Evgeniya Shermeneva is the Curator of the International Relations Department at the Latvian Theatre Association. Maria Ibrishimova talks with her about her impressions from this year’s festival.

Ms. Shermeneva, is this your first time at the Varna Summer International Theatre Festival?

I know the history of the festival, and for me it is very interesting to be here and experience it in its own context. I have visited Bulgaria before – I have seen performances in Sofia and at the Pleven Festival – but being part of the Varna Summer International Theatre Festival is a different experience.

I would not want to make definite judgments because theatrical traditions and stage languages are different. In Scandinavia and the Baltic region, we work within a different theatre environment – with different approaches to acting, to creating performances and building a relationship with the audience. That is exactly why it is interesting for me to see how a long-established festival, as Varna Summer Theatre Festival, develops and how it creates its dialogue with audiences.

For me, it is important not only to see individual performances, but also to understand how a festival maintains a relationship with its city and its audiences over many years. It is impressive to see a festival with such a long history that continues to evolve.

It was also very interesting to see performances created by Bulgarian artists in collaboration with international teams. For example, the French production of Illusions by Galin Stoev, and the performance “Rapture and Rage. Studies on Authoritarian Characters” – a Bulgarian-German project that explores themes such as authoritarianism, fascism and the processes we are witnessing in the contemporary world.

Of course, I am also very grateful for the presence of the international guests. In the Baltic countries we often meet at different festivals and showcases, but here I met many new people and theatre professionals. For me, this is one of the most important functions of festivals – creating new connections.

Which performance impressed you the most?

My personal highlight was Illusions. I have had the privilege of knowing Galin Stoev for a long time, and I was very curious to see what he would create with his new company in France. I really enjoyed the performance.

I was also interested in the audience’s experience. The fact that the festival is happening for the 34th time creates a certain connection and trust. I noticed that some performances were completely sold out, while others had different levels of interest, but the name and reputation of the festival already carry a strong meaning.

As a curator of the Latvian Theatre Showcase, I also have my own experience presenting Latvian artists to international audiences, and I know how valuable these encounters are. It is always interesting to be a guest at another festival and see how it creates its own environment.

My relationship with Bulgaria is relatively new – around five or six years – but it has been very productive. I worked on a co-production based on the texts of Svetlana Alexievich in Pleven with a Latvian team, and four years ago we also presented our production Sunline by Ivan Vyrypaev in Bulgaria. So for me, this visit feels like a natural continuation of an already existing dialogue.