France), Chekhov International Theatre Festival and Theatre de la Ville (Paris, France)
| France, Russia
| July 5, 6, 7 | Pyotr Fomenko’s Workshop Theatre |
| "Three Sisters". By Anton Chekhov | Directed by Wajdi Mouawad.
Trident Theatre, Theatre Abe Care ce Care (Quebec, Canada) and Chekhov International Theatre Festival | Canada, Russia | July 14, 15, 16 | Pushkin Theatre |
| "Composition ad hoc" | Directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov.
Chekhov International Theatre Festival | Russia | July 19, 20, 21, 22 | Pushkin Theatre |
| "The Infinite Orchard". Music by Pedro Alcalde and Sergio Caballero (original music) and Alfred Schnitke | Choreographed by Nacho Duato.
National Dance Theatre (Madrid, Spain) and Chekhov International Theatre Festival | Spain, Russia | July 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 | Mossovet Theatre |
| "Multiplicity". Forms of Silence and Emptiness. Music by J.S. Bach | Choreographed by Nacho Duato.
National Dance Theatre (Madrid, Spain) | Spain | July 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 | Bolshoi Theatre (New Stage) |
|