Yr is a show in honor of Čingiz Aitmatov. The show honors Mr. Aitmatov’s literary contributions while highlighting his writing’s thematic connections to AteliercuncheoN theater. The show’s theme is revolution, understood as a personal, interior need, which man craves.
In this performance, excerpts from The Scaffold, Cassandra’s Brand and The White Cloud of Genghis Khan guide the development of the production and are shaped by the creativity and personality of the actors.
The characters mix together, making the protagonists appear to embody the exploits of Avdy Kallistratov, Genghis Khan and the “cosmonaut-monk” Filottete.
Yr means song, poetic composition. Therefore, the show strives to have the same intensity as this expressive form, full of emotions and images with the intention of creating a dialogue between the viewers and their memories.
Yr showcases the essential presence of traditional Kyrgyz music, played live by the ensemble Nasikat and directed by the great master Baktybek Chytyrbaev.
Andrea Benaglio – director
It is well known that without art the world will end. Art is woven from the ultimate emotions - sufferings, regrets, doubts, impulses, mistakes, hatred, love, hopes and expectations. Compositions of Chingiz Aitmatov are full of these emotions and the director managed to reflect them in the impulses of the performers. The production is multifarious, and we feel in it the "confident hand" and professionalism of the director. The performance is metaphorical, allegorical, like Aitmatov's prose. Andrea is not afraid to shock the viewer, and therefore very boldly offers unexpected stage decisions and these directorial finds organically weave excerpts from various works of the author who asserts that our misfortune is our addiction. It is not easy every day for a Man to remain a Man ... The viewers see the performance in one breath, the director acts not as an outside observer, but as a person who absorbed Aitmatov’s humanistic philosophy, as an artist who innit indifferent that's why the premiere performance was accepted by the most demanding public at the highest level.
Gennady Bazarov – National Artist of the Kyrgyz Republic, film director
I really enjoyed Andrea Benaglio's fascinating performance "YR - Song to Čingiz" based on my father's literary heritage; although it was rather unusual and untraditional for the theatrical interpretation for our spectators, it was received with great interest and this play has already became a significant cultural event for our country.
Askar Aitmatov - already Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic
