Free Theatre presented performance dedicated to Belarusian political prisoners

The Belarus Free Theatre came for the Eastern Partnership summit with its Generation Jeans play on an invitation of former Czech president Vaclav Havel.

The Belarus Free Theatre received an invitation for the Prague summit in early April, at the Forum for Creative Europe sponsored by the Czech president. Vaclav Havel told Natallya Kalayada and Mikalai Khalezin: “I don’t know what can be expected from the Belarusian authorities, but you must be here at the summit.”

The performance was shown in Montmartre gallery in Vaclav and Dahmar Havels Library in the center of Prague. The Belarusian theatre played performances on this stage in December 2008, during the Belarusian Day with Vaclav Havel. Generation Jeans drew capacity audience attracting people of different nationalities, from Belarusians living in the Czech Republic to citizens of Australia and Germany who came to Montmartre Gallery.

Free Theatre director Natallya Kalyada said commenting on participation of the collective in events of the Eastern Partnership summit: “We cannot but take part in these events. There are several reasons for this: firstly, we were invited by our curator and friend Vaclav Havel; secondly, we realize the importance of the moment when we have faced a real threat of treachery by the European institutions; thirdly, we always bring our own position in spite of any difficulties. We spent our money to come here, we give a free performance, this is our principal position. We want to attract attention to the real situation in Belarus again and again.”

The Free Theatre dedicated its performance to the Belarusian political prisoners. Actor in Generation Jeans and art director Mikalai Khalezin commented on this decision: “Foreign minister Martynau has recently said in an interview to a European edition: ‘There are no political prisoners in Belarus, there are friends of the opposition who are in prisons for economic crimes.’ But I state there are political prisoners in Belarus, I am ready to stake my reputation. Now, let’s see who is more convincing, whose reputation –mine or Martynau’s – costs more.”

The Belarus Free Theatre doesn’t reduce the project dedicated to the Eastern Partnership summit to the performance. “We present in Minsk the Czech theatre from Hradec Kralove town with a play Process by Vaclav Havel dedicated to the topical theme of collaboration,” Natallya Kalyada says.