Stiliyan Petrov

The workshop offers an introduction to the poetics of Chekhov’s dramaturgy in theoretical (literary) and practical (directorial, theatrical and interpretive) aspects through the system of Dramatis Personae and more specifically through the identities of the characters.

The characters of A. P. Chekhov’s world-famous plays conceal serious, at times unsolvable mysteries, insofar as none of them is presented with their full biography ( origins and past): for each of them we understand only partial and sparse details, merely hinted at, for others – nothing at all: a puzzle of sorts, which we not only need to solve, but also guess at the missing elements. This, in turn, forces the interpreter – be it a literary scholar, a director or an actor – to procure an added vivid description of the character to flesh out his or her presence on the stage – a fact that quite often presupposes the interpretive angle of the production itself: for whom do we stand, whom do we believe and to what extent can we justify or condemn them. Upon a deeper examination/penetration of the dialogue, we begin to grasp the playwright’s famous line, uttered in his argument with Stanislavsky regarding The Seagull: “Read the play, it’s all in the play.”. Thus the question of how we read Chekhov’s texts for the stage becomes particularly important.

Last but not least, the panellists will share their experience in interpreting foreign productions of the chosen dramatic works, and their approach in staging and translating them to the Bulgarian stage and the Bulgarian language. What shape do they take in reaching our reader/audience? With what/whom and how do we identify ourselves within the field of Chekhov’s dramaturgy?

Stiliyan Petrov is a prominent Bulgarian theatre director and lecturer who has significantly shaped contemporary Bulgarian theatre. He graduated from NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov” in 2004 with a degree in theatre directing under the guidance of prof. Margarita Mladenova. From the outset of his career, Stiliyan Petrov has demonstrated his talent and innovative approach to the art of theatre.

He began his professional career with numerous successful productions in various theatres in Bulgaria and abroad. He’s staged and adapted works by various authors, among them: Georgi Gospodinov, Ivan Turgenev, Mayia Pramatarova, Teodora Dimova, Marguerite Duras, Pyotr Gladilin, Frederick Sontag, Luigi Pirandello, Jordi Galceran, Pierre Corneille, Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, Ingmar Bergman, Alberto Gozzi. He remains a frequent collaborator of Theatre “Sfumato”. Among the most recent of his stage productions are “Of a Phenomenon of Electricity” (Theatre Vazrazhdane, 2019), based on texts by A.P. Chekhov, “Nirvana” (Theatre 199, 2021) by Konstantin Iliev, “Mr. Night” (Theatre 199, 2021) by Yana Borisova, “Antichrist” (National Theatre “Ivan Vazov”, 2023) based on Emilian Stanev, and “When We Dead Awaken” (Slovenian National Theatre “Nova Gorica”, 2024) by Henrik Ibsen.

His work has not gone unnoticed, having participated in Bulgarian and international festivals such as “Varna Summer” – International Theatre Festival, “Apollonia” – Sozopol, Festival of Small Chamber Forms – Vratsa, Theater Festival – Pazardzhik, “Drumevi Theatrical Celebrations – New Bulgarian Drama” – Shumen, “Prix Europa” – Berlin, Germany, “ISTROPOLITANA” – Bratislava, Slovakia, as well as theatre festivals in Moscow, Turkey, Ukraine. Recipient of a number of awards and nominations including the 2005 ICARUS Debut Award for his direction of Parts of the Whole, based on Yordan Radichkov, and a 2020 ICARUS nomination for his production “Of a Phenomenon of Electricity”.

In addition to his accolades as a director, Stiliyan Petrov is also a respected lecturer at NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov”. Passing on his knowledge and experience to younger generations of theatre-makers since 2011, he defended his dissertation in 2022 on “Silence as Action. Theatrical Dimensions and Practices”. In 2023 he became an associate professor of Directing for Dramatic Theatre. With his numerous participations in international theatre festivals and awards, Stiliyan Petrov further establishes himself as one of the leading artists in contemporary Bulgarian theatre.