ACTRESS OF FEMALE DESTINIES

What motivates young women to pursue acting? What allure does one of the most dependent and provocative professions hold? While this may seem like a rhetorical question, we sought an answer from Gültaj Alili, one of the leading actresses of the Azerbaijan State Academic Musical Theatre. Our audiences are familiar with her through numerous stage performances, including Reyhan in 'American Groom' by R. Mirishli and M. Hagverdiyev, Gulnaz in 'If Not That One, Then This One' by Uzeyir Hajibeyov, Khayala in 'Devil's Jubilee' by O. Rajabov and A. Babayev, Leyla in 'Jealous Hearts' by R. Mirishli and M. Hagverdiyev, among others.

My attention was particularly drawn to the actress's portrayal of a woman in Irada Gozalova's play 'My Woman' by Turkish playwright T. Curcanoglu. What stood out was the organic fusion of vocal elements with dramatic performance.

Immersing herself in the play's proposed circumstances, the actress experienced and lived through every moment of the heroine's life situations, which fate had thrust upon her as a test of love. She performed with such sincerity, conviction, and intensity that the audience in the hall believed in the reality unfolding before them. At certain points, they transitioned from mere observers to empathetic participants. From their seats, they offered advice to the Woman on how to address the Man who consistently deceived her, promising to leave his wife. Someday. Not now. Which essentially meant never!

We must commend Gültaj Alili's co-star Amrah Dadashov, who brilliantly portrays this charming scoundrel. He accurately and convincingly conveys all the nuances of a quite recognisable character from our contemporary life. The professional compatibility of actors on stage is always key to success. Because professional understanding inevitably translates into stage partnership! And this, in turn, yields such creative triumphs in the theatre's repertoire as the play 'My Woman'…

"What do you believe is crucial for 21st-century theatre?"

"The same elements that were essential for theatre in the twentieth, nineteenth, eighteenth, and even the second century AD - the actor! A genuine actor. Not a charlatan who believes himself to be an actor but isn't. Because the charlatan thinks it's sufficient to memorise the text, remember the blocking - and that's all!"

"Alas! Such 'actors', unfortunately, are abundant in our theatres....."

"Acting is a multifaceted profession. It demands stage mastery of body, voice, and emotion. Live, human, authentic emotion. It also requires the ability to professionally adapt to one's partner. This applies to both women and men in this profession. To adapt means to see, hear, and feel, exchanging thoughts and emotions with the hero-partner or heroine-partner 'here and now'. That is, in real-time."

"How challenging can it be? After all, they've all attended theatre schools?"

"And yet - some individuals struggle to make eye contact. They look, at best, at the bridge of the nose, at worst, over the head. This not only hinders organic interaction but also evokes a sense of inauthenticity. Such actors fail to become true partners. Because they're indifferent to interaction. They're solely focused on reciting the entire text without mixing up the blocking."

"And Amrah Dadashov?"

"An exceptional partner! Performing alongside him on stage is a professional pleasure. Because we communicate within the framework of the situation set by the playwright—not as Gültaj and Amrah, but as characters called Man and Woman...."

"So the entire beauty of the profession lies in moments of stage belief in the 'proposed circumstances' and faith in the 'here and now'?"

"Not solely that! It's far more extensive and complex. That's why the ability to combine theory and practice is so crucial in our profession."

"Did you dream of becoming an actress as a child for these moments?"

"I never dreamed of the acting profession nor planned to enter a theatre university."

"?"

"I simply fell short by one point on my application to the Department of Simultaneous Interpretation from English...."

"Do you regret it?"

"Not at all!"

"So what attracts you, an established actress, to this profession?"

"The opportunity to live multiple female destinies and create diverse female characters across various stage genres."

"Based on your repertoire of roles, it's evident that the characters you've brought to life on stage are individuals caught in comedic or dramatic circumstances. Do you have any favourites among them?"

"No. They're all entirely different. And in each of them, there was something I had to understand, accept, and portray. It's a fascinating professional experience for me. Which one to choose? I don't know. They're all important and dear to me. They're a part of me."

"Then perhaps there's a cherished dream of a role you haven't played yet? Maybe a particular character in a specific musical?"

"Let me phrase it this way: today, I'm an actress in demand by directors. This is happiness. I want to work, I want to rehearse, I want to immerse myself in the magical process of rehearsing and searching for the character's peculiarities. It's important for me not to identify with the heroine, but it's intriguing to 'try on' a character's psychological structure that I haven't encountered before."

"Such as?"

"A heroine with an unconventional character. An expressive woman who doesn't fit well with her surroundings. A woman with intriguing, original views on life, on society, on herself. In short, I want to portray a great original, who is perceived by her environment as 'abnormal'."

"Are you bored with life, seeking extreme experiences, or are you unhappy?"

"Not at all! On the contrary. I'm the happiest I've ever been. I have a home and a family, I have a theatre. I'm a wife, a mother of two sons, a sought-after actress, the daughter of my parents, and a friend to my husband's and my friends. It's simply professional interest and curiosity: can I or can't I?"

"How does your husband feel about you having to portray love relationships on stage?"

"With a complete understanding of the creative process! He's an actor, too. And that's very beneficial, because we have the opportunity to grow together professionally. My husband and I have quite a happy and harmonious marriage."

"Perhaps behind the dream to portray a heroine with an unusual character is the desire to surprise the audience with a new facet of your talent?"

"And also to impress the theatre director, who has always believed in my creative abilities and supported me during challenging times."

"What were those times?"

"A few years ago, as a musical theatre actress, I suddenly lost my voice. Can you imagine what that means for a vocalist in a musical theatre? But director Ali Gismet Lalayev (I'm immensely grateful to him) didn't dismiss me. On the contrary. He advised me to seek treatment from a good doctor and return to the stage. He saved me as an actress and as a human being. How can I forget that?"

"Are you, as they say, fortunate to have such a director?"

"Not just me! The entire theatre is fortunate. He's one of those professionals who not only know the theatre business perfectly and are competent managers, but our director is also a wonderful psychologist with a big heart, Ali Gismet Lalayev is like a father to all of us. He's kind, fair, attentive, and caring. He's an unquestionable authority for all of us: both in life and in his profession...." 

We had a lengthy conversation with Gültaj - about everything at once and nothing in particular! This is what happens when the worldviews of the interlocutors align. I discovered a whole world of interests in this young, modern, well-groomed, and beautiful woman: from the history of her country's culture to the history of traditions of national cuisine and hospitality in Ganja, where she hails from.

I observed her, listened to her, and realised that before me was a true keeper of her people's traditions, capable of respecting and preserving the Moral Law of her ancestors, passing it on to her sons. This is crucial. Because only in this way can we preserve ourselves as an ethnic group and prevent our moral values from being eroded in favour of the fashion of moral outrage, which the notorious 'European values' impose on the entire world.