by Alina Kurpel
Sasha and I are recording another episode of the theater program which I host at the Orthodox radio. Yes, Orthodox. Why not? Sasha is a true theater critic, unlike me. Not that he is very grown-up, but he is already quite recognized. Sasha utters the final words of praise, and I turn off the recorder.
— Asya, could you edit out some of the pauses and awkwardness later?
— Of course, as usual.
— Thanks to you, my speech flows so smoothly—it is simply miraculous.
— Come on, you speak excellently.
— Thank you, but still, trim it a bit.
— Sure, no problem.
— Tonight, I’m going to Hmurov’s premiere. Want to come with me?
— Oh, I love his performances. But unfortunately, I can’t make it.
— Really? Which of Hmurov’s productions do you like the most?
— Well, Sasha, it’s not easy to say. Maybe “Hamlet. Theater”? It’s a fantastic one!
— Why do you like it?
— It’s intricately woven, emotional, and beautiful.
— Yes, the scenography there is impressive. But for me, it’s a bit too noisy.
— I wouldn’t say that.
— How would you express it then?
— Listen, I have to go. I have an English test coming up soon, and I try to spend every spare minute on preparation. Thank you so much for the recording. I’m off now, okay?
— Sure, it was great to see you.
Honestly, I would not even be able to articulate what I liked about the performance. I lack both knowledge in the field of theater and vocabulary. So, why did I become the host of a theater program in that case? I got lucky. I volunteered at the radio as a reporter, and then I was offered to start my own project. I could choose the topic and assumed that theater was a great one: you get to talk to actors, directors, watch performances, and even go behind the scenes. It is just wonderful. And as for knowledge—well, I will be asking questions, not answering them.
© Alina Kurpel 2023-08-29