Alexander Khromov

Actor, director, designer, theatre teacher. Founder of the Theatre Group and Laboratory "MetaZero".

Graduate of St. Petersburg State Academy of Theatre Arts (workshop of N. P. Naumov), majored in puppet theatre directing.

One of those young authors, whose generation was influenced by performative and post-dramatic ideas, pushing the limits of conventional understanding of theatre. In the field of research, methodology, and practice of this director there are such trends as baby-theatre, ritual theatre, atmosphere, sensitive, visual, postdramatic theatre, performance – situational, visual, sound, and the trend of non-theatre.

After graduating from the Academy, Khromov was an actor, director, and designer at the Puppet Theatre in Kemerovo, where he gained experience working on productions for children. Upon returning to St. Petersburg he founded the Theatre Group and Laboratory MetaZero (2015). The first performance titled Discourse. Pushkin, created by Anikushin Workshop for the Museum Night, determined further activities of the group as exploration of communication between people: “We are inspired by performative practices, visual means of expression, and postdramatic experience. Reducing the distance between actor/performer and audience member/participant, we create a common ritual space, through which human nature is manifested.” – from the official website of the project.   

Alexander collaborated with AKHE Engineering Theatre, TZEKH Theatre, baby-theatre laboratory BabyAtelier – as a director and curator of MZ project. He actively participates in festivals and directors’ laboratories.

The principal productions:

The Snow Queen – 2012, Kemerovo Regional Puppet Theatre named after Arkady Gaidar

Red Riding Hood – 2013, Kemerovo Regional Puppet Theatre named after Arkady Gaidar

Discourse. Pushkin – 2015, MetaZero

Touching Story – 2015, MetaZero

The Space of Sound (Together with the group NUNA) – 2016, MetaZero

Communications #1 performance – 2016, MetaZero

Performance Solstice – 2016, opening of ARTPLAY space in St. Petersburg.

Chukovsky Marathon. Production-journey in 4 parts in the space of the exhibition Translation from Chukovsky Language – 2017, MetaZero

All Year Round – 2016, Krasnoyarsk Regional Puppet Theatre

Chukovsky Marathon. Production-journey in 4 parts in the space of the exhibition Translation from Chukovsky Language 2017, 8. Chukovsky Marathon. Production-journey in 4 parts in the space of the exh

Profile

Name. Khromov Alexander Alexandrovich

Date of birth. 12.09.1990

Education. SPbGATI’12, N. P.Naumov’s workshop, puppet theatre directing

A few words about your career (who had an impact on you, where and how you started, who you worked with, which shows you directed, where you work now).

The aesthetics and ideology of my work was at different times influenced by productions of Ruslan Kudashov, ideas of Boris Ponizovsky, performances of AKHE Theatre, performative practices of Marina Abramović, productions by Philippe Genty, productions by Rimini Protokoll, performances of Vsevolod Lisovsky, texts by Ivan Vyrypayev, as well as Ken Wilber’s philosophical views. After graduating from the Academy, I was an actor, director, and designer in Kemerovo Puppet Theatre, where I gained experience working on productions for children. Afterwards I went back to St. Petersburg and founded Theatre Group and Laboratory MetaZero, where I am mostly working now. In the field of my research, methodology, and practice there are such trends as baby-theatre, ritual theatre, atmosphere, sensitive, visual, postdramatic, performance – situational, visual, sound, and the trend of non-theatre.

Our parents had their private puppet theatre, I spent my childhood there – this is what determined my choice of direction in art.

Favorite and/or most interesting for you authors, subjects, stories: I like it when the space becomes the subject, communication becomes the story, and the audience becomes the author. When there is an opportunity to be in that spot where there is a space for manifestation and independent life of the myth.

What would you like to direct in puppet theatre and why with puppets. I would like to direct a nativity show in the housekeeping area of the Federal Migration Service.

Is the expression “puppet theatre” still relevant today? Theatre of puppets. puppet theatre, theatre with puppets, puppets in theatre, theatre in puppets. All of this relevant, if this theatre recognizes itself as Theatre and moves beyond the boundaries of its own understanding, where it is no longer important what it is and how it is named.

Mass Media Feedback:

«All the action takes place in cupola-like space, where the audience and creators of the production are. There are no words in this performance. All the images, representing the change of 4 seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn, can be understood by every young audience member starting from the age of one. Live sound of musical instruments is used in the performance».

About the "All Year Round"

"Culture 24"

“…every baby member of the audience receives his or her own flower and butterfly. The production is without words, but everything in the production is simple and understandable. And, at the same time, it is surprising and wonderful for the little audience members, many of whom do not yet remember all of the seasons.”

Tatyana Sheremet about the "All Year Round"

"Neurospaste"