LISBON

The play Lisbon by writer and playwright Zachary Karabashliev is being presented for the first time to a Bulgarian audience and in its full text at the Nikolay Binev Youth Theatre. This is also Yana Titova’s big return to the Youth Theatre, this time in the role of director.

The play Lisbon weaves together themes of freedom, identity, and the impossibility of escaping our own prisons.

Some people have been kidnapped and locked in an unknown, nondescript place. While they wait to be told the size of their ransom, they are condemned to be together and—to like it or not—to communicate. But how long will they spend there—hours? Days? Years? And where is this unknown place?

In Lisbon, Zachary Karabashliev addresses serious themes such as freedom and submission, meaning and meaninglessness, absurdity and truth in an unusually humorous way, exploring our submission to our own fears, the price of human life, as well as the role of… corn. Yes, corn.

“Zachary’s play offers so many possibilities that, for me as a director, it was extremely interesting and provocative to explore different directions of the story and, together with the actors, find the key to our own Lisbon. I am deeply impressed by the energy with which the entire team threw themselves into Lisbon. Throughout the process, we had so much fun with Zachary’s characters, and the actors were so devoted and engaged that, honestly, I don’t want the rehearsals to end. But on the other hand, I can’t wait to share Lisbon with the audience.”

Yana Titova – director of the production.

Author: Zachary Karabashliev Director: Yana Titova Set and costume design: Ognyana Serafimova Assistant set designer: Ivan Petrosyan Composer: Emilian Gatsov – Elbi Choreographer: Stanislav Genadiev