A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PSYCHOTHERAPIST

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PSYCHOTHERAPIST

D-r Ksenia Kisselincheva

It’s the hour of musical therapy - I can hear Vivaldi’s Fours Seasons being played -I think I recognize the string ‘torrents’ of coming spring. For a moment I forget about where I am going and I dare contemplate the March sunset. The gently rippling music that envelops my soul for an instant makes me picture pink and white flamingoes flapping their wings through the sky. It’s only a fleeting instant. The chimneys and satellite dishes seem to have voraciously ‘engulfed’ the city sun and it’s seen no more.

 The musicotherapy seance seems to be over-I can hear the dragging of chairs and the chattering and clattering of the participants in the seance. A knock at the door and I find myself into an empty hall . Chairs are lined by the wall, loudspeakers are attached to the padded walls and a mike is hanging from the middle of the ceiling. The ‘concertgoers’ who appear to be of all ages and colors-from babyboomers to teenagers are all patients of the psychiatric clinic. But instead of being hospitalized they are treated on an outpatients’ regime. Some of them have undergone a short but intensive course of treatment with neuroleptics under the supervision of doctors but after that they can go home and feel like normal human beings. While at the same time they go back to the clinic for half a day to get either supervision from their doctor or some kind of alternative therapy-musicotherapy, calanetics, occupational therapy, art therapy and auto training. Most of the patients suffer from psychosomatic disorders like neurosis, depression, obsessive conditions. The relative ratio of the serious psychic disorders is steady - it is about 30%.

 But it is alarming that the latter ailments are on the increase and what is still more alarming drug addiction has boomed for the last 6-7 years and it is affecting mostly youths from the age of 13 to 18. Now that the patients have left I can have a chat with the psychiatrist, Dr. Zdravka Gerdjikova. She is a small energetic woman in her late fifties , short hair cut and prominent charcoal eyebrows which seem to be perennially questioning what she hears. And as you can guess she hears many stories full of ‘sound and fury’. And she has to solve the puzzle and she can’ t make a mistake because if she does, people may commit suicides or suffer a permanent damage of the brain. But this brave little woman is full of laughs and jokes and she does not show the enormous burden she has to shoulder. She is also a deputy director of the clinic and the telephone in her office is ringing most of the time. She is trying to tell me while she making herbal tea that in 1990 she took on a challenge bigger the ones she is used to-she was invited to the National Consultative Polyclinic where she was supposed to deal with the toughest cases which the local treating therapist cannot crack. ‘I find my work there so exciting and dynamic like nowhere else.  Though I must admit at the end of the day I can just about get home and crash into bed. . . ‘

Thank God her children are grown up and at university and she can devote more of her time to her profession. Because she made her choice against the will of her parents - they expected her to choose a more’ feminine’ profession like German philology, for instance. But her ‘infatuation’ with psychiatry started way back into her college years when her beloved biology teacher took the class to the psychiatry clinic. It’s the same clinic where she is working at the moment. What struck her most of all then was the attitude of the staff towards the patients - they were so kind and considerate and never laughed at the patients’ eccentricities. So soon after she became a medical student she joined the psychiatry circle and she became acquainted with the achievements of the three great figures in Bulgarian psychiatry- Prof. Shipkovensky, Prof. Temkov and Prof. Usunov. First she saw their busts in the clinic’s foyer at the time of her first visit. Later she came to appreciate their contribution to psychiatric practice. In the fourth year Zdravka started taking duties at the clinic learning how to do various manipulations.

After graduation in the ‘socialist manner’ she was ‘directed’ to go to work to Karlukovo, 120 km north of Sofia. This is one of the biggest and oldest psychiatric establishments in the country . Dr. Gergjikova loves to go back to that period in her life because this was the greatest time in her life, both in a professional and personal way. ‘There was a very special atmosphere of being together, doing things together. There was a group of older and younger doctors whose motto was to learn and know and to apply it in practice. What bound us together was a keen interest in our work. Sometimes one of us would wake up all of us to become witness to an interesting case . Then we‘ll stay up all night struggling to work out this case or to connect it to other similar ones. ‘ Then there were the endless gatherings on the verandah which started with conversation about the patients and ended only late at night over a glass of wine. ‘Those were the days . . . we thought they‘ll never end . . .’ It was a jocular interjection on my part but Zdravka recognized the song immediately and added that they used to dance to that hit of the 60’s on the verandah well into the night. . . She stayed there for six years. By the third year she took her specialty . There she met her prospective husband, there she married him and there she had her first daughter. But then the times were ripe for a move. But the only chance for her to return to Sofia was to win a post-graduate competition.

And she certainly made it- in 1972 she won the tough nation-wide competition and was appointed as an assistant at the newly founded clinic for alcoholism and drug addiction. She made it back to Sofia but she had to face to new challenges-the clinic was still under construction, the medical staff was being recruited, and Zdravka had to learn ‘a new trade’. So far she had seen just two drug -addicts in Karlukovo. By 1975 there were 198 drug addicts - it was no longer something you read about in thick medical books. Also there were quite a few patients from Greece since at the time there was no such unit in the country. Zdravka says that what kept going in those hard times was her sense of duty to her patients. In the early 80’s Zdravka suffered a few shattering blows in her personal life. Her elder daughter got seriously ill and she and her husband separated and later divorced. But she never lost her sense of humour and always made people feel better around her. She used to listen to Vissotsky in those days and she used to sing with him-did she gain some moral strength from the magic of the maestro’s electrifying voice? Dr. Gergjikova pours me another cup of tea telling me more stories full of ‘sound and fury’.

 ‘After 1989 , we, the doctors from the clinic warned about the oncoming boom of drug abuse with hard drugs. But nobody believed us then-everybody was too busy shouting at political rallies. Today , in 1998, we are in a state of emergency. Teenagers smoke marijuana at school instead of tobacco and the number of heroin addicts is ever rising. . . ‘ But Dr. Gergjikova cannot sit back and do nothing. And she starts another one of her stories. . . She invited quite informally mothers of drug addicts to a New Year’s party. And they came up with an idea to set up an Association of Victims of Drug Addiction. At present they are in the process of registering it and they have regular weekly gatherings. They educate themselves how to cope with drug addiction, some of them have already lost their beloved sons or daughters. Little by little Zdravka came up with the idea of setting up a Rehabilitation Center for Drug Addicts based outside Sofia. There are such centers all over the world and the Association is trying to establish contacts with such institutions in Germany, Israel, Italy. In some cases they are supported by the church. And the members of the association are on the search of sponsors and supporters. They have already negotiated the opportunity of taking over a neglected monastery and refurbishing it for the purposes of the Rehabilitation Center. One of the mothers who is an architect is ready to make a project for the readjustment of the building.

But there are moments when she wants to escape all her duties and responsibilities and she has found a way to do it. She loves to put together puzzles representing paintings of famous artists. Also she loves to read science fiction and detective stories in her spare time. But most of all Zdravka loves to log into the Internet and to browse through for hours. When I asked her what was the thing she liked best after 1989, she did not hesitate to say it was free access to information. And when I harped on the topic how hard the times were, she reminded me that the Chinese hieroglyph for development meant ‘crisis’. Zdravka answered the phone - she had to consult a colleague of hers on a tricky case of manic depression. She invited me to join her. I was apprehensive but curious to witness the partial revelation of the human psyche in one of its extreme and distorted manifestations. Moreover some of them are intensely happy and pleased with themselves, something which rarely befalls normal humanity. This brings to mind Kurt Vonnegut’s saying: “It’s not necessary to be mad to work for us but it can help a lot”. Isn’t our brave new world of today more like a madhouse than a utopian vision?

Sofia Western News monthly, 1998

ANDREY GURKOVSKY: “SELECTIVE IMMIGRATION IS AN ALARMING TREND”

ANDREY GURKOVSKY: “SELECTIVE IMMIGRATION IS AN ALARMING TREND”

“How would you identify your place within the various generations of Bulgarian immigrants?”

“My generation of immigrants has been cut off from our native country for over 20 years. We have been excluded from the Bulgarian community and have been branded as ‘traitors’. To be able to live normal meaningful lives, we had to forcefully forget where we came from. I, personally, realized in a most poignant way I had done it when I arrived in Casablanca on a three year working contract. I placed the keys from my house in Paris on the table and I said to myself: “I won’t need them for at least three years now.” That meant I would be away from home, which by that time meant Paris. Later on, fate’s fickle finger wished so that I move from one place to another, the world over, so I finally forgot all about where I came from...

“When did you come back to Bulgaria again?”

“Ever since 1991, I have been coming back here almost every month. It turned out, that in the depths of my soul, I hadn’t forgotten my native country and I immediately started showing a keen interest in everything going on here. Unlike my generation of expatriates, those who left for France or US in the last ten years, they have a completely different attitude to their sense of identity.  They don’t seem to have any sense of national belonging, living in the age of globalization and high tech revolution. Rather they feel like citizens of the world and are ready to move from one country to another, moreover there is a trend of national differences getting blurred in many respects.

“How do you view the role of the Bulgarian Diaspora in the development of this country?”

“The overall number of Bulgarians, living abroad comes up roughly to about 2, 500 000 people. In spite of the fact that according to Bulgarian legislation, we are not eligible to being elected to key positions, we amount to a significant political force, which is entitled to representation in Parliament. But, we, generally do have an openly critical attitude to the negative trends  here, that because of this we happen to be inconvenient. No matter, which Western country we live in, we tend to share a mentality, values and criteria quite unlike the Balkan ones. Most of us do believe that decent hard work is the only worthy way of personal fulfillment in a civil society.

“What is your attitude to the Bulgarian project of Euro-integration?”

“For us, Bulgarians, living abroad, this is certainly a positive development of things and it will facilitate and give a boost to our trad4e and economic activities here. The experience of Portugal and Greece is often referred to within the context of a more successful preparation for EU membership. But, we must bear in mind that the success story of Portugal is not primarily due to EU subsidies as much as the impetus, given by expatriates who returned from the ex-colonies during the second half of the 70’s, Most of them were people of entrepreneurial spirit, big money and know-how. If we assume that half a million Bulgarians of such a caliber come back, I am convinced that things will improve quite soon.

“Would you tell us about the Greek way of getting ready for EU membership?”

“After the fall of the military regime in the 70’s, thousands of seriously rich Greek expatriates came back to their mother country. For instance, at that time, I attended negotiations with Onassis concerning the construction of a power station in Ptolomeis, which is in Greek Macedonia. Enterprises on this scale bolstered up in a major way the economic prosperity of the country. Moreover, there must be more a million and a half Greeks the world over who own and run a business on a really big scale. While, in contrast, there are few Bulgarians who are millions of dollars worth.

“Would you comment on the “Bulgarian way” in adopting the principles of market economy?

“My observations for the last ten years make me think that hire, like in the West, an exchange of favors takes place, but with a difference. Here, the procedure implies elimination of the competitor, i. e. the rivals don’t get a fair equal chance of competing. In the West, power and influence are used in order to manage to secure better conditions for doing business, but this does not imply an absolute priority for a given competitor who is being favored, such opportunities are provided for the rest of the candidates. That means that doing favors or exchanging them works in a positive constructive direction, it bolsters the competitive power of the rivals in a given area.

What do you think about the lack of protectionism on the Bulgarian market?

I, personally, think that the lack of protectionism on the Bulgarian market makes things look dramatic. You can’t enact the laws of the free market in case there is a significant difference between the investment level in one country, compared to others. If you turn to Japan and Germany, you will notice that there is a marked preference for local production. And to give a chance to Bulgarian products to make a breakthrough on the world market, it is necessary to create a number of conditions - in the least 5, 000,000 dollars investment, surmounting enormous administrative hurdles and observing very high criteria.

“Are there good prospects for higher investment levels in this country in the near future?”

The want of capital on the world market is tremendous and none is going to invest 50 0r 60 million dollars in a high-risk environment. And the Bulgarian economy at present needs at least 15-20 million dollars to get it going. But such a lump of money has to be correctly invested and well managed. Are there competent people who are capable of this? Without taking the wrong step or being tempted into embezzlement. My impression is that a proper market way of thinking and reflexes are still missing here.

For instance,  a transportation company, let me not name it, could not secure me haulage of some merchandise from the Croatian border. How could they finally state: “This cannot be done!”

“What is your opinion about the “brain drain” trend in the last ten years?”

This is an alarming trend  f late, there were only individual cases earlier, while now it has turned into a mass1ive trend. Each specialist brings 180 000 dollars to the recipient country. And the US and Canada have a consistent national policy of selective immigration in this respect. It is dangerous for any society to continually invest into the education and qualification of potential emigrants.

“Which, according to you, is the best form of participation of foreigners and Bulgarians in the economic activities of this country?”

I, personally, think that this the joint venture company. Because the foreigner comes here with a good knowledge of the market and a confidence that a certain product can manufactured here at a competitive level of quality. You can see examples of such a form of cooperation everywhere round Bulgaria. Look at the success story of “Ideal-Sevlievo”, for example. They are manufacturing faucets, batteries, fixtures etc. The local manager who is Bulgarian can best solve the problem with the personnel selection and the range of the wage. This is the most prospective and optimal option of international collaboration presently. But, it will take this country quite some time to get in pace with world standards of quality and sophistication, but I believe it will happen rather sooner than later ...

Interviewed by Dr. Xenia Kisselincheva

Sofia Echo weekly, 2003                              

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MANAGING DIRECTOR

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MANAGING DIRECTOR

Dr. Ksenia Kisselincheva

“Running a company is a bit like fire dancing - apart from knowledge and skills, you need a bit of an adventurous spirit”

It all happened in Knopke, a small town in Belgium a few years ago. The occasion was the successive management meeting of Oriflame, a world- famous Swedish company for cosmetic products, based on natural ingredients. Irena Komitova was invited there as the Managing Director of Oriflame, Bulgaria. In less than five years, she had succeeded in turning it into the largest direct selling company in the country, employing more than 30,000 people. So, the curious thing was that all the hundred participants in the meeting were encouraged to take part in a fire dancing session, without much previous preparation. When Irena took her turn on the glowing embers, the rest of the team was sitting in a circle, cheering her up: “Come on, Irena, you can do it!”. It had the suggestive power of an incantation and she went on doing it, she simply could not let them down! As a matter of fact, she has always been aware in all endeavors, big and small, of how important motivation and self-motivation could be, how much more you could achieve if you knew how to tap on your hidden inner resources. Irena is a voracious reader of books of applied psychology and the art of living, of the Kibea series kind. She is always keen on testing into practice what she has learnt, to adapt it to her own personality, to improve her approach to  her employees, taking into account their individual abilities and aspirations. She passionately believes that if you follow some of the advice and techniques of self-perfection books you may be surprised how much you can transcend the boundaries of what you initially thought possible...

In February this year, Ms Oriflame received the greatest recognition so far in her career-she was selected as one of the hundred “World Leaders of the Future” in Davos, Switzerland. What are the criteria? You have to be under 40, to have had an impressive record in the field of business, science, the arts, politics. Apart from this, you are expected to have had a significant contribution in some public area. You must have a vision, wider than that concerning the prosperity of your business, you must be the driving power behind public initiatives of far reaching consequences. When we met at the Oriflame head office next to the Pliska hotel, the first thing that occurred to me is that the great success hasn’t gone to her head. She had her feet firmly rooted in the ground and she did not act as a primadonna. She seemed to keep her employees on their toes in a discreet but exacting manner, she seemed to be aware of what was happening in the company at every instant and she could speak with ease on both telephones while going through her e-mail. Most of all, she struck me as a woman of style and grand schemes who could have the fresh and spontaneous response of an 18-year old girl. She admitted she adored good pop music and very often sang with it while driving, then loved to tell me a funny story of how once she went fishing salmon in Sweden, but she was used to a fishing rod, too small for the bulky Nordic specimen. There she was sitting, opposite me across the desk, dressed in a immaculate pastel suit, brightened by a light green silk scarf, at one time she will be so intensely serious, then suddenly she will smile, looking at the funny side of things. Then she will roguishly admit something like “When I started running Oriflame, Bulgaria, I didn’t have a clue about cosmetics. Also I hadn’t had any previous managerial experience.” “Or I took to business because I lacked artistic abilities”. But within the last 15 years she has more than proved herself. Starting with a German company for automated design and manufacturing of steel constructions, she moved on to the private sector in 1990 and she was secretary general of the Union of Private Economic Enterprises. It had the ambitious task to promote private companies and to provide them with expertise, to help them quickly readjust and turn export-oriented or start joint ventures. Some of their projects were heavily funded by the EU. By the end of 1992 Irena won a fellowship to Georgetown University, where she deepened further her knowledge in the field of macroeconomics, investment negotiations, finance, banking and computer programming. Apart from the professional training, she and her course mates were offered the unique chance to meet top government and business people. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was among their lecturers and hosted a special reception, where they rubbed their shoulders with some of the most powerful people in the world. Having come back from the States in 1994, she was looking around what to do and suddenly, an ad in the “24 hours” newspaper caught her eye - a Swedish International Company advertized a vacancy for a General Manager for Bulgaria. Irena applied...and she got the job, though so far she had had consultancy rather than managerial experience. Very soon it turned out Oriflame was very close to her heart because of its entrepreneurial spirit and its unconventional approach. Now it is one of the most successful international companies on the Bulgarian market, engaged in direct sales. She has created jobs for over 30, 000 distributors, the company is doing well, the vibrant and busy atmosphere of things happening every instant struck me as soon as I walked in. The products are based on natural ingredients and are allergy proof, but if a customer is not happy with it, he/she will immediately get a refund. Since the beginning of March, Ms Komitova has handed over her managerial position to another woman, she has carefully selected and trained and now she is focusing  on another international project, called “Oriflame for Children”. At the end of last year, she managed to raise over 33, 000 new leva at the Ball of the Millennium, attended by quite a few Bulgarian Business Forum leaders. This is not incidental because Ms Oriflame was one of the initiators of setting up the BBFL in 1997 which has been involved in many large scale charity schemes. One of the initiatives Irena has set her heart on is the reconstruction and building of children’s playgrounds throughout the country. “Children are entitled to clean and safe places to play, like the one next-door to us. It is nice to hear children’s happy laughter around, even late at night.” And there are many other worthy children-related causes on the agenda of the Lady of the Year. She hopes to involve in her endeavors other companies, organizations and eminent personalities. We must not forget she was Vice-president of BIBA in 1997-1998 and she has contributed a lot to the establishment and promotion of foreign business in Bulgaria. Certainly, this was taken into consideration when she was singled out as a “World Leader of the Future”. I shared with her my concern about the misappropriation of charitable donations, especially to orphanages and hospitals. Irena smiled and snapped: “We will adopt “from hand to hand” approach, which has been widely tested by our Ukrainian counterparts.” I casually glanced at her diary, it was overflowing with commitments and I thought that she looked as another workaholic, who kept on going from 7.00 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. She was eager to tell me about the Junior Achievement Initiative, an American inspired NGO which was kick started in 1996 and which trained high school students into the most up-to-date theory and practice of economics and business. The pilot scheme was successfully implemented in many schools with the help of the Peace Corps teachers and consultants.

Though her spare time is scarce, Irena plans it with great care - most often she shares these cherished moments with her daughter and her partner close to nature. So, they go hiking and fishing, especially trout fishing in high mountain lakes. “You slow down and start unwinding, while staring at the placid water surface, your mind and soul open up and you get a fresh look at things, away from the everyday cares.” Irena believes that a good personal life has a miraculously good effect on your work. When she has a personal problem she does not like to share it with others. She only asks herself “Will it matter to me a year from now”. If the answer is no, she deals with it in a detached half-humorous way, but if it is “yes”, then she turns into a Joan of D’Arc! While I was at her- office, she received a call from the US. She explained to me afterwards that that was a Bulgarian friend who had been instrumental to the Vodafone-Mannesman merger. He was a highly appreciated and highly paid consultant on Wall Street. “There are so many bright and talented Bulgarians all over the world, and they must all contribute in their way to the mother country.”  

                        

 Sofia Western News Magazine, 1999

             

“YOU CAN’T PREACH DEMOCRACY TO STARVING PEOPLE”

Prof. Jay Halio is presently a visiting Fulbright lecturer at Sofia University. From 1955 to 1968 he taught American and British literature at the University of California, Davis and from 1968 to 2003-at the University of Delaware where he is now Professor Emeritus of English. He was also director of the University of Delaware Press. He has written over 30 books and over 100 articles and reviews many of which are well-recognized in the academic community worldwide. He was interviewed for “SPOT ON” magazine by Ksenia Kisselincheva

“Why is teaching great literature important in the age of IT and genetic revolutions?”

“It is important for many reasons, mainly because through such literature we get to know about ourselves as human beings and the world we live. The impetuous scientific discoveries will not change that but may help to expand our reach.”

“Would you comment post-modernism in literary criticism and practice?

“Post-modernism may mean a great number of things. Literature never stands still, or if it does, it dies. So post-modern fiction, poetry and drama extend the frontiers of literature. However, “the death of the author” is, in my view a ridiculous approach. Deconstruction is also a fad that is disappearing lately.

“What are your preferred approaches to literary texts?”

“I was trained in the close sensitive reading of texts of the New Criticism school. I feel that it is one of the best ways to illuminate the hidden treasures of modern and older authors, of both Saul Bellow and William Shakespeare.”

“What do you think of modern interpretations of Shakespeare on the stage?

“Modern interpretations of Shakespeare have contributed a great deal to our understanding. Feminist interpretations, for instance, have made us more aware and sensitive to aspects of Shakespeare’s works that have hitherto neglected. I would like to mention a production of King Lear in Washington’s Shakespeare Theater. Cordelia was played by a deaf and mute actress. The fool spoke her lines, which she signed. It was immensely effective.

“Do you find American students different in some ways from students in other parts of the world?

“American students are not really much different from any other students whether in Argentina or Malaysia where I have taught. But they have less knowledge of the world at large and need to become more international in their outlook.”

“What is your impression of students in this country?”

“I enjoy much teaching here in Sofia. The students are very well trained and inquisitive. I don’t lecture at length, instead we have exciting discussions.

“What is, in your opinion, the effect of the overwhelming spread of mass culture today?”

“Mass culture may have a truly deadening effect on people, disabling them from seeing more deeply into the heart of our problems. It offers a simplistic outlook, which is distorting and debilitating. On the other hand, if it helps to increase literacy, then it may serve a positive function.”

“How do you view the process of EU expansion, one of the great historic events, unraveling before our eyes?”

“I am not a political scientist but I strongly hope EU expansion may put an end to centuries of conflict and warfare.”

“Terrorism is plaguing the modern world. Do you think we have found the way to deal with it?”

“I don’t think we have yet found the way to deal most effectively with it. But of one thing I’m sure - terrorism will go on until we remove more poverty in the world and give people more hope for a better future.”

“Do you think women will have a new more prominent role in political life in the 21^st century?”

“Women are becoming more and more involved in politics in this century, as never before.This is doubtless a good thing, especially if mothers begin to object more strenuously to sending their sons to war or to engage in terrorism.”

“What is your vision on the controversial issue of globalization?”

“It has complex implications but, unfortunately, it widened the gap between rich and poor. Greed is at the root of this evil. I’m a life-long Democrat and I don’t mind paying taxes, if I know they go to the poorer. As George Orwell once said: “You can’t preach democracy to starving people!”

SpotOn magazine, 2004   



HEINER MULLER AT THE ARMY THEATER IN SOFIA

HEINER MULLER AT THE ARMY THEATER IN SOFIA

D-r Ksenia Kisselincheva

Provoked by the unusual interest of young spectators, the German-Bulgarian production of H.Muller’s “Hamletmachine” is performed at open doors/free entrance/ from September 26^th to September 29^th at the Army Theater in Sofia. The show focuses on the period between the end of the Cold War and Bulgaria’s EU accession. It is open to multiple interpretations and urges the audience to rewrite its own version of recent history…

The applause hasn’t faded away when Bernhardt, the director ushered me in a backstage room, where the actors were unwinding after the sacrificial ritual of being on stage. There was a heightened atmosphere of exchanging comments, remarks and praises about what has just happened on stage. Because the performance was evolving like a living organism, it was changing from one night to the next… Our conversation with Bernhardt was accompanied by a glass of wine, with interjections from the actors and with a lot of laughter…But, nevertheless we ‘delved into the essence of things” and had fun all the way.

This is Heiner Muller’s most profound text about the return of Hamlet, the emigrant to a hostile environment. It has been conceived under the impact of Benot Besson’s “Hamlet”. It employs all kinds of theatrical means, blending inter-medial expression, pantomime, pseudo-monologue, scenic images and audiovisual effects etc.

“I noticed there were variations in the show from one evening to the next. Is improvisation implied in the actors’ performance?”

“Certainly. There is a certain structure which keeps the play together, but there is also room for improvisation, very often in response to a different audience.”

 

“How about the change of parts, one and the same actor takes on several parts. What is the theatrical meaning of it?”

“It implies there are multiple interpretations of character, different conceptions of Hamlet or Ophelia. The “Hamletmachine” projects in five scenes the conflict between the sexes. Actors give up one part for another, sexes interchange and overlap, meanings clash and coexist. The discussion about Hamlet’s personality is given yet another dimension- the self-analysis of H. Muller himself. Ten years before the fall of the Berlin wall, the play predicts the collapse of all ideologies and poses the problem of the identity of the main characters.”

“You seem to have incorporated some hot references to our transition- do you tend to do it when performing in different countries?”

“Definitely. It adds new dimensions to the living body of the text and it tunes in to the acquired attitude of the audience to popular TV shows. Merging German and Bulgarian theatrical traditions and the interplay between them broadens the implications of Muller’s text.”

 “The actors deliver their monologues simultaneously, without listening to each other. Is this a suggestion of failure of communication, of inability to empathize with each other?”

 “That’s right. There is no proper dramatic dialogue. There are only parallel monologues, addressed to the audience, which is a big partner in the game.”

Sofia Echo weekly, 2010

     

BRITISH EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE VISITING SOFIA

BRITISH EXPERIMENTAL THEATRE VISITING SOFIA

Dr. Ksenia Kisselincheva

 

Thanks to the cooperation of the British Council, the vanguard Claude Ensemble performed in Sofia on June 11^th with one of its most successful shows, called “Greed”. The audience enjoyed every moment of it and responded in a sensitive and appreciative manner. The production combined in a subtle, emotionally intense way live music with striking visual techniques, breaking through the limitations of traditional genres. The company was set up by director Suzy Wilson and composer Paul Clark and made its start on the fringe of the Edinburgh Festival nine years ago. So far they have done over seven productions, performed on many prestigious stages like Purcell Hall, the Royal opera, The Victoria and Albert Museum and La Mamma in New York. The ensemble has also won the acclaim of both audience and critics at a number of international festivals like The British Festival of Visual Art, Performance Studies International 2000 in Arizona etc. It mounts its productions thanks to the sponsorship of the Battersea Art Centre and the Royal National Theatre. Among its more significant achievement are “The Feast During the Plague”, “Metamorphoses”, “The Silver Swan” and “Greed”.

 

Here is what director Suzy Wilson shared for the Spot On magazine: “This show developed slowly over a year and it is the most narrative of all our pieces. But it has got the main principles of all our work - live music, visual theatre and dancing. The story is told in a tragicomic vein and is greatly inspired by the silent movies of Chaplin and Buster Keaton. We have been touring Sri Lanka, Ireland, Bulgaria and then we go back to the Battersea Art Centre in London. It could be defined as Off West End in terms of experimental theatre.

 

“Where are you going next?”

“Next on the map is Thailand.”

“Which are the main influences, shaping your innovative style of expression?”

 

“One of the strongest influences is the physical theatre of Jacques le Coq. The philosophy that everything moves and the body carries meaning beyond words. Especially, when combined with the suggestiveness of music, whether classical or pop. I love the Bulgarian “Mysterious Voices” as well as Bartok and Stravinsky. I have also been influenced by sculpture, photography and the theatre of Pina Balsh …”

 

“Greed” is performed by two actors – Sarah Cameron and Marcello Magney. I met them backstage and they were still tense and thrilled by the electricity between them and the spectators. It is curious that Sarah was first trained as a sculptor and then studied with Jacques le Coq in Paris. She was particular about making certain clarifications about their unusual style. “What we do is not strictly miming, we shift scenes and objects in fluid continuity.” Actually, Sarah has done a wide specter of work. She has worked for a long time with the Young Vic Company where she starred in “Twelfth Night”. She played Adriana in “Comedy of Errors”, staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Apart from this, she tried her hand in installation performances, TV and film.

 

“What was the most difficult bit in preparing this show?”

 

“The technique of being very precise with the music. You have to discover what action will go with what music. It’s quite intense and takes a long time.”

 

“What are your immediate future projects?”

 

“When I get back from Thailand I would like to do my own piece of  performance art.”

 

“Do you prefer team or individual work?”

 

“Both. For the last 13 years I have been a performer with companies. We learnt a lot from each other. We were like family, arguing and laughing, while doing the hard work.”

 

The other performer in the show is Marcello Magney who is co‑founder the Theatre de Complicite company in London. After having a two year training with le Coq, he has been dedicated to their work day and night for ten years. In 1992-1993 he decided to try the world outside. He did roles at the Globe and The National Theatre. “It was quite challenging to work for the Claude Ensemble. What we do is not strictly pantomime. There you have to finish the action, while we pick up and drop objects, they appear and then disappear in a fluid continuity. It is more suggestive than pantomime, leaves greater scope to the imagination of the spectator. So, we try to follow a thin line where miming overlaps into dancing and bits of realistic acting.”

 

“What is your next project?”

 

“To go to Tokyo and do the English version of a play, called “Red Daemon”, which has a Japanese and Thai version as well. Also, I hope to bring round the world a one-man show about Arlequino who in my interpretation is not so mannered but is rather simple and down-to-earth.”

 

This was a memorable theatrical event which broadened the sensibility of our audience and made it part of the best in visual theatre.                  

SpotOn Magazine, 2005

AS A CHILD I DREAMED TO BE A CELEBRITY

AS A CHILD I DREAMED TO BE A CELEBRITY

Dr. Xenia Kisselincheva

         As soon as I stepped past the threshold I found myself in a totally different world. The bustle and hustle of the city center vanished and I was enveloped in the peaceful cool ambience of Scotty’s boutique hotel. It was a discreet oasis of elegance and comfort in the midst of rattling trams, zooming cars and the howl of security alarms, going off. A well-groomed young man beamed a smile at me and greeted me with studied courtesy…

      Here I am sitting in one of the rooms – it has been designed with the exquisite simplicity of a Japanese interior. I find out that it has been conceived by Dim Dukov himself, the owner of the first boutique hotel in Sofia. There he is, sitting across the table from me, speaking with a charming nasal twang. He makes a really friendly host - I am not in the least intimidated by his glamorous status of a celebrity. He treats me as an equal and he comments on his public image with a tongue in the cheek, with a please, don’t-take-it-too-seriously attitude.

“So, you were among the few who came back to Bulgaria by the end of 1989 when many were leaving the country to look for a better life. Then everyone was exhilarated by a feeling of newly-gained freedom…

“What were the reasons behind your decision to return here?”

“It was quite a challenge to start a business in the services in those unstable times when the country was making its first precarious steps towards democracy. At first, I took over the hairdresser’s salon at the Sheraton Sofia Balkan. Hairstyling is an art form for me - there is a touch of creative improvisation which might surprise the stylist himself. In no time, I was surrounded by beautiful women-models, actresses, media stars, business managers. All of them wanted to be distinctly individual and striking in their looks. As the saying goes “l’honeur oblige”, so I had to ride on the spur of my wildest imagination to come up with their expectations.”

“What did you do next?”

“Next I opened a chain of hairdressing salons, a pizza restaurant on Vitosha boulevard, a luxury flower shop and a chain of night clubs.”

“How did it occur to you to develop this project in the hospitality business?”

“Actually, I have been working in this line of business for more than 5 years in Australia. But it was a challenge to make use of my Western experience in an environment where a solid tradition in the services was missing. I was struck by the idea of creating a boutique hotel of 16 rooms in a historically enhanced location. So, as I already mentioned, I put my recognizable imprint on the interior design, while my sister who is an architect cooperated on the technical aspects of the plan. It took me about a year to refurbish the building-it was in a very bad condition – hundreds of things needed fixing or replacement. Finally, the renovation was completed and we opened it on the 1^st of February this year. And I must say that after only 4-5 months we already enjoy a steady clientele of foreign businessmen and tourists.”

“What do you intend of doing further to improve the quality of the services?”

“So far, we offer only impeccable room service. In the nearest future we plan to pull down a nearby building and to rebuild it completely. There will be an exclusive restaurant, a lobby bar, a fitness center and a few extra luxury rooms and suites.

“How about providing such facilities in the meantime?”

“Right now we provide the services of a nearby fitness club. It is quite tough competition in this line of business, so you strive to offer services and extras, not offered elsewhere. For example, free of charge Internet, satellite TV and a movie channel. Moreover, our rooms are reasonably priced for what we offer in the way of luxury and personal touch in services.”

“How do you manage to sustain your high standards of services?”

“This is one of the most complicated issues in this country. I prefer to recruit young men and women and teach them my way of doing things. Sometimes, it takes a lot of effort and a few mistakes, but I have definitely very promising results. My employees adopt my work ethic -   they work with the selfless commitment of self-employed people.”         

 “Which is the greatest luxury you offer?”

“Our rooms have no numbers. They are named after famous world cities. For instance, the most luxury room is the Cape Town room. It comes with fruit baskets and free of charge tea and coffee, free Internet and sat TV. We are ready to add any extras the guests might ask for - skiing or mountain cycling in the Vitosha mountain, cultural or religious tours, curing sessions at spas near Sofia.”

“What is your attitude to charitable activities, do you see yourself as a socially involved businessman?”

“Since I got back, I have done a lot in the way of charity. I am the founder of the “No AIDS” foundation-I think AIDS is a very serious problem worldwide. As a good Christian I sincerely believe you have to give part of what you have to others. I have also done charitable acts to children in orphanages. But I truly believe that you don’t have to do indirect advertising for your business by aiming at wide publicity. You do it because you feel like it, that’s that. But you have to educate other wealthy people to help as much as they can. To make them appreciate the special satisfaction of doing good for the less privileged.”

“What is the price of success for you?”

“There are pros and cons attached to it. On the one hand, I get annoyed with what I read about myself in the tabloid press. When you are successful, you always have enemies. But, on the other hand, I take naturally to publicity, as duck takes to water. As a child I dreamed to be a celebrity. I must say I feel quite comfortable about it. You can share your dreams and your worries with so many people at the same time thanks to the media and the dynamic social interaction of modern lifestyle.

It is a great experience and I enjoy every minute of it.”

“What do you like doing in your spare time?”

“I love traveling, watching DVD’s, reading books. My favorite author is Umberto Ecco. In winter I go skiing to Borovetz or Bansko, in summer I do all water sports on the Black sea. I like going on vacation to Greece or Turkey or to any new and exciting place.”

“How do you look at our EU admission?”

“I am a great supporter of Bulgaria’s EU membership. It will urge people to work according to Western standards. There will be tough competition for local businesses but if they are viable they will have access to new markets. It will also give a boost to tourism-services must be up to scratch. People must learn to smile more often and look on the bright side of life.”                                                                      

 

SpotOn magazine, 2004