Fourth International Festival of Russian-speaking Children's and Youth Theaters in Washington, DC

Less than 2 months left until the Fourth International Festival of Russian-speaking Children's and Youth Theaters, which will take place on 30 May — 1 June 2014 in Washington (DC). Very soon the drama studios will gather again, and their leaders, not similar to each other, but united by one idea and one trade.

A question to Anastasia Vorontsova, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Russian-speaking Children's and Youth Theatre Festival in Washington, DC.

— Who is coming to the Festival this year?

— This year, interest in our festival was expressed by theater groups from all over the world — USA, Canada, Italy, France and Russia. Now to participate in the contest more than ten teams from Canada, Texas, Connecticut, Georgia, Virginia and Maryland have already registered.

This year the festival participants and their guests can enjoy a kaleidoscope of performances in Russian, among which there are tales of comedy and drama, as well as a rich educational and entertainment program consisting of workshops, master classes and excursions. Each director of the theater will receive expert evaluation of the performance from the judges, who are filmmakers and actors, those coming from Russia and those permanently residing in the United States.

Directors of children's theater ... The scope of these people is quite unique...

Not only because theater — it's a special world, and not only because the children — are special creatures, but also because the specialists in this field today are just nowhere prepared... Research it and you will see — you can get diplomas of a theater director, director of puppet theater, circus director, stage director, television producer. However, if your actors are 5 to 15 years old, you will face the need for self-education. And then you'll face work no easier than quarry labor! How can you separate useful inclusions from heaps of ore within boulders of various techniques, from fossilized old techniques, from the viscous clay of doubt? And yet do not lose heart — we 're here to help!

In preparation for the fourth event the Festival Organizing Committee is publishing a series of articles on the specifics of working with children's theater groups and conducts online seminars (webinars) for directors of children's theater.