Leonid's interpreter was Wes, 22, who grew up in Vladivostok and then moved here. He spoke Russian & English identically -- casually, as if with friends. Leonid would talk, his voice rising and falling dramatically. He says, what we gotta do, we gotta build something big and new, came the relaxed translation. Often he would laugh at something Leonid said before translating. Sometimes he would forget and repeat Russian to us, or English to Leonid. Once he nodded reflectively, leaning back to absorb Leonid's point, not translating at all. Since it had been in context -- "Chekhova. Shakspeara. Gorrrky." -- it just lay there, for once absorbable straight from the Russian.
Anyway, so in this divine, weirdly-transparent communication -- where we were actually receiving the same message FOUR ways at once, between a young man's words & intonations and an old man's -- this is what Leonid said.
Japan.
- I have lived in Japan for 5 years. Japan has given me as much as I have given Japan. I have learned very much from living in Japan. [It's true. He does not look Russian anymore. Something is more translucent, both lighter and more austere.]Noh Theatre.
- The Noh Theatre is an ancient theatre. Zeami lived in 1363 to 1443. Yet you can lay his writings side-by-side with Stanislavski's and they sound the same.The actor.
- In the Noh Theatre, they can pluck an invisible flower -- wah -- like this. Perfect plucking of a flower. Most actors, they first invent a big flower. Then they torture themselves about this flower with a big artificial feeling. Then they try to pick a flower and we have no idea what they are doing. In Noh -- very little feeling is required to pick a flower. We understand instantly what the actor is doing.
- Noh Theatre reveals to me what is missing from Stanislavski system. So I go back to Stanislavski's writings. I search and search. Ah, I find it. Now I understand more clearly.
- Yoko is trained with Noh Theatre. She performed for us once, a piece of Noh Theatre. In costume. It is tremendously powerful. In Japan, Noh theatre training is cruel. Bloody. Yoko has endured this. And completed. ["Yoko is very very beginner for Noh theatre actor," says Yoko.]
- "Yoko would leave at 6am and return at 1am when she was training with the Noh," Paul had said. "Six days a week. The only reason it wasn't seven, was they gave her one day off to work with Leonid's theatre." "Noh Theatre has two kinds of training," says Yoko. "One for amateurs. One for professionals. With the amateurs, the teachers are very very kind. With the professionals, they are not kind. Very hard."
- This is very precious ability Yoko has received. So Yoko has a responsibility. To share this ability as widely as possible. It will be beneficial for anyone to see this. Anyone. [Yoko bowed as if receiving a weight, absorbed, comprehending.]
- Noh Theatre understands intonation. Stanislavski says that 90% of the message is carried in the intonation. Only 10% in the words. Noh Theatre understands this. They train for this. Most of us, we just throw words way. With Noh Theatre, I can feel the power of the meaning.
- Yoko was playing Vassilisa in Lower Depths. In rehearsal, she has this Noh power. She connects with her partner and speaks and Wah! The actor tripped backward, he is so afraid of this power. He can feel it so strong. Until today, that actor is still afraid of Yoko. [laughter] Now he is grateful to her. She makes him a stronger actor. He must become strong to work with such a partner.
- Every person is born talented. Born a genius. It is the task of the director to help an actor self-realize this genius. To help the self-realization of the actor, this is the only task of the director.The world.
- The art of theatre is the art of the actor. Of the genius actor, interacting with other genius actors. It is not the art of the director. Directors who misunderstand this, who think theatre is the art of their idea, have created terrible theatre all around the world for years. They have practically killed theatre. [laughter]
- The hardest thing for an actor is to be himself. To speak in his own voice. The beautiful thing is when an actor brings his whole self to the part. Not just the character, but the whole actor living in the character. This is the rare beautiful genius.
- Every actor wants to speak in someone else's voice. All of them. They do not know their own voice is the most beautiful.
- In Japan, the director is god. Higher than god. This is dreadful thing. "Hai. HaiHaiHai. Hai. Hai. Da. Da. DaDaDa." [He bows fearfully, repeatedly, to illustrate.]
- I worked with these actors in Japan for five years. There are not many types of roles. Only 16. This is true. Not so many, 16. Over time, I find where each actor belongs and I move him there. Where is his true voice, then miracles happen. Because now he is just himself. For example, there is one actor in Japan who is only 30. Not so old. Yet in his soul, he is an old man. He plays old men wondrously. Firs. Sebreyakov. A genius Firs. Because inside himself, he already understands everything an old man knows. He is beautiful in such roles.
- Victor Baigulov was a genius actor. He died three months ago. I remember, when I was first working with him, he is patient man. Obedient. Humble even. Yes, yes, to please the director. And then one day, I never forget this moment. He is on stage. I am in audience, 15 meters back. And suddenly he takes the stool he is sitting on and throws it at me. Wah! This is very important moment. I understand in this moment, I am witnessing something precious. I am witnessing the birth of an artist. Of someone reclaiming their art, their whole self.
- These are hard times for the world. Can you feel it? For the planet, even. Hurricanes. Disasters. We must do something to help. Something important. It can only come from the scientists and the artists.You.
- America. The most powerful country. Number one country. And five days, it cannot help those people in Louisiana. Waaaaaaaah. What a thing. What a terrible thing.
- We will have our creative life. I think we do Cherry Orchard, Seagull, and Lower Depths. But this is not enough. We have our creative life of course, but we must do more. It is very special, very unusual, for me to be here nine months. We must do something big. Something correct.
- This is like in Bible. Floods. Revelations. These are those times.
- [After people have spoken throbbingly, movingly about New Orleans, the lack of administrative response, the weakness of the president, of how this is like a Greek tragedy.] This is the intellectual who speaks. Chekhov he understands this very clearly. The intellectual thinks everything out. In a long clear line. He analyzes everything very correctly, all the way to the end -- then -- he stops. Right there he stops. This is the intellectual. We must not stop.
- And now you. Tell me, Jessica, what have you been doing the last five years? In your artistic life?Then we started an impromptu talent show. Leonid, like the Odin Teatret, likes barters of art. For people to share singing, poetry, dance, whatever their talent is. We do a Shakespeare sonnet, a blues song, a Gershwin ballad. Bart recites a children's poem in Russian, "The Telephone," which has both Leonid and his interpreter in helpless snorting giggles. Finally, it's time to go. Most leave, a few move to the kitchen. Vodka & toasts. Time for bed.
- [laughing at the guy who says he has a day job and he is fine] When someone says, "I am good, I am fine," the one thing you know is they are not fine. [laughs again] You are ready for deep work now. I can see this.
"Drive me," says Leonid, in his newly acquired English. "Drive home." Several people reach for their keys. Leonid was startled. "You know where my home?" "YES," said everyone at once. We have each painstakingly, in several trips, hand-carried every single item of furnishings to that apartment. "Okay," he says, and the party breaks up.
Epiphany Event Parking ONLY says the rusty white sign on the chainlink fence, as I walk to my car.
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