Shymkent's "Razrabotka": How a Three-Person Theater Made Almaty Residents Laugh

The only private independent theater in Shymkent, Razrabotka, visited Almaty on tour and broke the mold, both for itself and for the audience.

According to the Almaty Theaters Directory compiled by ARTiSHOK students, there are around 40 independent theater groups in Almaty.

In contrast, Shymkent has only one, established just last year. This helps explain why Razrabotka has only two performances: Candidates, based on Jordi Galceran's play The Gronholm Method, and Life After Death by Fedor Zhelne.

The latter was introduced as a surprising debut to the Almaty audience.

Last summer, three Shymkent Russian Drama Theater members decided to start their own theater.

Alex Sardak, along with Alena and Maxim Butakov, became pioneers in the city, as no one had attempted to shake up the audience, which was accustomed to traditional academic theater. 

Shymkent embraced their initiative, and the first productions quickly sold out.

However, this success was likely due to the more classical style of those performances. The same cannot be said for Life After Death, directed by Maxim Butakov, which took a very different approach.

Life After Death is a true gut check of a performance.

The main character’s mother dies, and he discusses it in an entirely mundane way, occasionally veering into dark satire. The performance flirts with the edge of "blasphemy," but Alex Sardak's captivating charisma keeps it just on the right side of provocative.

There's nothing particularly extraordinary about the production — no elaborate scenery, complex stage designs, and deep philosophical musings.

Yet, it feels incredibly organic. It’s sharp, biting, raw — and, strangely enough, genuinely funny.

Do you know the main difference between the audiences in Almaty and Shymkent? – Alex Sardak asks, before answering himself. Almaty audience is less conservative. Our people are more reserved. There are a lot of dark jokes in this play, and the Almaty audience showed a real reaction – the one that should be. It’s the kind of laughter where you’re embarrassed to laugh, worried the person next to you might judge you. We’ve never seen that kind of reaction in Shymkent.

The production is designed to appeal to a modern audience, both in its tone and in the venues chosen for its performances (in Almaty, it was shown at the BUNKER Art Shelter and the Yermashov Amateur Theater).

Razrabotka is fundamentally focused on introducing the younger generation to culture, however the founders, now in their 30s, no longer see themselves as part of this generation.

There are plenty of young people in Shymkent, and I want to give them something to think about. At the same time, I want to involve the older generation, who are used to the more traditional Russian drama. Not everyone accepts it, but some have returned for a second viewing. Though some of them did cross themselves afterward, – Alex said laughing. We’re already receiving requests for training from young people, which is important because the theater currently has just three people. All that’s left is to secure our own building, and we’re ready to expand!

Despite the boldness of the production, the overall response from the tour has been positive. Razrabotka has a clear vision, valuable experience, and, most importantly, talent.

Life After Death could easily be staged at almost any independent theater in Almaty, and it would undoubtedly be a success even with the seasoned audience of the southern capital.

Original Author: Alena Timofeeva