Dmitry Krymov in London. 12 questions from Sergei Nikolaevich

At the end of March, Krymov and his wife Inna came to London to open a branch of his New York theater laboratory (Krymov Lab NYC) and to conduct casting for a future production based on two Dickens novels – “Hard Times” and “Great Expectations. All actors will be exclusively English. Rehearsals will be held in London, but about the future plans so far have to talk with caution: no specific terms, no premiere date, no address of the proposed site. In addition, Krymov, like all theater people, is a superstitious man, so he believes that it is better not to spread too much about his plans.

We know for sure that in May he will be giving a new performance in Prague, The Three Musketeers, and in August, at the music festival in Lerici, Italy, he will premiere Carmen, the first opera in Krymov’s life. We will certainly tell our readers about this and other projects of the director, but for now our BLITZ, a new author’s column by Sergey Nikolayevich, editor-in-chief of ZIMA Magazine.

Dima, where do you prefer to spend winter?
I prefer to spend my winters where there is work to be done.

Favorite city?
You write, “Silenced.”

Favorite name?
Natasha, Misha.

Favorite mode of transportation?
I don’t really like to move around much. I’m a homebody.

Favorite drink?
So here we go… Gin and tonic, then a few of our favorite whiskeys. We were here visiting Emilia Kabakova. This house is like a museum. She’s got it all picked out! And all of Ilya’s objects under special hoods, and a lot of albums and books dedicated to their work… A stunning view of the bay. And as we were leaving, Emilia opened some kind of drawer that held many different bottles of alcohol, and one was half empty. Hennessy French cognac. And Emilia said: “This is the last cognac in Ilya’s life. As long as he could, he had a little shot every time he had dinner. But as you can see, he never finished it. If you want, you can have this bottle for yourself.” Now the great Kabakov’s Hennessy stands in my house.

Who would you most like to see in the audience at your play?
My dad.

Best option for a week-end vacation?
For me, there is no better rest than a good night’s sleep, no rush and knowing that Inna’s cheesecakes are waiting for me for breakfast.

The book you’re reading right now?
“Trialogues. Improvisations on Free Themes”. This book is the result of a unique experiment that Ilya Kabakov, art historian and sociologist Joseph Bakstein, and philologist and cultural critic Mikhail Epshtein set up. In the early 80s, they regularly met and wrote essays on topics of their choice, then discussed them and supplemented each other’s texts with their comments. There’s culture, art, sociology, and everyday life. Very informative.

What do you never leave home without?
Well… no shoes for now.

Is there a movie you’re willing to rewatch at least once a year?
No, there is no such movie, but I would love to revisit Eldar Ryazanov’s Beware of the Car right now.

The perfect start to your day?
Knowing first thing in the morning which theater I’m going to rehearse in today.

What would make you most happy right now?
If my recent colleagues, both of my comrades from Moscow, spouses and wonderful theater teachers at GITISA, suddenly recovered. I’m not naming names, but those who know will know who I mean.