Theatre set Free

Directors, actors and spectators of the Svabodny Teatr (Free Theatre) headed by Mikalai Khalezin were set free today from the Savetsky district interior department in Minsk. At the department the detained were made to write explanatory notes but the detainment reports were not made .French director Christian Benedetti his assistant Nino Reno. French studio theatre “Artoville” manager Jerome Inpeledzeri and two teachers of the Dutch higher theatrical school are also discharged. Everyone is shocked –it was for the first time that the Belarusian special militia regiment forcedly dispersed not a peaceful democratic demonstration but the first night performance of the ”11 Shirts’’ play of Edward Bond staged by the French director. 

“Under conditions of not invented but real economic crises all the processes are speeded up and strangely shaped. One of these strange trends is permanent pressing at the Svabodny Teatr, at people who are eager to be engaged in free creative work. It seems completely illogical when musicians, theatrical figures, artists appear under the pressing. The state authorities use only the method of stick when dealing with artists thus evolving the unexpected process when artists willing to get engaged in free creative work increase in number. The art can’t be deprived of freedom .And taking into account the fact that creative people are widely supported abroad the state authorities’ image is becoming more and more horrible. It is impossible to imagine that in any other country the top figures of the French theatre and Dutch school professorship could have been arrested and then released without even apologizing. I don’t know what to expect from the authorities who are eager to make the artist think to order. That way of development leads to the deadlock”, Mikalai Khalezin commented on the incident to the Charter’97 press-office.

The Svabodny Teatr is going to continue its activities in Belarus. “Now protest of creative people from Europe and the USA is expected. Many people all over the world have got to know about the incident, Tom Stoppard and Mick Jagger being among them. Nobody can realize why even non-political performances are banned in our country. We have nothing to do but to continue living and doing our job. And the authorities are to chose the path to follow .And if it is a path of violence then they should drop the subject of European values”, Mikalai Khalezin declared.

22 August at 8.30 p.m. the special militia regiment intruded the private house in Bangalore Square in Minsk where the Svabodny Teatr first night performance of ”11 Shirts’’ play of Edward Bond staged by the French director was on . 50 spectators were detained, among them being Mikalai Khalezin, his spouse Natallya Kalyada, actors of the theater, French director Christian Benedetti, his assistant Nino Reno. French studio theatre “Artoville” manager Jerome Inpeledzeri and two teachers of the Dutch higher theatrical school.

Photo: Recent meeting of the Svabodny Teatr with leader of the Rolling Stones Mick Jagger

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