Halifax International Theatre makes its debut with Also a Human… he WAS as part of this year’s Nocturne, the city’s annual Art-at-Night public art festival.
We want to show the public something very different from what they’re used to seeing. – Sergei Tsimbalenko
Adapted by Halifax International Theatre’s artistic director Sergei Tsimbalenko from Leo Tolstoy’s 1910 play The Cause of it All, Also a Human is the story of a policeman who brings a lodger in for the night. The lodger presents himself as educated, moral, and well-behaved. As everyone sleeps, the lodger leaves the house without saying goodbye, leaving the homeowners to discover he is a thief.
“The play is a miniature model of society, and people from any nation can understand it,” says Tsimbalenko through interpreter Marina Ovchinnikova.
Although the source material was written over 100 years ago, Tsimbalenko, who also directs this production, believes the play’s themes are still relevant today. “When I first came to Canada, as I looked around, I realized that there are not a lot of differences between nations,” he says. “It’s about the archetypes that are common in all cultures.”
While the performance will be in Russian, English subtitles will be projected for those unfamiliar with the language. While this may challenge some audience members, Tsimbalenko believes that theatre is as much a visual art as a literary one, which makes it a perfect fit for Nocturne.
“Theatre is about what’s happening on stage, not just the words,” he says, adding that non-Russian-speaking guests understood the play’s meaning without reading the subtitles during rehearsals.
Tsimbalenko is also excited by the diverse group of non-professional actors involved in the production, who come from various professions, such as banking and construction. “Through Sergei’s unique system of teaching acting skills, these everyday people have transformed into theatrical performers,” says Ovchinnikova.
Originally from Ukraine, Tsimbalenko lived in Moscow for the past twenty years as an actor, director, teacher and filmmaker before coming to Halifax with his family earlier this year. While partly to escape the war, he says it also became increasingly difficult to be an artist in Russia.
“The culture life in Moscow and Russia has changed a lot with the war because a lot of artists, creators and performers were cancelled or banned from being able to do their jobs because they are not in agreement with the police, the politics, and the existing government,” he says.
Now fully immersed in the Halifax arts scene, Tsimbalenko has ambitious goals for his Halifax International Theatre. As a truly “international” theatre company, Tsimbalenko plans to perform future productions in other languages. “We’re waiting to see the public’s reaction to this first show to get a feeling of what direction to take,” he says. “We want to show the public something very different from what they’re used to seeing.”
As one of the city’s newest theatre companies, Tsimbalenko looks forward to sharing this inaugural production at Nocturne. “Halifax has a vibrant arts community, and I’m excited to be a part of it,” he says.
Also a Human… he WAS will be performed as part of Nocturne at St. Andrew’s United Church (6036 Coburg Rd, Halifax), with three shows on October 19. Visit nocturnehalifax.ca for tickets and information.