What is the best way to honor a crucial text of the Russian canon? Maybe write an opera based on the novel like Eugene Onegin, or direct an eight hour movie like the 1965 version of War and Peace. Or embrace the element of an audience and bring it to life through costume, lighting, sound effects, but speak only twice…in German? The 2023 ARTиШOK production of Crime and Punishment pays homage to the brilliance of author Fyodor Dostoyevsky by performing almost entirely without speaking. The director invites attendees to walk through the scene of the murder and take their seat for an hour and forty minutes of “punishment”, bringing to life the words of Dostoyevsky through indescribable images. However the assumptions of their audience beg the question: to what degree does verbal portrayal of prose add to or limit the success of a book-based performance?
АRТиШОК was founded on the goal of exploring the bounds of theater, with each show experimenting with a different element of playmaking and the visual arts. The artist of the company’s rendition of Crime and Punishment is no exception. Director Anton Bolkunov toys with the components of artistic theater and with the help of the student actors involved, they offer a unique approach to a core cultural text. In order to accomplish this feat, the production relies on symbolism, metaphor, and flashy moments to depict a linear storyline following the original plot.
At the center of this show is the set design, which the audience must walk through to get to their seats. The director takes advantage of the stage construction by utilizing every inch of the set at some point in the performance including before it even begins. As the audience waits for the start of the show they are confronted by various characters whom they will soon see portrayed in the classic Dostoyevsky roles. By setting up the stage to mirror the scene of a crime the beginning of the story is immediately brought to life, even for those who know very little about the plot of the novel. This first “scene” although not technically an episode in the play, introduces the style and creative liberties of the playmakers.
Outside of the initial blue/red lights accompanied by sirens and the gaze of the detective’s flashlight, the production continues to use methods of immersion to give its viewers the experience of being in the story. Of course, in true Dostoyevsky fashion, the cast specifically utilizes lighting and props to cause chaos for the main characters highlighting the internal crises felt by the murderer and the external plot lines which develop simultaneously with his guilt. The sound effects accompanying this chaos mimic that of an old radio show recounting crime stories. Sound director Dastan Mazhitov utilizes a variety of objects to distinguish transitions between settings both in the environment being portrayed and the mental worlds found in the original text. Music is additionally layered on top of these sounds to emphasize the turmoil felt by the characters and acts as a “punishment” intended for the unsuspecting viewers. By the end of the show the audience is left with a scene of scattered props symbolizing the various characters and events in the plot, some pulled straight from the text, others are the result of creatively interpreting Dostoyevsky’s thoughts into physical items. These choices defend the argument that objects, sounds, and lighting cues need no translation or verbal assistance to portray a story of murder and insanity.
Since Dostoyevsky’s characters are written with great detail to distinguish their personalities and behavior, the actors used gray areas in the text to bring in elements of comedy and unexpected twists for their viewers. Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, played by Mark Kuklin, exemplifies the internal conflicts and external strife of his character in a manner comparable to the detailed writing of Dostoyevsky. When combined with his interactions with other characters, his acting effectively provided the audience with a clear understanding of the plot despite never saying a word. In the book Raskolnikov takes the form of an unemployed law student with a cynical view of humanity. In order to both modernize this character and depict his nihilistic personality, Raskolnikov instead takes on the persona of a deadbeat artist whose opinion of people is reflected in his art. The audience is then able to follow the thoughts and crises of conscious in his paint strokes and subjects of choice.
Artist: Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov
Medium: Paint On Cardboard
While the other actors convincingly depicted Dostoyevsky’s beloved characters, the lack of verbal cues illuminate the possible limitations of artistic theater. Although thе novel is recognizable by name, an audience member with little knowledge of the book may struggle to understand the various roles and storylines amidst the overwhelming visuals. As an independent theater, ARTиШОК tailors their performances to their assumed audience of fellow artists, students, and locals who enjoy experimental theater. The creativity embraced by the organization could attract viewers from other fields even as far as tourists who may be unfamiliar with the Kazakh and Russian languages; but the capacity for visuals to be understood without background knowledge draws a line between textual visualization and textual interpretation.
Despite its possible opportunities for accessibility on a larger scale, the point of experimental theater is to challenge viewers’ beliefs on what theater should be, it is not designed to please people or cater to the broadest audience. ARTиШОК effectively performed a distinguish Russian novel without speaking a single word of the actual text. Beyond the performance’s ability to follow the plot, it prompted the audience to draw on their own understanding of the story. The showmanship, creativity, and tribute to a classic novel is well worth the “torture” of 5000 tenge and two hours. And worry not, even if a viewer has not yet read the novel, this production is all the motivation needed to make a trip to the bookstore.
Interested in tickets or learning more about the show and ARTиШОК in general? Follow the link for the official ARTиШОК Crime and Punishment site to get information and see a few select pictures (beyond the ones above) from the show!
