Director, artistic director of Buryat Puppet Theatre Ulger, winner of the National Theatre Award THE GOLDEN MASK, director of the International Festival of Puppet Theatres "The Path of Nomads".
Winner of the National Theatre Award THE GOLDEN MASK (In the Eternal Light of Kumalan, 2010), director of the International Festival of Puppet Theatres The Path of Nomads. Erdeni worked as an actor in drama theatre and independent projects, taught at Buryat studio of the department of puppet theatre of SPbGATI.
He often writes texts for his productions, some of the best known of which are based on national Buryat epic and harmoniously combine in them the unhurried rhythms of the myth, unexpected metaphors, natural materials on stage, and respectful humor.
Name. Zhaltzanov Erdeni Bato-Ochirovich
Date and place of birth.04.1967, the Republic of Buryatia, Dzhida district, the village of Nizhny Torei.
Education. Сollege degree.
In a nutshell, please tell us about your career. In 1988 I graduated from LGITMiK, class of V. V. Petrov, majoring as drama theatre actor. Since 2000 I have been the principal director of Buryat Republican Puppet Theatre In 1998-2000 I taught acting at the class of S. D. Tcherkassky – Buryat studio of puppet theatre acting. For the last 7 years I have been the artistic director of Buryat Republican Puppet Theatre Ulger.
Favorite authors, subjects, stories. I stage productions based on legends, myths, and folk tales of different peoples of the world. In particular, I am interested in the myths of small, disappearing peoples of Siberia and Far East. The stories I choose are as follows: ideas about the descent of the man and creation of the space, the universe, relations between the man and the nature.
Favorite traditional system of puppets/texture. Jigging puppet, shadow theatre. I am interested in various textures.
Does a performance need text? The text is not needed, because the puppet itself carries information. A puppet is a metaphor. Every movement of a puppet is a sign, symbol, a Buddhist MUDRA.
Is the expression “puppet theatre” still relevant today? The expression “puppet theatre” is relevant, because this is THEATRE, and this THEATRE is certainly PUPPET theatre.
What, in your opinion, is the difference between puppet theatre in Russia and the West? Only during the last two decades, Russian puppet theatre started to develop in different directions and genres. Before that, there had been one school which dictated the rules and canons of puppetry and those of the existence of a puppet under the circumstances of stage and theatre space. Russian puppet theatre is, first of all, social, it is endowed with a certain ideological mission. Unlike Russian puppet theatre, Western puppet theatre has a long history, traditions.
What can be useful about collaboration and cultural exchange? Collaboration and cultural exchange for directors, designers, actors from different theatres, at different festivals can be useful, because they enhance professional development, help to search for new forms, to share experience and dramatic works.