Penza, 15 September 2015. PenzaNews. The acting laboratory “First Violin” will open in October at the regional Lunacharsky Drama Theater, Sergei Kazakov, artistic director of the theater, Distinguished Artist of Russia, told PenzaNews agency.

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“We are currently compiling the groups: for adults over 19, and three for children – 6-8, 9-13 and 14-18 years,” the speaker said.

The children will undergo nine months of lessons that will feature two graduation plays, he explained.

“But most importantly, we will be liberating the children off their fears there. The studies of the basics of acting will be complimented by lessons on concentration, attention. Most importantly, their pronunciation will improve. If necessary, we will enlist the help of a speech therapist and a childhood psychologist. We also will have elocution courses,” Sergei Kazakov added.

At the same time, the adults will study the basics of acting, elocution, voice and breathing training, and audience feedback, all throughout twelve lessons twice a week, he added.

According to Sergei Kazakov, the courses will involve such artists of the Penza Drama Theater as the Distinguished Artists of Russia Anatoly Ivanov and Vasily Konopatin; Nikolai Shapovalov, Anatoly Gromov and Anna Galtseva; and himself.

The applicants will also attend workshops by renown professionals, Sergei Kazakov remarked.

Explaining the aims of the acting laboratory, the artist told PenzaNews agency that the Drama Theater seeks not only to increase its profits through these paid lessons, but also, more importantly, “make the young people be in the theater,” “make them love the theater and go to the theater.”

“[The famous Soviet and Russian actor Oleg] Tabakov has a similar school in Saratov. Many satisfactory theaters have such schools if they have their own headliners. The Saratov Youth Theater had been organizing such a theater studio, a laboratory, for over 40 years, with many people graduating from it. But not all of them necessarily became artist. They are just different – they love theaters, they love culture, they love art, they are a totally different thing,” the speaker said.

The similar experience was widespread as far back as several ages ago, Sergei Kazakov explained.

“We had gymnasiums teaching theatrical speech, theatrical gymnastics, and dances in the Tsarist age – the whole set,” the theater’s artistic director recalled.

He added that art is vital for a person, as it helps them “develop [their] mental muscles.”