CONDUCTOR OF EMOTIONS

He was under eight years old when he first stepped onto the stage of the Russian Drama Theatre. Alexander Sharovsky, director of the play based on Stefan Goranovsky's play The Black Hole, needed a boy who would play the son of the protagonist, Alexander. His father was played by the People's Artist of Azerbaijan Fuad Poladov. Alexander's mother was played by People's Artist of Azerbaijan Rachel Ginzburg. And Alexander was played by Teymur Rahimov. Now, as an actor of the Academic Russian Drama Theatre, Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan Teymur Rahimov has a full right to say that he has played on stage together with the legends of the Azerbaijani theatre.

He still cherishes this childhood memory of his unconscious entry into the world of adult actors. But it was not the starting point in his choice of becoming an actor. Little Teymur had his own childhood games and interests, while his parents' conversations about theatre sounded to him like a daily weather forecast. And who knows how his professional life would have turned out had he not been called by Alexander Sharovsky to play in The Ghost of Titanic when he was was an 11th-grade student at school. Teymur came to play once but stayed there forever. Later he entered the University of Culture and Arts, which he graduated as a film and theatre actor, served in the army, and has been faithful to his theatre for 23 years. He is one of those actors who are called repertory actors. This is because they play a lot and are involved in different genres in minor, central and leading roles.

Teymur Rahimov's path to the Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan began the same as the novice actors do – as an extra. Today, he has about 80 stage characters played in fairy tales, comedies and dramas. These are serious, well-crafted comedies and dramas remembered by audiences for their convincing characters: Andrew Eguchik (Anything you wish!), Bobby Franklin (Taxi Driver Too Married), Lysander (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Moskatel (Love’s Not A Joke), Sandy Tyrell (The Bliss Family), William Collins (Pride and Prejudice), Smerdyakov (The Karamazov Brothers) and many others.

"How would you describe acting today, after nearly 23 years on stage?"

"It means being honest. First and foremost, to myself and my profession."

"?"

"Once you perform your character without sparing yourself, being very sincere in expressing the feelings and emotions of your character, rest assured your audience will leave the theatre hall with something in mind. They will take with them both the feelings and thoughts that your performance evoked in them... This means that you have come to this profession not accidentally."

"You mean an actor is a kind of puppeteer who can manipulate the audience?"

"Not at all! Puppeteer is Stromboli from Pinocchio, that disgusting dumb-headed type. Actors are not dictators. We do not command, we converse with our audience through feelings they and we understand. We are theatre of the people and for the people. We are in a constant search for the right tone of feelings and emotions. If the vibes of actors and audience match, it means we are each other's captives. Captivity of mutual understanding. And trust."

"It is always difficult for a creative person to stay within the same form. Even interacting with the audience. Do you have another, parallel creativity that helps you express yourself differently? May be in cinema?"

"No, it didn't work out with cinema. I guess I'm the kind of actor who prefers watching movies than acting in them..."

"But Yegor Konchalovsky cast you in his film..."

"Yes, in Butterflies (part of film-anthology Baku, I love you!). Also in the TV series Flower of Life and Turning Points."

"And?"

"Let me put it this way: the cinema and I were not a match."

"How do you demonstrate your parallel creativity then?"

"I teach acting to the national rhythmic gymnastics team. For many years, I have led a children's theatre studio at the Russian Culture Centre. But there we worked with the Russian language, giving children a chance to feel its poetic line. I view my practical experience in this field not so much as a parallel creativity, but rather as an opportunity for additional research into the subtleties of acting."

"How?"

“I do classes according to Stanislavsky's system. It helps me see my own achievements or shortcomings in this system. Teaching is a process of continuous professional development.”

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Nine years. Only in the Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation. As for the Russian Culture Centre, there is a protracted reorganisation process due to a change of management. So it is not clear whether we continue the classes on the Russian Artistic Language..."

"What do you feel about working with children?"

"There is always a feeling of doing something necessary and important, it’s a charge of cheerfulness and optimism. Because children are naturally brilliant actors. They are so sincere in their expression that I don't think anyone can outplay them. Children are the best actors!"

"What project are you working on with gymnasts?"

"Let me clarify that I am indeed working on a new project, but I’m not alone. I work together with my colleague from the same theatre, the Honoured Artist Maqsud Mammadov. We work together. There will be an open lesson for the jury. We will show them a musical fairy tale, with all the action based on plastic arts..."

"You mean without text?"

"Absolutely! It's gymnastics. It's all about gestures, facial expressions, body movement. This is what will surprise and delight the jury."

"If I understand you correctly, your present professional life is all about rehearsals, acting and teaching. What about your personal development?"

"Socialising with friends, watching films. Sometimes I enjoy the silence of solitude."

"What about romances and dating?"

"Oh! This is my private space. No one else is allowed in."

"Come on! What about that girl from Prague? I remember when about six years ago, the social media exploded with news about how this poor girl was looking for you all over the city!"

"You never know what kind of fakes social media is throwing at people! I assure you it was a fake. Although I don't remember it at all. And I mean it."

"No romance in theatre?"

"I’m not a person who enjoys having affairs in theatre. It tends to end too dramatically, and then somewhat hampers my work in the theatre. I prefer not to have that kind of practical experience."

"You mean a collegial community of partners on stage is better than any romance?"

"That's right. Better."

"What do you get from from your partners as an actor and a person?"

"Professional confidence and the comfort of an open and trusting conversation."

"Do you have friends?"

"Fortunately, yes, I do."

"What should the ideal actor be like?"

"I don't know. I have not thought about it. Perhaps the actor is a puppet. But not the one who obediently fulfils director's will, but the one who can increase his influence on the audience by maximising his psychophysics both as an actor and a person."

"How do you feel about being awarded the title of an Honoured Artist?"

"Frankly, it's nice to realise that the theatre’s administration takes our professional development seriously and, by celebrating our professional achievements in this way, it encourages us to improve professionally. I am grateful to the administration for including my name in the list of nominees. It means I am doing something important and necessary."

"Which is more valuable – your title or the love of the audience applauding you?"

"I think they are closely related to each other: applause expresses recognition, and recognition is a result of my honest professional work. So it turns out that title is a result of successful performance expressed through audience’s applause."

"What do you expect from your profession?"

"New directorial approach."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me explain. During the rehearsal of The Seven Beauties, where I play the role of Jabrayil, director Jonas Vaitkus saw me looking for the appropriate vocal tone for my character. He said that Jabrayil's voice is like the movement of dust through a beam of light. And I understood him very well. Vaitkus was a guest director from Lithuania. He introduced a new production aesthetic, a different system of working with actors. We are used to the creative style of our directors, whom we respect and appreciate. Visiting directors from other countries always bring with them something new. This is always encouraging."

"What would you like to wish for your colleagues, friends and family?"

"I wish that absolutely everyone loves the life as much as I do!"