Look, look how I'm disappearing. Look, look

A visit to the “Free Theatre” feels like a conspiratorial meeting. The secret, but always sold-out performances are announced by mobile phone text message. Actor Denis Tarasenko says that many colleagues are envious of his work in Khalezin’s group, “because we can act freely.” The ensemble takes part in festivals in Europe. Khalezin will present “Generation Jeans,” a compelling monologue about inner freedom and rock music, at the Spielart in Munich in November. The British paper The Guardian gave the play “Being Harold Pinter” the best ranking possible. Pinter himself was so enthusiastic about the collage that has been assembled from his Nobel Prize for Literature speech, plays and letters from political prisoners in Belarus, that he gave the “Free Theater” the rights to his plays for free. The stagings, packed with strong imagery and experimentation, are captivating. At the end of the Kane piece, the actor whispers: “Look, look how I’m disappearing. Look, look.” Then the candle flame goes out – which Belarussians understand as the death of their already comatose nation. “Belarussians are not used to this kind of contemporary relevance in their theatre,” says Khalezin. “Many respond like children. They’re shocked: Aaarrrgghh.”