Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 19, 1990 TAG: 9007190476
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF DeBELL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
It's been a bit like that at rehearsals for "Peace Child" during the past two weeks.
The children's musical has a cast of 60 youngsters, 15 of whom are from the Soviet Union. Everything the American director or choreographer says is immediately echoed in Russian for the Soviet performers, and what the Soviet directors say is translated into English for the Americans.
Further explanation usually follows in both languages, often at the same time, and then the performers may take up the subject among themselves for a while.
"The rehearsal process takes on a different energy when you have to go through so many chains of command," said Mary Best Bova, the American who is overall director of the show. "Everything takes a little more time."
But it works.
"Language has been a problem but not a barrier," said Julie White, who is dance captain and assistant to choreographer Terri Post. "You'd be amazed at how much you can get across with your hands. And they all respond to ` Quiet, ya'll.' "
"Peace Child" aims to promote international understanding. It envisions a world of peace and cooperation toward the solution of global problems. Soviet-American casts have been performing the show in the United States since 1986 and in the Soviety Union since 1987. The original objective was to help bring East and West together, but with the demise of the Cold War, "Peace Child" has moved on to subjects like the environment and prejudice.
The Roanoke Valley is headquarters for "Peace Child's" 1990 mid-Atlantic tour, one of several in the United States this summer. After performances here this weekend, it will go to Charlottesville and Charlotte, N.C.
In each place, the 30-member Sovi- 8 1 PEACE Peace et-American core will join a local cast in presenting the show. In the Roanoke Valley, the touring core has stayed at Roanoke College and has rehearsed with the local cast there and at Salem's St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Another group of 13 youngsters has made sets and masks for the show under the supervision of artists Mimi Hodgin and Mimi Babe Harris.
Stage manager Jo Johnson said it is the adults who tend to be most intimidated by the language differences.
"We get scared and run for an interpreter," she said, "whereas the kids usually figure it out."
"It's exciting to see these kids get together and be mystified by each other and then figure each other out a little," said American interpreter Lise Brody, who has come from Boston to work with the show. "I have found that whenever Russians and Americans spend time together there is an incredible chemistry between them. We're really fascinated with one another."
Among the young performers, who range in age from 10 to 18, problems have been rare and have tended to be more cultural than artistic.
"I don't enjoy your climate," 17-year-old Kostya Gouseekhin affably told a reporter. "I don't enjoy some food because it's too, uh, unusual for me. The salads. But I like the watermelon."
One Soviet girl was uneasy about wearing shorts in public as the Americans so casually do. Others were a bit shocked when the American cast members, their tongues twisted by Soviet director Valentina Nikolaievna Ivanova's middle name or patronymic, simply started calling call her Valentina or Valya.
Among the Soviet youth, that is not properly respectful.
"They're very nice," said 12-year-old Sara Bier, an American member of the cast who is from Ferrum. "They're always giving us gifts."
Sometimes, however, there are misunderstandings. Bier said some of the Soviet youngsters mistakenly thought it was their fault when one of the Americans got homesick and cried.
"When people try to speak each other's language there are going to be misunderstandings," Brody said. "We need to understand what our differences are in order to understand how much we're the same."
Brody has a counterpart, Olga Makarova, in the Soviet delegation of four adults and 15 teen-age performers. The adults include a delegation leader, whose job is to manage the Soviets, and two artistic directors.
"The main thing was to bring here prepared children so they could begin at once," said Vladimir Goryachev, who is one of the directors.
He said the Soviet youngsters have been working on their English and practicing their singing and dancing since last summer. A more intense period of rehearsals, specifically related to "Peace Child," took place in the month immediately before the trip.
It shows, according to the American artistic staff, and has helped the rehearsals go well.
"They pick it up so quickly it's a pleasure to work with them," choreographer Post said. "They never say `I can't.' "
"They're teaching us more than we're teaching them," said Johnson, who also pointed out that the Soviet performers tend to be slightly older than many of their American counterparts.
The play has a basic framework, but much of its content comes from the performers themselves. It is prepared and worked into the show during the rehearsal process and changes from year to year.
"With this show, it's been `What did you bring, let's put it in,' " Bova said. "You have to stay flexible. I don't care how hard you plan, there are wrenches thrown in. You have to make sure you use diplomacy and a sense of give and take."
Although the Soviets prepared material for the play and have made many further contributions since they arrived, Goryachev said the Americans have the final word on artistic matters because they know their audience.
"We try to help them," he said. "They are good professionals."
Excerpts from "Peace Child" will be performed free Friday at 12:15 p.m. as a Brown Bag Lunch program in Crestar Plaza. Tickets for the full show can be bought from The Arts Council of Roanoke Valley and from the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op or reserved by calling Peace Child/Roanoke at 343-7244. Unsold tickets will be available at the door.
`PEACE CHILD': 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 and 8 p.m. Sunday at Science Auditorium at Virginia Western Community College. $7. 343-7244.
by CNB