Evening is adapted from the classic work of Belarusian playwright Alexey Dudarev, written in the 1980s and now regarded as a national classic. Initially presented as a stage reading, it was later included in the repertoire of the Republican Theater of Belarusian Dramaturgy in 2024 as a full production.

 

 

 

The play tells the story of three elderly villagers living in solitude: their children have long left, and they are accompanied only by the sky, the earth, and an old radio. The stage design is minimalist and symbolic, with cameras and projections creating a sense of “gaze,” while suspended table models suggest village imagery, blurring the line between reality and illusion.

Through creative reinterpretation, the director and actors extend the lyrical qualities of the text into philosophical “conversations,” in which everyday details gradually rise into reflections on time, fate, life, and death. As critics note, the play is not only a meditation on the Belarusian countryside, but also a universal inquiry into the past and future, solitude and belonging.

 

 

Evening transcends time and place, embodying the spirit of national culture while carrying a universal resonance. The folk songs performed on stage imbue the production with a lyrical atmosphere that can be understood and felt by audiences of all ages and nationalities.

 

 

Alexey Dudarev (1950–2023) was a renowned Soviet and Belarusian playwright and screenwriter, honored as an Honored Artist of Belarus. Born in 1950 into a peasant family, he served in the army and worked as a laborer before graduating from the Belarusian State Theatre and Art Institute in 1976. He began his career as an actor and literary assistant at the Theatre for Young Audiences, later working at Belarusian Television (1979–1983). From 1987 he was Secretary of the Belarusian Union of Theatre Workers, became editor-in-chief of Art magazine in 1991, and from 1992 served as Chairman of the Union.Dudarev’s works explore moral, ethical, and spiritual issues, rural life, and wartime memory.

 

His characters are portrayed as real people—emotional, sometimes fallible, yet sincere. His most notable plays include Evening, Threshold, The Common Soldiers, and Do Not Leave Me, translated into many languages. His works were staged at leading theatres such as the Leningrad BDT, the Maly Theatre, and the Moscow Art Theatre, with several adapted into films, including White Dew and The Brest Fortress.He received numerous awards, including the Lenin Komsomol Prize (1984), the USSR State Prize (1985), the title of Honored Artist of Belarus (1991), the Union State Prize in Literature and Arts (2002), and the Belarusian National Theatre Prize. Dudarev passed away on February 27, 2023, at the age of 72, and was buried at the Eastern Cemetery in Minsk.

 

MAIN ACTOR

 

Hanna Anisenka
Born on May 8, 1969, in Minsk. Studied Philology (Russian language and literature) at Belarusian State University (1987–1993), where she also participated in the Student Theatre. Graduated in Drama Directing from the Belarusian State Academy of Arts (1998) and received a BA in Arts and Directing from Belarusian State University of Culture (2002). She has been with the RTBD since 2001, and also taught theatre in specialized schools. Hanna became the first professional hospital clown in Belarus. Until 2016, alongside her theatre work, she practiced clown therapy at the National Research Center for Pediatric Oncology and Hematology and the Minsk City Rehabilitation Center for Children, while leading workshops with international colleagues. In 2011, she was awarded the Francysk Skaryna Medal for her contributions to theatre and society.

 

 

Valyantsin Salauyou
Born on January 20, 1956, in Stoubtsy, Minsk region. Worked as a welder, electrician, and stage manager at the People’s Theatre of the Minsk Tractor Plant Palace of Culture. Graduated from the Belarusian State Theatre and Art Institute in 1986 (class of People’s Artist of Belarus Z. Bravarskaya). From 1986 to 2012, he was an actor at the Yakub Kolas National Academic Drama Theatre in Vitebsk. Since 2013, he has been with the RTBD. He was awarded the Francysk Skaryna Medal in 2006 and granted the honorary title of Honored Artist of the Republic of Belarus in 2012.

 

 

Ihar Sidorchyk
Born on January 17, 1956, in Minsk. Graduated from Secondary School No. 2 and attended the Theatre of Youth Creativity under V. P. Moroz. In 1973, entered the Belarusian State Theatre and Art Institute, studying under Vera Redlikh, August Milavanau, Andrei Korsakovsky, and Ilya Kurgan. Graduated in 1977 as a drama and film actor. From 1977 to 1979, worked at the Mogilev Drama Theatre under Yu. Mironenko. From 1979 to 2016, he was an actor at the Republican Theatre of Young Spectators. Since 2021, he has been working at the RTBD.

 

 

Hanna Lebedzeva was born on March 5, 2002, in Lepel, Vitebsk Region. In 2017, she graduated from the Lepel Children’s School of Arts. In 2019, she entered the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts and graduated in 2023 with a degree in “Folk Art (Theatre).” Since 2023, she has been working at the Republican Theatre of Belarusian Drama (RTBD).

 

 

Nadzeya Tsviatkova was born on May 7, 1985, in Maiseyeushchyna village, Barysaw District, Minsk Region. In 2007, she graduated from the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts. She has been working at the Republican Theatre of Belarusian Drama (RTBD) since 2007.

 

 

Stsiapan Krauchuk was born on May 20, 1998, in Monchegorsk, Murmansk Region (Russia). In 2025, he graduated from the Belarusian State Academy of Arts with a degree in “Theatre Directing (Drama Theatre),” under the mentorship of V. U. Katavitski. He has been working at the Republican Theatre of Belarusian Drama (RTBD) since 2023.

 

HONORED COLLECTIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS “REPUBLICAN THEATER OF BELARUSIAN DRAMATURGY”
The Republican Theater of Belarusian Dramaturgy (Minsk, Belarus) was established in 1990 as a laboratory theater to support and develop Belarusian dramaturgy. Over the years of its existence RTBD has become an integral part of Belarusian culture and has taken a leading position in the modern Belarusian theater. On stage – psychological theater, attentive to the inner world of man, Belarusian folklore in modern processing, associative plastic theater. The productions combine satire and lyricism, grotesque and realistic accuracy. The basis of the repertoire – more than 70% of the productions – are the works of Belarusian authors: Nikolai Matukovsky, Frantishk Olechnovich, Leopold Rodewicz, Konstantin Steshik, Vasil Bykov, Vladimir Korotkevich and others. In addition, the playbill includes works by classics of world literature, such as Alexander Vampilov, Alexander Ostrovsky, Martin McDonagh, Gerald Sibleyras, Nikolai Gogol. The Center for Belarusian Dramaturgy operates at the theater, which holds readings of new Belarusian plays, laboratories, internships, master classes and seminars, contests and other events aimed at supporting and developing the national dramaturgy. In 2010 the RTBD was awarded the title “Honored Collective of the Republic of Belarus” for high achievements in the field of theatrical art and significant contribution to the development of national culture. The Republican Theater of Belarusian Dramaturgy, a theater widely known outside Belarus, represents Belarusian culture and art at the international level.