Henry Fisher on Nostr: I had the chance to visit the play "Әуежай" (Airport) - and I must admit that ...

I had the chance to visit the play "Әуежай" (Airport) - and I must admit that it didn't quite appeal to me. The director tried to cover too many topics: homophobia, nationalism, the search for identity, language issues, social inequality, migration, the lack of opportunities, and the gap between civil society and the authorities. The result was a mix of themes and images that didn't really say anything.

On stage, there was a stereotypically masculine gay man, a combative z-patriot, a silly civic activist, a hysterical feminist, a professor of cultural studies with a jacket and pants tucked into socks and wearing a white cap, a clumsy official who couldn't answer a single question, and a spirit of an influencer planning to "move to the USA." They all tried through screams, cries, tears, and snot to "piece together national identity."

For some reason, the audience was divided into Russian-speaking and Kazakh-speaking groups, then everyone sang the national anthem together, and it all ended with the usual "everything will be fine!"

#Theatre #Culture #Identity #Society #Kazakhstan