GITIS Directing faculty’s graduate Ksenia Samodurova presented a show “What Were You Doing Last Night?”, by playwright Dmitry Danilov, at the Samarkand Regional Russian Drama Theatre named after A.P. Chekhov (Uzbekistan).
The work began in the spring of 2024, when Russian Theatre Abroad Support Center, held a directing laboratory in Samarkand. Following the lab, the theatre’s board selected Ksenia’s sketches to be developed into a full-scale performance. In February 2025, Ksenia returned to Uzbekistan to begin rehearsals, and a month later the production has been brought to the stage.
“It is a great honour to work with the brilliant play of Dmitry Danilov, alongside artists Antonina Guryanova and Ekaterina Lamyikina, and composer Ruslan Sabirov. I am deeply grateful to everyone involved in creating this production. A special thank you to the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia for making this project possible, allowing me to discover the Samarkand Theatre and immerse myself in the unique atmosphere of another country and culture,” Samodurova shares her impressions of the work.
“A refined sense of style, a fresh interpretation of the playwright, and a unified ensemble of actors on stage—this is what defines the production of What Were You Doing Last Night? Theatre should not only entertain but also shake one’s feelings! And that is exactly what the audience experienced after the premiere. The entire artistic team looks forward to continue its collaboration with the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia and director Ksenia Samodurova,” says Hasan Burkhanov, actor and a theatre’s director.
The production is supported by the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia.
