The Seagull by A.P. Chekhov director Galin Stoev set & costumes Daniela Oleg Lyahova premiere 15 November 2004 CAST Svetlana Yancheva, Stoyan Mladenov, Ilia Raev, Margita Gosheva, Tanyu Marinov, Maya Dragomanska, Irini Jambonas, Vladimir Penev, Itzhak Finzi, Emil Kotev, Asparuh Vassilev The "Seagull" as "Big Brother" "Little City Theatre "Off the Channel" may very well take its latest production of "Seagull" to the European festival market. Tchekhov has been interpreted in a modern rhythm and image by mocker Galin Stoev who flings the truth about our current being right into your face. There isn’t a single trace of sophistication in this production. What’s all that about wasted talent or profound discussions of art! There are simple people staring at us from the stage, desperately fighting to survive, trying in vain to escape from the roles they’ve been given in the tehatre of life. There is nothing else on stage but the theatre in which Treplev is showing his play. And so the "Big Brother" style prevails – the characters both live and perform their lives, knowing they are being constantly watched. And just like in the TV show, each of them is looking out for themselves and secretly trying to do the others down. There is no room for fantasy or altruism at such domestic sensual level, little said of any flight of the spirit. Aggression, booze and sex complete the picture in this hand to mouth existence." Dimitar Staikov, 24 Hours Daily, 22 November 2004
	Seagulls as Arrows "Nobody is guilty and nobody is innocent – we are all both victims and perpetrators in our relationships. This is the "spiritually correct" statement of the Age of Aquarius, which is the environment for the individual of the early 21 century. Galin Stoev’s "Seagull" (hip-hop-hurray!) at Theatre "Off the Channel" (hip-hip!) is far from a delicate equilibrium. Neither is it all forgiving. Guilt there is. Everybody is guilty. And the guilt has been revealed by the director without a trace of anger or sarcasm. It has been revealed without sentimentality, pathetic outcries or pain. In a doctorly manner by doctor Tchekhov. The arguments in favour of guilt build up as laughter grips the throat. The revelation and the pain remain for and with the audience. Tzhekhov and Stoev’s characters are polite, well-meaning, educated, committed to humanistic values, well bred and so on, they are friends in the broad sense of the term and all profoundly unhappy, profoundly at a loss and profoundly lonely. Why? Why are they all seagulls shot by arrows and all are arrowns shooting through seagulls? Why is their love so destructive, so unhealthy and horrifying? The reply which this "Seagull" gives me – nobody cares truly about anybody else. Nobody can identify with the other or with the divine. Nobody loves the fellow creature (if love is about commitment, process, will, activity) and therefore are incapable of loving themselves – and so commits spiritual and emotional suicide. The only "innocent" one who relates to the others at a truly profound level, the only truly living builds up enough disdain to shoot himself...     ...Treplev refuses to be a frenetic sleep-walker in the dead field of non-touching, of non-creativity, non-God, non-meaning. As if seen through Hamlet, Treplev played by Stoyan Mladenov crosses himself out and there is nothing heroic about this act, nor is it pathological or atheistic – it is simply the quiet but definite refusal to be an immigrant amidst earthlings. The company "Off the Channel" hardly realises now how important spiritually and currently a performance they have created. Because it is not simply a matter of words having been dusted, characters awoken or history revived. And it is not simply that this is a well structured, harmonious, funny and powerful performance. And it is not simply that the actors are glamorous, complicated and sophisticated, and in some scenes – virtuosos (Vladimir Penev’s Trigorin’s tirade before Svetlana Yancheva’s Arkadina, Dorn – Itzhak Finzi – his secret lover Polina – Maya Dragomanska and his secret daughter Masha – Irini Jambonas, Masha and Medvedenko – Emil Kotev…) All of that is sheer professionalism – a fact on the verge of extinction in Bulgarian theatre and therefore reason for acclaim when present. There are zones though which few professionals climb. That is when the heavens are ripped by diamonds and we hear the bells. Which rings for… we know who. In Galin Stoev’s most sensual performance everybody is love-sick. One hundred years after Tchekhov people still kill each other without noticing each other." Ave Ivanova, Trud Daily, November 2004