Gwynn MacDonald is a New York-based freelance theatre director, script developer, and co-editor of the online journal Women in Theatre. During the Varna Summer International Theatre Festival, she spoke with Anita Angelova about her work, her connection to Bulgaria, and the performances she saw at this year’s festival.

Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work?

I’m a New York City–based freelance theatre director. While I work primarily in New York, I’ve also had the opportunity to present work internationally, including at festivals in Cuba and Colombia. Like many theatre practitioners in the United States, I wear several hats. Alongside directing, I am the co-editor of an online journal called Women in Theatre. It’s a modest publication, but its mission is important: to raise awareness of the contributions of women artists in theatre. Gender parity in our field is still far from balanced. There are more opportunities for women than when I started my career, which is encouraging, but there is still a significant disparity in terms of who gets produced, published, and hired to direct. The journal also publishes articles on broader theatre topics. A few years ago, for example, Bulgarian cultural manager Kalina Wagenstein contributed an article about the value of cross-cultural exchange – something I am experiencing firsthand here, in Varna. Encounters like these expand an artist’s understanding not only of theatre itself, but also of how people approach artistic work in different parts of the world. 

Another major part of my professional life is developing new work. I often collaborate with playwrights during the script development process. While I have a dramaturgical eye, I don’t market myself as a dramaturg. My role is to help shape scripts through feedback, readings, and workshops, allowing writers to hear their work performed while it’s still being developed.

What brought you to Varna Summer International Theatre Festival?

One of the organisations I’m involved with in New York is the Drama League, which is the only organisation in the United States dedicated specifically to theatre directors. Several years ago, after the pandemic, the Drama League launched an initiative called the International Directors Summit, developed in collaboration with Bulgarian partners, including Kalina Wagenstein. The project focused on major issues shaping the future of directing and theatre: climate change, pandemics, the rise of autocratic governments, and the ways these realities affect artistic practice. The first phase of the project took place online. Directors from across Eastern Europe and the United States met virtually, after which our international colleagues visited New York. Later, American participants traveled to Sofia. That was my first visit to Bulgaria. I completely fell in love with the country. I’ve traveled extensively, so this wasn’t simply the excitement of visiting somewhere new. Bulgaria genuinely impressed me – the people, the artistic community, the culture, and yes, the food as well. While in Sofia, I attended the Independent Theatre Festival and saw a great deal of exciting work. When I later received an invitation to attend the Varna Summer Festival, I immediately wanted to come because I was eager to experience a broader range of Bulgarian theatre beyond the independent scene. And I have not been disappointed. I’ve been incredibly impressed by the organisation of the festival, the variety of performances, and the quality of the work being presented.

What were your first impressions of Bulgarian theatre?

Before the Showcase officially began, I saw several Bulgarian productions – Ninety, When the roses dance and The Great. Someone warned me beforehand that I wouldn’t understand the language, but as a director, that’s not necessarily a disadvantage. In fact, it can be revealing. When language is removed, you focus intensely on everything else: the acting, the staging, the rhythm, the truthfulness of the performances. One thing that struck me immediately was that there was never a moment when I felt the actors were outside the world of the play. I never found myself wondering why a particular directorial choice had been made or questioning a performance decision. Everything felt deeply integrated. Seeing work at that level is inspiring.

Another thing that impressed me was the audience. I asked who was attending these performances because I hadn’t seen a single empty seat. Even at festivals, that’s unusual. I was told that many audience members were locals from Varna. That made a strong impression on me because it suggests a vibrant theatre culture. During some performances, the audience was completely silent and utterly focused. You could feel their investment in what was happening on stage. That kind of audience is something every theatre artist hopes for.

Which productions from the Showcase and the international programme stood out to you?

I found The Tempest from Romania exceptional. It was highly theatrical in the best sense of the world. The production relied on imagination, performance, and inventive stagecraft rather than spectacle. Since Shakespeare is material I know well, it was fascinating to watch how the company adapted the text and incorporated elements from other Shakespeare’s plays. It was beautifully acted and exactly the kind of work one hopes to encounter at an international festival.

Another standout was Cries from the Underground, inspired by Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground. I thought it was a brilliant adaptation. It wasn’t a literal translation of the novel to the stage, nor should it have been. What mattered was that it captured the emotional truth and psychological experience of reading the book. I hadn’t revisited the novel in over a decade, yet the performance immediately brought that experience back to me. To me, that’s the mark of a successful adaptation.

I also greatly enjoyed The Fellowman’s Face, based on Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. It was fascinating from a directing perspective, and several performances made a particularly strong impression. The actors were outstanding.

The Showcase also included dance productions. How did you respond to them?

I was particularly impressed by Triptych, especially the second section, Mare Crisium, featuring the female ensemble. What struck me was the quality of the collective work. The dancers moved together with remarkable precision, but without becoming mechanical. Sometimes highly synchronised dance can lose its humanity. Here, however, the performers-maintained warmth and individuality while functioning as a true ensemble.

I also found Behind You extraordinarily powerful. In some ways it was difficult to watch, but I mean that as a compliment. Certain works challenge us emotionally, and that challenge is precisely what makes them memorable. The performance and choreography were exceptional, and I honestly don’t know how one finds another dancer capable of performing that material at such a level.

What will you take away from your experience in Varna?

I’ve been deeply impressed. The quality of the work, the enthusiasm of the audience, the diversity of artistic approaches, and the overall organisation of the festival have all been remarkable. What I’ve experienced here reinforces something I strongly believe: international exchange matters. It broadens our artistic perspectives, introduces us to new ways of thinking, and reminds us that theatre is a global conversation. Varna Summer has been a wonderful opportunity to continue that conversation, and I’m grateful to have been part of it.