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Cherny (Black) Kvadrat

To give a short answer to the question what the Cherny Kvadrat is, seems to be rather difficult. Indeed, the Cherny Kvadrat, or Black Square, is a center of modern theatrical art, where many interesting and innovative projects are carried out.

First of all, the Cherny Kvadrat is an extremely popular theatre in Kiev. The theatre of improvisation appeared in the Ukrainian capital in the early 1990s. There is a funny legend about the foundation of the Cherny Kvadrat. Once in some theatrical studio a "real disaster", a "horrible nightmare" that haunts any actor, happened. The theatre house was full, the audience gathered to enjoy the new play, but the performance wasn't ready. Then the actors walked out on the stage and bravely started to improvise. The performance ended with a thunderous ovation.

The repertoire of the theater stretches from improvisations to modern performances, experimental theatrical projects and even academic plays. Sometime the troupe takes some famous plots or combines several plays, and finally creates an absolutely new project. The key remarks are learnt but everything else is an improvisation. Sometimes the troupe goes even further and only the plot is discussed and determined. The improvisation presupposes that every single performance is authentic and unique and couldn't be recreated as it is determined by so many factors that never coincide again. Actors and viewers plunge into the story and very often even can't predict how the plot will unravel. One can justly assert that every time at the Cherny Kvadrat Theatre the audience sees a completely different play.

The extremely popular theatre is full every night. There are great many anxious young people to see innovative performances of classical and modern plays.

The troupe of the Cherny Kvadrat is a prize-winner of many international festivals. The theatre successfully took part in the festivals of amateur theatres and avan-guard theatres.

Secondly, the theatre is a studio, where the young actors study the art of acting and method of improvisation. The Cherny Kvadrat Theatre supports and trains people at all skill levels to find and develop expression in movement, theater and music.

The director of the studio thinks that even if a person doesn't plan to be an actor, the Cherny Kvadrat can give a lot to him. There the whole range of relationships between people is studied and played. And each student of the studio has a unique opportunity to play and improvise many situations and, what is more important, to learn to analyze them and find the way out.

Thirdly, the theatre carries out a research work. It strives to find not only new forms of expression, but pays great attention to the problems of theatrical education, trying to work out new methods and techniques.
To sum it up, the Cherny Kvadrat is not only a theatre of improvisation, but also a studio and a scientific theatrical laboratory. The theatre provides a gathering place that inspires the art and spirit of improvisation.