"For us, this is a second home." How Uzbekistan's only Theatre of Mimicry and Gesture works

"For us, it is a second home." How the only Mimicry and Gesture Theater in Uzbekistan works

At the Mimicry and Gesture Theater of Uzbekistan — the only such company in the country — a rehearsal is underway for the play "Tears," based on a script written by the troupe itself. The production is being prepared for the International Week of the Deaf, which will take place from September 21 to 27.

The actors are practicing the final scene — the most emotional one in the play. The main character, Asad, meets his family again after a long separation. Addressing his aunt in sign language, who had previously prevented his marriage to Aigul, the young man makes it clear that she was wrong: now he is together with his beloved and happy.

Director Oleg Oshchepkov interrupts the run-through, shows the required movement, and asks to repeat it. The participants of the scene return to their starting positions, watching the gestures and facial expressions of their partners, waiting for their cue.

Next to them is sign language interpreter Kamila Yakubzhanova. She helps during the preparation of the plays, and during our meeting, she translates questions and answers, helping to build a dialogue with the actors — deaf and hard-of-hearing people work in the troupe.

In 1973, the Republican Palace of Culture opened under the Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan. Nearby were a sports complex, a dormitory, and residential buildings for members of the society, which is why this part of the Almazar district was called the "town of the deaf."

For many years, the palace was a center of attraction for deaf and hard-of-hearing Tashkent residents — people came here for plays, concerts, and film screenings. In 2001, it was transformed into the Cultural Center for the Deaf and Deafblind. Today, the Mimicry and Gesture Theater, created by the Central Board of the Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan, operates under it. This is the only company in the country performing in sign language.

The theater is located in an inconspicuous two-story building on Karasarayskaya Street. Inside is a spacious hall for 400 spectators, a dance studio, a library, a dressing room, and a workshop for making decorations. On the walls of the foyer hang photographs from plays and tours of different years, reflecting the history of the collective.

Deputy Director Oleg Oshchepkov has been connected with the theater almost his entire life. He is hard of hearing and has spoken language. He first stepped onto this stage as a schoolboy in 1991 — as part of the dance group of specialized boarding school No. 102 for deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

"I liked performing, transforming, and conveying emotions through gestures and facial expressions. The reaction of the audience was especially inspiring: the spectators smiled, laughed, applauded, and I saw that the performance evoked a lively response from them. That's when I realized that I wanted to connect my life with the stage," Oshchepkov recalls.

After school, he entered the Tashkent Variety and Circus College, then continued his studies at the State Institute of Arts and Culture of Uzbekistan. Having received his diploma, Oleg Oshchepkov returned to his native theater as an actor. After 25 years on stage, he took the position of deputy director.

Oleg Oshchepkov.

Today, Oshchepkov directs plays and dance numbers, selects music, monitors lighting and costume preparation. If necessary, he participates in productions, although recently he prefers to remain behind the scenes, giving roles to other actors. The director explains such a wide range of duties by the small staff and limited budget of the theater.

"In our theater, actors work both on stage and behind the scenes. The theater does not have a separate technical team, so we distribute duties among ourselves: while some are performing, others operate the curtain, rearrange decorations, and monitor the lights. Everyone must help each other," Oshchepkov explains.

The troupe gathers for rehearsals after six or seven in the evening. Closer to the premiere, the actors involved in the play stay at the theater until late — they run through the production several times, check costumes, props, lighting, and sound design. People are united not only by work — they also spend their free time within these walls.

"Sometimes we can sit until night — talking, sharing thoughts, playing games, and supporting each other in every way.

People close in spirit have gathered here. For us, this is a second home

," says Oleg Oshchepkov.

The theater tries to release one new production a year. Preparation takes several months and begins with a discussion of an idea — it can be prompted by a movie, a book, or a real-life story. Oleg Oshchepkov, together with the troupe, thinks through the scenes, the characters' personalities, and distributes the roles.

Then the team analyzes the script together with sign language interpreter Kamila Yakubzhanova. It is impossible to translate lines literally into sign language — the same gesture can mean different things, and the choice depends on the context. Therefore, Oshchepkov and Yakubzhanova first determine the meaning of each line, and then select precise sign expressions and explain them to the actors. In rehearsals, they practice not only gestures, but also facial expressions, body language, and the interaction of the characters.

In parallel, they prepare voice-overs for hearing spectators. Previously, the lines were recorded in advance, but the soundtrack could diverge from the tempo of the play even due to a small delay or pause. Therefore, now the interpreter pronounces the text aloud, adjusting to the actors on stage.

Separately, the collective practices music and dance numbers. The music is turned on with powerful bass — this way, deaf and hard-of-hearing artists and spectators feel the rhythm through vibration. To enter the stage on time and keep to the beat, they use video cues: while previously the choreographer counted from the front rows, now their movements are broadcast on monitors in front of the stage.

Over the past five years, the repertoire has included the comedies "Family Traditions of Uzbekistan," "Wanted Person," "Three Uzbek Women Meet the Stars," "21st Century: Cinderella and Caucasian Robbers," as well as the first drama "Tears," which required a different emotional depth from the actors. Through gestures and facial expressions, they had to convey the complex feelings of the characters — pain, anxiety, and internal doubts.

Per year, the theater shows an average of four to five major plays — for public holidays and the International Week of the Deaf. Sometimes the artists prepare chamber programs for elderly visitors of the center. Each production is shown only a few times: returning to the old repertoire is difficult due to cast changes — roles have to be redistributed and learned anew.

In 2021, the theater participated for the first time in the Moscow festival "Territory of Gesture," where it presented the comedy "Family Traditions of Uzbekistan," as well as a program of national and modern dances. The collective took first place. Later, the artists successfully performed at festivals in Moscow, Lipetsk, and St. Petersburg. And in 2024, for the 95th anniversary of the Society of the Deaf of Uzbekistan, the troupe went on a large-scale tour of all regions of the country.

The play "Family Traditions of Uzbekistan." From the theater's archive.

There are 15 people in the permanent troupe. Not everyone has a professional acting education: some are on the staff part-time, some came as volunteers, and many combine the stage with their main job.

Everyone has their own path to the stage. Alexandra Krivousova was 12 years old when she first came to the theater in 2003 with an elderly deaf neighbor who attended meetings for pensioners. She was struck by how many people gathered at the center to communicate and spend time together.

Alexandra Krivousova. Photo: Evgeniy Sorochin / Gazeta

Later, Alexandra signed up for Oleg Oshchepkov's dance class at specialized boarding school No. 102 for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Learning that he was inviting students to the theater, she decided to try.

Her debut on the big stage took place at the age of 13 — the girl performed a lively dance to a song from the repertoire of Philipp Kirkorov, translating the text into sign language. Before going out, according to Alexandra's recollections, her heart was beating fast, but on stage the anxiety disappeared. The audience sent the girl off with applause, and since then she dreamed of returning to the spectators again and again.

At the Mimicry and Gesture Theater, Alexandra Krivousova's career began with dance numbers. She started playing in performances later. The 35-year-old actress has no specialized education — Oleg Oshchepkov and her colleagues in the troupe, whom she watched at rehearsals, helped her master roles and learn.

Most often, Alexandra plays in comedies. One of her favorite works was the production "Three Uzbek Women Meet the Stars." She played one of three friends who came from the village and saw celebrities up close for the first time. In the drama "Tears," Krivousova got an unusual role — an angry and domineering woman. Building the character of her heroine, the actress rewatched movies with similar characters and adopted their facial expressions, look, and gestures. After the premiere, Alexandra asked the audience about their impressions. Hearing that her character caused strong irritation, she realized: the image was a success, although it is the opposite of herself.

In everyday life, Alexandra works as a cleaner in a dental clinic — earnings from the stage are not enough to support her son. The clinic knows about her passion for the theater and lets her go to rehearsals, and they come to the plays with flowers. Krivousova dreams of getting a professional acting education, developing in the profession, and achieving wide recognition from the audience.

Another actor of the theater, Abbos Yuldashev, joined the troupe very recently. He spent several years behind the scenes: first he helped set up the lights, then he filmed concerts and plays. During this time, he became friends with the collective, often came to performances, and stayed to chat with the artists, although he did not intend to go on stage himself.

During the preparation of the drama "Tears," the collective faced a shortage of actors, and Abbos was offered one of the roles. At first he refused — he feared the judgment of acquaintances, but after some time he still decided to try and came to a rehearsal.

Photo: Evgeniy Sorochin / Gazeta

Since Abbos grew up in an Uzbek-speaking family, reading the script in Russian was not easy for him. Interpreter Kamila Yakubzhanova analyzed the scenes with him in sign language, and he filmed her explanations on his phone and rewatched the videos at home to memorize the lines and sequence of actions. At first, it was also difficult for him to interact with his partners, but the troupe supported him and helped him believe in himself. Over time, Abbos got used to the role and began to behave completely freely on stage.

Yuldashev's acting debut took place in May of this year. He played Asad — a kind, well-mannered, and self-confident young man from a wealthy family, ready to fight for his love for a girl named Oygul despite his parents' opinion. After the play, spectators approached Abbos to take pictures, and acquaintances sent him videos with fragments of the production. He admits that such attention was unusual for him.

Outside the theater, Abbos works as a taxi driver and can adjust his schedule for rehearsals. He is not going to become a professional actor yet. He admits that he came to the theater primarily for communication — and found people with whom he feels free, learns new words, and tries things he has never done before.

So far, little is known about the Mimicry and Gesture Theater even in Tashkent. Its main audience remains the community of the deaf and hard of hearing. In recent years, the collective has been trying to attract hearing spectators as well, so that as many people as possible learn about the theater and its actors.

A ticket to a play usually costs about 30,000 soums. The theater tries to keep an affordable price, taking into account the capabilities of its regular audience. And the performance on September 27, timed to the International Week of the Deaf, was made free for everyone.

However, ticket revenues are not enough to maintain the theater. Part of the earned funds is reinvested in productions: they buy materials, sew costumes, and create decorations. The remaining money goes to gifts for spectators and holding charity events.

The lack of funds also affects the repertoire: to expand it, money is needed, and it is not enough. Therefore, the theater usually releases one play a year and shows it several times. It is not possible to return old productions to the stage due to the frequent change of the cast.

The lack of funding also limits the geography of performances. The troupe receives invitations to international festivals, but cannot always take advantage of them. Recently, the collective had to refuse a trip to Kazakhstan, because the artists had to pay for travel and accommodation themselves. Due to the lack of funds, tours in Uzbekistan are also irregular, although residents of the regions are very much looking forward to their performances.

"We want to perform more often on our stage, put on new plays, and participate in foreign festivals. For this, the theater needs stable salaries, additional staff, and funds for costumes, decorations, and trips. We hope that over time we will have the necessary opportunities. Then the theater will be able to develop, and our plays will be seen by spectators not only here, but also abroad," says Oleg Oshchepkov.