Constitution

A performance from around twenty young actors having recently graduated from the Perm Theatre Academy,Constitution deals with the differences between words and reality. It showcases the contradictions between the articles of the Russian Federation’s Constitution of 1993, irreproachable from the perspective of human rights and freedom, and the harsh reality lived by the population. In doing so, Vladimir Gurfinkel inscribes himself in a lineage of Russian social and political theatre whose role is to reveal duplicities and undermine appearances.

In tracing the history of his country, the director highlights the fact that Russia has never had a true and respected constitution. On stage, the different stages of establishing the legal text are recounted not only through a montage of letters and quotations from TV programs but also through photos and songs, whilst the testimonies of individual suffering remind us that for each article advocating tolerance and peace there is also the memories of past terror and injustice.