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Section 3. Study of art
Section 3. Study of art
Ismoilov Anvar Khamdamjonovich, Ph D., student of Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts and Culture E-mail: mr.anvar.ismoilov@gmail.com
STAGE INTERPRETATION OF A WORLD CLASSIC PLAY IN THE MODERN UZBEK THEATRE
Abstract: The present article deals with a scenic interpretation of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in the years of Independence. The article analyses historical experience and traditions of the Uzbek theatre and the ways of staging of the classic.
Keywords: theatre, play, director, classic play, tragedy, psychological feeling, tradition, experience.
It is a difficult process to express today's urgent questions in staging world classic plays. This work requires great experience and skills from a director. In the scenic interpretation of the world classic examples in the modern Uzbek theatre the directing researches, such as, deeply studying of a character's inner world, revealing characters' features through actors' real and natural performance, reaching the right use of each equipment of decoration, creating a deep psychological play that narrates a person's fate could find its image in addressing W. Shakespeare's heritage. In 2003 a well known actor of the Uzbek Academic Drama Theatre Turghun Azizov put Shakespeare's "Hamlet" on the stage.
For the first time in 1935 "Hamlet" was staged at the Uzbek theatre by the director M. Uygur. In the guise of the main character the director embodied a hero who fought against meanness and falsity in the society. The strength, attention and skills of all theatre components were aimed at creating of a play based on the stage realism. Leaning on M. Uygur's experience T. Azizov in his researches at the play drew his attention to reach reality and naturalness; he emphasized the idea that crimes, like murdering, betrayal, immorality would bring to destroy and tragedy of the society; he made a conclusion that all those features would spiritually and morally relate to the present time. "The director's intend was to see in his Hamlet an image of a firm and explicit person who keeps human values in fighting against the evils of the society" [1, 29]. As a result of this great truth about main moral notions of humanity, like justice, conscience, honesty and others find reality on the stage.
The director interpreted the play in a heroic philosophical tragic genre. The heroism of Hamlet is not only in defining his father's murderer and fighting against him and his companions, but his intended to establish justice by clearing the
society from traitors. As a result, in the interpretation in which moral approaches were stressed the director could achieve the play not to be socialized, and the volume of the play could extend much wider. The play was staged without romantic pathos; it was rich with psychological experience of the main hero. T. Azizov tried to create in Hamlet an image of a modern hero embodying nowadays quick development changes. So the image of the protagonist was created as a perfect person having very strict, sharp features, being very quick at solving problems and making decisions; at the same time being much too sensible he considered everything before any actions. He didn't have any nobility as a prince; in the image of Hamlet we could see just an ordinary rebel opposing spiritual recession in the society. Thus T. Azizov "makes a person who got into whirlpool of slyness and wickedness close to us" [4].
T. Azizov together with the artist B. Ismailov could create a tiny compact decoration. In the middle of the stage there was a small stage in triangle shape above which was a throne for Claude and Gertrude. In its turn that throne with the sign of the cross looked like a gravestone; thus the director gave an explanation to the future fate of the king and queen. Also there one could see the king's bedroom with coming down transparent curtains. The present conventional image decoration served as an expression of the play's aim that stressed a mother's betrayal.
The statement "The epoch has gone out of its right way, and it's my duty to return it to its place" was used as a leitmotif of Hamlet and during the performance it was spoken for several times by T. Saidov who performed as Hamlet. This case served as a difference from the previous versions of the play. Professor T. Tursunov says, that: "the expression 'the epoch went out of its way' repeated for five times shows Hamlet's
STAGE INTERPRETATION OF A WORLD CLASSIC PLAY IN THE MODERN UZBEK THEATRE
imagination, distress, feelings in taking any decision as it was he who took responsibility to return everything to its place. In the result it adds exactness to the actor's movements" [3, 439]. We think, that the above mentioned words uttered by T. Saidov lacked in the intonation losing its value as it was repeated for many times without any changes in the intonation.
Shakespeare gave a definite feature to the main hero, therefore the image of Hamlet should be interpreted without any heart emotions; his actions must act reasonably. So, Kh. Nur-matov, People's artist of Uzbekistan, says: "It isn't necessary to cry out to the empty air, shouting with foam in the mouth and creating excitement out of nothing" [6]. T. Azizov's aim was to use just that approach in moulding Hamlet's image on the stage and the performance of T. Saidov without any emotional feelings could answer the author's demands. Only due to the concrete situation, particularly, on the scene where he had to reveal his mother Gertrude's (S. Yunusova as Gertrude) actions he becomes furious showing his inner fights. In other places, especially, while expressing the most important monologues of the play the director demanded him to become quiet. In its turn T. Saidov to keep away from false pathos he approached calmly in performing monologues. "As a result, the main monologue "To die or not to die" that shook thousands ofviewers turned out to be a simple sociable saying that can be heard everywhere in everyday life [5]. This shows that both the director and actor couldn't find 'golden center' in the performance of the monologue, in the result of which the effect of the monologue has gone down.
But despite this as the director intended, T Saidov created his hero respecting sincerity, fighting for truth, criticizing people's thirst for wealth and post, greediness, dishonesty, im-piousness, impishness and other evils of the society. The actor could show his hero's changing character: his sharpness and tenseness before going to England and his restraint, sensitivity after returning from there. T. Saidov's Hamlet with steps like lightning and courageous words make Gertrude - S. Yunusova a weak helpless woman who previously was a proud lady with sounding voice and active feelings in her inner world; and
Claude -M. Abdukunduzov- becomes a powerless person who lost his way, not knowing what to do; once being very strict, deviant in reaching his goals, acting on the bases of a definite plan, and never regretting in committing a crime. The other heroes of the play are so weak and helpless in front of Hamlet. Thus, the director succeeded in the interpretation of the main hero, so did the actor in performing his Hamlet's image.
There is one more hero in the tragedy - Ophelia. She was interpreted as poor who couldn't put up with senses that fell on her head. The director chose a young actress G. Eshankulova to play Ophelia's image. Known as performing lyric and romantic roles she could inspire the image of Ophelia. It seems that, her Ophelia wasn't on the Earth- among people; she had her own imaginary world. Ophelia- G Eshankulova is a careless little girl, who doesn't distinguish anything between white and black sides. This kind of approach by the director and actress shows that she becomes a victim because ofher childlike faith, not due to the epoch. But during the performance her character remains without changes, that is, monotonous. Particularly, Hamlet-T. Saidov shouts at Ophelia: "Go to church". And this challenge must make a sharp turning in the play. Here it should be mentioned that "Hamlet" was staged at Lenkom theatre in Moscow by the director A. Tarkovskiy. It is important to note that Inna Churikova played as Ophelia; she could show a change just at this part of the play. "As if something came off in Ophelia's heart, she slapped in the prince's face.. Just at this moment rejected by the prince, being thrown from the sky, she stays between her soul and mercy and the question "To die or not to die" seems to arise before her" [2, 413]. G. Eshankulova's Ophelia simply and calmly accepts Hamlet's challenge-which brings down the effect of the play.
T. Azizov staged "Hamlet" on the bases of psychological theatre traditions existed at the Uzbek theatre in 30-50 s of the last century. The characteristic features of the heroes in the author's play could find their similarity on the stage as well. The conceptions, like morality, conscience, loyalty were developed in the director's work serving as a modern interpretation of the play.
References:
1. Ikramov Kh. Successor of the National theatre traditions // T. Azizov. My works as a director. - Tashkent. Academhashr, 2010.- 271 p.
2. Rudnitskiy K. Theatre plots.- M. Iskusstvo, 1990.- 4640 p.
3. Tursunov T. History of the Uzbek theatre of XX century. - Tashkent. Art Press, 2010.- 567 p.
4. Tulakhodjaeva M. Shakespeare and stage experiences // Journal "World literature".- Tashkent, 2014. - 5 p.
5. Sharafiddinov O. Hamlet's returning // Journal "Theatre".- Tashkent, 2009. - 1 p.
6. Kushshaeva I. Distresses in growing adult at proposal of time // The newspaper "Literature and Art of Uzbekistan".-Tashkent, 2006, - August 4.
