IVANOV MITEM
The story of Chekhov’s 1887 play revolves around the protagonist, Ivanov, who is increasingly disappointed and weary of life. But is there really a story here? And if so, then where do we find it? Where is the end of the inner world that notices the external signs? Tatjana Mandic Rigonat puts on stage the requiem of a conflicted man, whose existence is but a struggle to achieve his goals.
Ivanov’s character is itself a museum of the soul. Talking about emotions leads to sentimentality, while practicality and the strength needed for survival makes one cynical. This is Russia in the second half of the 19th century, halfway between the “exemplary” West and its own almost entirely static reality, sealing the fate of the intellectual.
The actors of the National Theatre in Belgrade bring the story so close to the audience that their performance makes us feel as fate, at work inside us, could break free along with a desire for love and could touch everyone who has skin, eyes, and ears to feel it.