The Geraks

“THE GERAKS” by Elin Pelin

Director – BOGDAN PETKANIN

Set and Costume Design – ZHANETA IVANOVA

Music – PLAMEN MIRCHEV – MIRONА

Cast:

KIRIL EFREMOV, guest actor

IVAYLO SPASIMIROV

BORISLAV APOSTOLOV

VENTSISLAV PETKOV

IVAYLO DRAGANOV

KALINA MILANOVA

SONYA PILATOVA

VIKTORIA VLADOVA

ROSTISLAV PANKOV

ALEKSANDAR UZUNOV

KRUM BERKOV

PETYA VENELINOVA

IVET PENCHEVA

In one of Elin Pelin’s statements, it becomes clear that the novella “The Geraks” is among the most inspired works he ever created. He said of it that it was “a creative moment—something genuine in my life.” Its writing was prompted by a specific encounter: the writer met a peasant who was leading “a small child, dressed and huddled in a torn little coat,” in search of some kind of work for him in Sofia.

With brutal authenticity, Elin Pelin reveals the life of the Bulgarian people in the last century. He reveals it to us “from within”—intimately fused with their way of life and aspirations. But if you read carefully, you will see that what interests the writer above all is the human being himself—their psychology, their sins, and their dreams. Unfortunately, eras change, but we do not.

Bogdan Petkanin