Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) plans to take part in several theater-related events in Monaco, Georgia, and China, while the premiere of the student production in Tallinn was postponed, stated the rector of GITIS Grigory Zaslavsky on the air of the “Russia-24” TV Channel on Tuesday.
“In China, this year (if all covid restrictions will be lifted) next meeting of the International Alliance of Theater Schools should take place in September at the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing. We also plan a theater festival there. Naturally, these plans confirm everything,” he said.
In Georgia, according to him, it is planned to hold an International Summer Theater School with the participation of students and young actors. Zaslavsky hopes that young artists from Armenia and Azerbaijan will join the school this year. As for Monaco, a fencing master class and a performance in connection with the festival of stage fencing “Silver Sword” are scheduled to take place there on April 29th at the Theater De Variete. “So far, there has been no cancellation on their part. After all, there is still almost a month and a half ahead. There is hope that this event will take place,” the rector said.
He announced the postponement of the play by GITIS graduates at the Estonian Russian Theater in Tallinn. “We postponed it by agreement with the theater and actually on our initiative, just so that this premiere would not be accompanied by any political demonstrations, so that in the second half of the year this performance, as we hope, would be released in a more relaxed atmosphere,” the rector stated. Also, plans concerning the Russian Theater in Latvia have been postponed for the time being. “We are postponing Latvia for now. But not because some political problems interfere, but simply because the theater did not work there for almost the entire pandemic, and, of course, they have their creative plans in full,” Zaslavsky noted.
All Ukrainian students at GITIS were provided with financial support, the rector said. “To all Ukrainian students — both budgetary and extra-budgetary, and those who study with us on the state line, and those who enrolled on extra-budgetary grounds — we have now paid financial assistance of 10.000 rubles. In general, we will try to support them so that those who are ready to continue their studies do not feel abandoned,” he said.
The rector also noted the importance of preserving students’ relations with their parents in Ukraine. “It seems to me that everything that is happening now should not lead to breaking families. When students study in Moscow, they have one position, the parents who stayed in Ukraine have a different view of the current events. I talk to students, and I ask them to maintain relations with their parents anyway,” the rector said.