"The Shape of Things"

About this event

"The Shape of Things" by the famous American playwright Neil LaBute is the debut on the Varna stage of the young, but already established directorial presence Maxima Boeva, a graduate of Prof. Plamen Markov, who created a number of emblematic performances in the recent history of the Varna Drama Theater. The choice of bright contemporary drama, interpreted by a talented young artist with Varna roots, for the first premiere in 2024 is not accidental. It testifies both to the continuity and to the modern worldview with which the century-old theater enters the 103rd year of its existence. "The characters in The Shape of Things are young people who are enslaved to the external, to the shape of things. They want to sculpt themselves and create an image to be accepted and loved. Walking this path, they are very often tempted to sculpt the other to their liking. They try to turn the other person into someone convenient for themselves and their image. For me, it is particularly interesting to explore our fear of loving deeply and sincerely, because if we open that door, we become vulnerable. And indeed, very often they hurt us. But at the same time, our need to be loved by others is deep and painful," emphasizes Maxima Boeva in her analysis. "Superficial is definitely a topic that's super hot right now. There's an absolute obsession with looking 'perfect.' Social networks give you the opportunity to build an image that always looks good. More than good! Closer and closer to the "perfect" image! This scares me personally, and a lot," admits Alexander Evgeniev. Siyana Nacheva adds: "Today, young people grow up and develop "under the magnifying glass" of social networks, i.e. of a fictional environment in which expectations for beauty, success, opportunities are always standardized by an external factor - the world, society, others. And accordingly, our worth and self-esteem in this environment is measured by how well we measure up to the set standard." Stanislav Kondov expresses the satisfaction of the four artists from their participation in a performance with a contemporary text and a young team in a chamber ensemble. "There is no other such title in the repertoire of the Varna Theater. An extremely impactful and strong text - cynical, aggressive, comedic, romantic, paradoxical. What is the life of every young person. And why not every person".