№ 3
10 НОЯБРЯ 2009

The Russian International Theatrical School (“RITS”) has taken part in the Festival of the International Theatrical Art (FITA) which takes place in London between 3th November and 22nd November 2009. It is one of the major events for RITS. Playing and communicating with audience pupils learn and discover all sides of their talents.

We met with the director of RITS, Lyudmila Baranova, the pupils and also the parents, on whom depends a lot in art education and, probably, the creative career of the child.

- RITS opened its doors to pupils in January 2007. Many children continue to go to RITS, someone has left, but new pupils come also. What, in your opinion, is the secret of RITS’ success?

(Two mums - Angela and Natasha) answer:

- Our daughters are 11 years old. When RITS opened, we at once brought our girls to it. Our daughters were afraid to step onto the stage but then got involved and became acquainted with Russian classics and now know about Pushkin. They have changed in the best, become more sociable and open. And the head of school is an ethical person. For RITS all children are important and talented. We are told to praise our children, to say to them that they are the best and then they will be the best.

- I see that you too participate in the life of the school?

- Yes, many parents are involved. Of their own will of course. We, for example, sell tickets and work with costumes, pack them or iron them. By the way, we also wish to add that we very much like the fee policy of RITS. For example, there are discounts and it is possible to ask that a fee for a class is not forfeited if one is ill and cannot make it to that class, provided of course one lets the school know in advance. At other schools we had to pay for a semester in advance and the fee would be forfeited if we couldn’t make it on any particular day.

Prior to the beginning of a performance there is one and a half hour. On the sage there are continuous rehearsals, in the changing room make-up is being applied, suits are being ironed and last touches are made to create the desired image. But all is somehow quiet, in good order, organized, without superfluous emotions. The principal and simultaneously art director Lyudmila has hardly any time for the interview as pupils and their parents keep approaching her to ask questions or seek advice.

- Lyudmila, what performances have you for the Festival?

- Organizers of the festival have suggested to us showing two performances – one in Russian, the second in English. We have chosen " A Festive Dream Before Dinner " by A. Ostrovsky, in Russian, and " I recall a wonderful moment " of Alexander Pushkin's works in English. Ostrovsky went with applause yesterday and received a grand acclaim. Unfortunately, there were not enough seats for all those wishing to see the performance. Some of the most determined visitors were fighting until the last in the hope to find a spare ticket under a torrential rain. But, as hard as we begged the administration of theatre Technis to let them in and offer them space on the steps in the stalls, the answer was a categorical no as the theatre has a strict maximum seat allocation policy of 120 and no more.

And here today we play Pushkin and this performance for us is very much landmark. One week ago during the rehearsals came Anthony Wood, the well-known translator of Alexander Pushkin’s works. He was so is impressed by the dialogue with the children, that specially for us, literally the night before the performance, he had finished the earlier started translation of a poem known to all by heart - « I remember a wonderful instant.. ». It was included in this performance at a moment’s notice and would be read out for the first time in the world, even before the publication in collections.

- Yes, it is interesting. Lyudmila, from what I know, you accept all interested persons in your school. If you see that someone is unique and talented, how do you encourage their further creative development?

- If I see that a pupil is capable and has patience to achieve something, I advise them to go to a drama school. We shall always help. We shall prepare the programme. I can tell with pride that, so far, five of our pupils have been accepted by drama schools but, all the same, some of them continue to come to RITS. Sometimes, new pupils approach to me and ask: « Lyudmila, we have heard that you sent such and such person to a casting audition. And what about us? ». My answer is that I know that that person is prepared and should be successful. And to be successful, it is necessary to have acting skills. I advise not to hurry up and at first learn the elements of an actor's skills.

- One year ago you opened a Theatre-Studio for adults. Does training in it differ from training in the junior groups?

- In the Theatre-Studio, we have people that are twenty five and senior. The training goes more dynamically, as the people are serious and have life experience. They are people of different trades, but now they are united in creativity. Some of them in their childhood visited drama classes, participated in amateur performances, some dreamed of becoming an actor, but life worked out differently and it was therefore necessary to do something different. And someone also did not think at all of playing on a stage, but, suddenly, decided to try. And we let them live their dream.

- And what about your premises?

- Now we rehearse at St George‘s Bloomsbury church only on weekends. But the premises, the theatre are necessary for us. We study the skills not only within the limits of rehearsal rooms which we rent, but also the skills of dialogue with the audience, which are also necessary to us. All the fees which we receive from the parents are eaten up by the rent of the premises for our performances. One theatre for an evening takes £3,000 plus taxes, another £2,600. It is possible to find a theatre with a hall for up to 50 guests. It will cost £700 – 1,000, but these places will suffice only for parents of the pupils. Let it be a cellar or an attic for one hundred places, but it will be ours. We can refurbish it ourselves if necessary. We would keep there our decorations and costumes. At the moment, everything is stored in my house and in the garage. For the three years of our life as a theatre school, we have a solid repertoire. Two performances on the Silver Age are being prepared for a premiere. And in December we shall show kids a new Christmas fairy tale “ UPON PIKE’S WILL”.

Prior to the beginning of a performance we also managed to communicate to the pupils. All of them are of different age. Certainly, all of them are thinking about the future: someone already knows to what he or she aspires, others not yet. But, as Lyudmila has told us, all of them really are united in creativity..

- Anders, tells about himself and his plans for the future?

- I am 25 years old and arrived here from Latvia. I work as a sales-manager on a fish market. In the childhood I was engaged in a drama school professionally, at the age of 15 I even received the best man's prise for a role at international festival « Russian classics » in Riga. And now here in London, I have again returned to creativity and I dream of becoming a professional actor. For example, in December I will try for casting part in a BBC1 a multi series film about war, and it requires East European actors for roles as Russian soldiers.

- Alexey, you are 20 years old and study at university in the faculty of bank management and finance. Why suddenly theatre school?

- I did not plan to do this. My aunt invited me to performance in which she was engaged. I liked the play and the costumes. I came to try it out and found it interesting and enjoyable and I decided to keep doing it. I like our teacher Lyudmila. She has a lot of energy and loves the work, which makes me very enthusiastic about it too. When she shows us how to play, it catches my breath. Here I have learned to dance waltz, tango and cha-cha-cha. Besides I have learned scenic speech. It has helped me develop my own speech and presentation. Actually, this is also good for my resume. It should help me find work as the employer will see that I have developed comprehensively.

Girls between the ages of 10-11 years cannot be found in loneliness. With lipsticks and ink, in beautiful costumes, they crowd before a mirror, discussing something vividly in English though they come from Latvia, Ukraine and Germany.

- We like to dance and sing. We enjoy acting. In this performance we dance an east dance, dance of swans and the Georgian dance.

The theatre allows me to learn Russian and to learn about Russian culture.

- And I wish to be an actress in theatre and on TV.

- And I also play the piano (and), I sing (and I, I too – interrupting, confirm girls), in addition I learn Russian (and), Ukrainian and French (I too). And I also speak German.

- Julia, you are 21 years old and have been here for two years. You go to this school. What do you like most about it?

- I am from Sochi. When I arrived in London 3 years ago, I wanted to find new friends. I came here and have stayed here with pleasure. You are absorbed in this environment and you wait for days off when it is possible to come here. Before I wished to act in theatres but did not develop my skills. But in a couple of years I wish to try again. I already had a small experience of shootings in cinema, but the theatre is absolutely another level.

- Victoria, tell us about yourself and why you love this school?

- I am 8 years old. I was born in Latvia. We moved here 4 years ago. My daddy has chosen this school. He wants me to become an actress. I want it too. It is my first performance. I very much like to dance. I get better and better each time.

Here the smallest schoolgirl. You are only four years old.

-Tais, do you like the school? Are you here on your own or with your mum?

- Yes, I like it very much here because we play about a little. I shall dance as a Gypsy girl. My mum will help me put on my dress. And she is ironing the costumes...

Kids have told only a small part of their life at the school. But much have revealed their positive spirit behind the scenes and acting. On a stage they keep the more senior, already enough skilled colleagues within their eyesight. With burning eyes, in faultless costumes, they step onstage, dance and under flashes of cameras joyfully run in the end of performance for bows.

Natalia Krivitskaya