Belarus Free Theatre performs in Paris

• 4.06.2008, 15:59

Belarus Free Theatre has begun a tour in the French capital. The theatre will show its famous performance Generation Jeans about struggle of the Belarusian youth for freedom.

The Free Theatre has been showing its performances on the stage of Paris Teatre Studio Alfortville for the third year. This time the Belarusian theatre will perform Generation Jeans.

The Free Theatre met serious changes ahead of the tour. Prominent French stage director Ariane Mnouchkine has become a forth patron of the theatre. A programme of cooperation between the Free Theatre and Paris Théâtre du Soleil, she works for, has already been drawn up. Master-classes of Théâtre du Soleil starring actors are planned to be organised in Minsk this year.

Ariane Mnouchkine said it was a great honour for her to be chosen for a guardian council of Belarus Free Theatre. It should be reminded, that famous British playwrights Tom Stoppard and Mark Ravenhill, as well as former Czech President and playwright Vaclav Havel were included into the guardian council earlier.

“These tours have become traditional for us, and we hope our new contacts with French culture figures will give us an opportunity to perform on the most prestigious stages of Paris. The fact that Ariane Mnouchkine has become a member of the guardian council is greatest honour for us, as she is one of legendary theatre figures of the world. By the way, Ariane Mnouchkine was the first winner of the European Theatre Prize, the Free Theatre has won this year. We plan to return to Minsk in the middle of June to continue work on our two new performances,” Mikalai Khalezin, head of the Free Theatre, told in an interview to the Charter’97 press center.