Dmitry Holtsmann, 29 years old
Hometown - Almaty, theater and movie actor, presenter of the Love Radio morning air
My parents are creative people. They affected me much, I could not stay away from the scene and always wanted to be in the spotlight. I have German roots, a teenager in the German society in Kazakhstan, where I participated in various festivals. In 2008 I heard of an audition to drama actors group in Zhurgenov Academy of Arts. I was a junior student at the ZhSU State University in Taldykorgan that moment. But I did not like that financial stuff at all, so I decided to break up with the economy and travelled to Almaty. That's how my stagy career began!
The German drama theater comprises common feelings and emotions, it’s all about family, friends and home, hobbies and work, the opportunity to live many other lives and to feel the pain. Our theater does not have its own building, and we have to wander through all available sites, scenes and spaces that are in Almaty, which hurts me much. Nevertheless, there’re advantages too.
We are universal actors now, it is not difficult for us to adapt and to fit any area, nothing scares us anymore
Now I'm busy in six performances. I’ve played in 13 productionsfor 5 years of a stage life. The most difficult thing is to remain true to yourself while playing in too many performances. My favorite performances are those where the great number of actors or the whole troupe is engaged. This is probably due to the fact that such performances make several scenes being played at once - the main one, between the actors and behind the stage. One of them is Gogol’s "Inspector-General", as well as "Karagoz", which is still being rehearsed now. In a few days we will perform it for the first time on the stage of the Seleznev choreographic school, and then on EXPO-2017.
I’ve gained knowledge, abilities, friends, certain skills and experience thanks to the stage directions and the theater.They gave me amusing adventures during the tours and many pleasant memories.
Tolganai Talgat, 25 years old
Hometown - Almaty, theater and movie actress
I studied at a German Theater group, which was formed to make actors for the German theater. But, having received the diploma, I did not immediately go to the state theater. For a year I worked for the independent experimental theater DAtheater, which is, unfortunately, closed now. The troupe consisted of several German specialized group graduates, who later began to work in the RNDT (The German Drama theatre).
RNDT for me is a home, though without a roof and walls. The theater, which has recently been named "Academic", lives without its own building. In fact, it has to survive. I feel sorry for the theater which has no opportunity to create in its own space. I wish we had more conditions and convenience to make new performances. Despite all the difficulties the theater continues staging new performances. Moreover, our faithful spectators have to wander along Almaty to enjoy our stage directions.
I love the German theater and I'm grateful for everything that it has given and will give to me
I take part in eight performances, which were shown this season. Now the theater is rehearsing for the opening night of a new play "Karagoz" by M. Auezov in German, in which I participate as well. Each performance is beautiful in its own way. But there is one of the very first performances in my life that I will never forget and will always love. It’s the play called "YES NO" (“ДА НЕТ”) by Berthold Brecht, directed by Natasha Dubs.
Natalia Dubs, 46 years old
Hometown – Karaganda, Acting Manager of the Theatre, director
The national German movement was really active in the 90s in Kazakhstan. Many cultural centers and the youth centers were opened; they were engaged in the spread of German culture all over the country. Teachers began to come from Germany. Some of them traveled around Kazakhstan and selected German-speaking young people to study at the German Theater Academy. I was also invited there and passed exams in Almaty. There the German Theater Academy was opened, which I later graduated from. We started playing on the stage from the second year of study.
German Drama Theater is a big part of me. It has changed me a lot; it has opened a completely different world to me, because for a long time I had nothing in common with the theater at all.
Now I direct performances. I’ve played about 30 roles. As a director I know the score of each character's development. Each role has its place within the psychophysics of the actor, because it is some kind of an emotional memory that a person has throughout his or her life.
Working in the Theatre I found who I am, because any endeavor helps to open oneself
My favorite role is Margarita from Faust. In the late 90's, the director from Germany staged the play "Margarita leaves". It was a mix from "Faust", verses by Mandelstam and "Master and Margarita."
