This is the ninth “Golden Mask in Latvia” festival, which during all these years, has been held with the support of Rietumu Bank and the company Severstal.
“The “Golden Mask in Latvia” is always held, not only at a high artistic level, but also in a warm, intelligent and truly friendly atmosphere,” says Arkady Suharenko, Deputy Chairman of the Rietumu Bank Council. “Relations between countries are many-sided and at times they experience quite a tough test of strength. In such a situation, it is important not to close a dialogue of cultures, but on the contrary to make it more active and open. Being a universal language of communication, art helps us to look at things more broadly and wisely, strengthening humanitarian, economic and political ties.”
“A lot has changed during these nine years: the festival has reached beyond the boundaries of the capital city of Latvia and beyond the frameworks of only a dramatic genre – along with the performances, a social charity programme has been started. And, what is most important, a new generation of spectators has grown, for whom acquaintance with Russian theatre is not only a tribute to the once common language space, but also an interesting and thrilling experience of a dialogue between two cultures,” said Georgi Taratorkin, President of the Golden Mask Festival, in his welcoming speech to the Latvian spectators.
This year the spectators of Riga and Ventspils will be able to see performances of different genres and trends. These are the always topical and at the same time modern classics – “Eugene Onegin” and “Anna Karenina” in the interpretation of the Vakhtangov Theatre (Moscow), the modern ballet “Multiplicity. Forms of Silence and Emptiness” by the Mikhailovsky Theatre (Saint Petersburg), a performance for children “Barmaley” by the Bolshoi Puppet Theatre (Saint Petersburg). West European drama of the 20
th century will be represented by the Bertolt Brecht’s legendary play “The Good Person of Szechwan” staged by the Pushkin Theatre (Moscow).
The organiser of the Latvian Gold Mask, Head of the Art Forte company Julija Lochmele noted, “This time we have managed to prepare a gorgeous programme for the festival by including outstanding performances in it which have drawn a wide response from Russian spectators, have been highly assessed by critics and have been exceptionally well received by professional theatrical circles of Russia. We hope that the current ninth “Golden Mask in Latvia” will become an impressive prelude to the next jubilee season.”
The festival performances will be shown on the stages of the Dailes Theatre, the Latvian National Theatre, the Latvian National Opera in Riga and the “Jыras Vвrti” Theatre House in Ventspils.
The Festival takes place with the support of the Latvian Ministry of Culture, the Russian Ministry of Culture, the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Latvia, Riga and Ventspils municipalities and the State Fund of the Cultural Capital.
See further information on the website www.goldenmask.lv . Eleonora Gailisha Mass Media and Public Relations
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