A MAN WITH THE SOUL OF IBLIS AND...

The long-anticipated premiere of the play Iblis and... (The Devil and...) has been the focus of substantial publicity and was performed on the theatre's home stage. It is noteworthy that Azerbaijani director Mehriban Alakbarzade created considerable excitement with her production at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, as part of the 15th International Alexandrinsky Festival. The performance by the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre received acclaim from numerous Russian media outlets, which emphasised the innovative concept introduced by the director, featuring works by the Azerbaijani classic Huseyn Javid. Furthermore, the exceptional level of professionalism demonstrated by the actors earned significant praise. The play, directed by the esteemed artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was staged in the genre of philosophical deconstructive meta-drama based on Javid's tragedy, Iblis.

At a press conference, Valery Fokin, President of the Alexandrinsky Theater, observed that this marked the first participation of an Azerbaijani theatre in this festival and emphasised its "National" status as particularly meaningful for such an event. He drew the attention of the media representatives to the subject of extensive negotiations that had ultimately culminated in an agreement for exchange tours. In his address, director Ilham Askerov underscored the significance of this historical moment for creative and professional collaboration, made possible through the active support of the cultural ministries of Azerbaijan and Russia. He emphasised that the premiere on the prestigious historical stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre was not only a source of immense pride for the team but also represented a substantial responsibility. During the festival, an exhibition dedicated to the history and contemporary state of domestic drama theatre was inaugurated and presented.

Participants in the festival included the Alexandrinsky State Drama Theater, Azerbaijan's Drama Theatre, the National Theatre of the Republic of Srpska, the theatre company Setor de Areias Isoladas (Brazil), the A. S. Pushkin Pskov Academic Drama Theatre, and the Ankara State Theatre (Türkiye). We met with the director for an in-depth discussion.

"Mehriban-khanum, your production has created an exceptionally positive impression not only regarding the National Drama Theatre but also concerning our country's theatrical artistry as a whole. What are your thoughts on this achievement?"

"We must strive to work with even greater dedication and skill. We have no right to compromise our standards of professionalism; rather, we possess both the right and opportunity to elevate them to even greater heights."

"What inspired you to introduce Huseyn Javid and his Iblis to Russian audiences? Did the theatre premiere it specifically on the Alexandrinsky stage?"

"In fact, the original idea was to present And Longer Than a Century Lasts a Day based on Chingiz Aitmatov's novel. However, I recognised that it would be more compelling, engaging, and significant to showcase our national classic. We had limited time remaining before our departure, and rehearsals were conducted with great intensity. We succeeded in performing a preview on our home stage before our first premiere on Alexandrinsky's main stage."

"Why did you title your play Iblis and...?"

"I think you better come and see the performance before we discuss this particular issue."

"That seems reasonable. What are the most memorable impressions you will carry with you for years to come?"

"There are two distinct ones. The first is my impression of the theatre itself—its stage, architecture, auditorium, and remarkable energy preserved not only by generations of actors who have imbued its space with their artistic spirit but also by its audience who truly understands how to appreciate, cherish, and comprehend theatre as a unique form of Art..."

"And the second impression?"

"It was my conversation with Valery Fokin; we engaged in discussion for several hours after viewing the performance. After expressing his admiration for the play's execution and the actors' performances, he transitioned to discussing dramaturgy and playwrights. He developed such profound interest in Huseyn Javid's work that he expressed a desire to read everything available about him in Russian."

"Might he consider staging it himself?"

"That would be great..."

"Could we interpret Fokin's production of Marriage based on Gogol's play, recently performed on the stage of the Azerbaijan National Drama Theatre, as the beginning of enduring and stable creative and friendly relations between two guest theatres that hold 'academic national' status?"

"Let us not rush to conclusions. For now, we can acknowledge that dialogue between our theatrical cultures is going through a phase of establishment and development. I hope you had the opportunity to attend Valery Fokin's play?"

"Oh yes, I did!"

One might wonder what fresh perspectives could be gained from this play that we haven't already absorbed since our school days? The hall of our National Drama Theatre was full of audience anticipating its commencement with great eagerness. Why? Because the narrative featuring an ageing bride, Agafya Tikhonovna, her aunt, a matchmaker, suitors competing for her dowry, along with two friends, Kochkaryov and Podkolyosin, has undergone countless interpretations since its initial staging at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in 1842 that it appeared nearly impossible to anticipate something original. In all honesty, from the moment the performance began, I was overcome by tedium—much like Podkolyosin lying listlessly on his bed. There existed an overwhelming sensation that all characters in this narrative resembled clockwork toys, mechanically executing their necessary life actions almost through inertia. They were not human beings but mechanical dolls pretending to be human; thus they endlessly glided across the surface of existence: past other people, past life itself, and even past their own essence! Fokin has his actors skating through their characters' lives throughout the entire performance. Mechanically polite smiles, mechanically delivered lines, mechanically fluid movements... Even their mercenary interests in material gains appear automated as well. In this world, there exists no space for genuine human emotions or spirituality: money reigns supreme! The material has supplanted the spiritual... The same theme is examined by both the director and actors in Iblis and...

Iblis and...

The long-awaited premiere of the play in Azerbaijan captivated audiences who held their breath, absorbing every word, emotion, and thought expressed by its characters. The philosophical reflections of Huseyn Javid—who created his version of Iblis in 1918—are transformed by the director into an uncompromising dialogue with viewers that not only reveals but also substantiates humanity's loss of Spirit and Humanity. In pursuit of material wealth and pleasure, Man has become immersed in countless vices including deception, betrayal, lust, and unbridled debauchery. Year after year, century after century, humanity has forfeited its divinity by abandoning Light in favour of Darkness. Without realising it, people have transformed from being truly human into mere shadows of their former selves: mere humans!

Having strayed from Divine Light, humanity has become a concentration of Evil and a bearer of Vices. They have claimed rights to spiritual emptiness and moral degradation to such an extent that even Iblis (Ayshad Mammadov, Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan) is struck by this realisation. He departs from Earth declaring that humanity has become Iblis (the devil) itself. Therefore, for him—the true Iblis—there remains nothing to accomplish here: his work seducing Man is complete. However, blood brothers Arif (Murad Ismayilov) and Vasif (Elsever Rahimov), driven by lust, envy, malice, and hatred, continue to destroy one another. The world created by 21st-century humanity is saturated in blood.

The substitution of true human values with false ones compels us to contemplate: how do we live today? Why do we annihilate ourselves physically in wars? How did a world devoid of morality and spirituality secure such a firm grip on human hearts and minds? Why have we lost our ability to distinguish between Light and Darkness? Or are we simply pretending not to see the difference because it makes living easier for us?

For three consecutive days there were sold-out performances. Tickets for the fourth presentation of Iblis and... are no longer available at box offices. This indicates that the director has successfully engaged audiences in a dialogue they desperately require! How long can we entertain without truly entertaining? Or amuse without genuinely amusing? How long can we substitute art with contrived surrogates? Yet here we have a director who engages audiences seriously without compromise; he conducts discussions about what matters most to everyone who has not yet lost their understanding and appreciation for all that connects us to our ancestral moral laws and the moral laws within each one of us. For we must not become mankurts, or iblises...