by Andreea Telehoi, photo: Maria Ștefănescu
Andreea TELEHOI: What drew you to The Bear? Why this play, and why now?
Ccheikh OKBAOUI: Anton Chekhov’s play The Bear is captivating for any adventurous director. Personally, I’m drawn to open texts that offer a wide range of directorial choices, and The Bear, with its comic nature, provides exactly that. What attracted me most to this play is the richness of the ideas it presents, and the way it shows that love is the only path to overcoming life’s problems and hardships.
I chose this text as a way to move away from the directorial style I had previously been working with — psychodrama and tragedy — and shift toward comedy. In today’s world, people are exhausted by war, sorrow, and darkness. They long for moments of joy, happiness, and laughter to ease their pain. That’s why I believe this play will offer audiences both enjoyment and delight.
A.T.: Chekhov called The Bear a “vaudeville” or “farce.” What do you think gives it staying power in today’s world? What themes in the play resonate the most with modern audiences?
C.O.: What grants The Bear its enduring appeal is its deeply human and timeless theme — a subject that remains meaningful across generations. The play explores the emotional ups and downs that shape the human experience, ultimately celebrating love as the force that overcomes conflict and hardship.
Though framed within a comedic structure, the humor serves as a mask behind which the characters express their inner turmoil and desires freely. This stylistic choice allows for a deeper emotional resonance, as it strips away pretense and reveals universal truths. Modern audiences can easily relate to the story and its characters’ behavior — these are experiences that transcend time and place, echoing emotions familiar to all of us.
A.T.: Did you stay true to the original setting, or did you update it for a different time or place? What motivated that choice?
C.O.: I did not strictly adhere to the original dramatic structure of the play, although I preserved the dialogues almost entirely, with only a few minor additions. Instead, I chose to update the narrative and approach the story from a fresh perspective that aligns more closely with today’s audiences and the mindset of the contemporary viewer.
A.T.: Were there any specific challenges in staging such a short, intense piece?
C.O.: The main challenge I faced was how to transform a short text into a full one-hour theatrical performance without causing the audience to lose interest. To achieve this, I incorporated live music performed by professional musicians, using it as a key dramatic element that accompanies and enhances the story. I also integrated traditional dance from the Algerian Sahara, along with relying on skilled professional actors to bring depth and authenticity to the performance.
A.T.: Do you have a favorite moment in the play, either as a director or as an audience member?
C.O.: As a director, I cannot say that I favor one particular moment in my play over another, because all the scenes together reflect my complete directorial vision. Even as a viewer, I would say that I enjoyed every moment of this play.
A.T.: What was your rehearsal process like? Did anything unexpected come out of working closely with the actors?
C.O.: The training was good and continuous, and of course, one of the beautiful and magical aspects of theatrical training is the emergence of the unexpected. Sometimes, actors suggest a way of performing, a gesture, or a line delivery that impresses you as a director — and you ask to keep it and develop it further. At times, things may even get out of hand, especially when the moment is particularly funny.
A.T.: There’s a lot of emotional volatility in The Bear. How do you direct actors to shift so quickly—yet believably—between moods? Do you think the quick emotional shift—from antagonism to affection—is realistic or symbolic? How did you help the actors develop those roles?
C.O.: Yes, the play contains many emotional shifts — one of Chekhov’s strengths as a writer. Any skilled actor would be eager to take on a complex, emotionally volatile character like those found in The Bear.
Working with professional actors makes it easier to guide them through the quick transitions in tone and emotion that the roles require, as this is part of the necessary rhythm of performance. I believe this emotional transformation reflects a blend of realism and symbolism at once.
As a director, I tried to bring the characters closer to the actors through the magic question: What if? What if you were Popova, or Smirnov, or Luka?
A.T.: What do you hope audiences walk away thinking or feeling after watching this production? What kind of reactions have you gotten from audiences so far?
C.O.: What I hope the audience takes away from this play, first and foremost, is a sense of enjoyment — and secondly, a moment of reflection on the beautiful message within the text: that true love always triumphs in the end, and that we should never be afraid to express our noble human emotions.
Many of the audience’s responses reflected a clear understanding of the play’s core idea, along with empathy for the characters and genuine enjoyment of the comedic moments — especially those sparked by the rich and striking contrasts between the characters.
A.T.: What would you say to someone who thinks Chekhov is outdated or boring?
C.O.: To anyone who thinks Chekhov is outdated and boring, I invite them to carefully read his works rather than judge them superficially. I consider The Bear to be one of the timeless masterpieces of world theater — a play that never truly dies. It simply requires a creative director with a clear, bold, and distinctive vision to reinterpret and present it freshly to the audience of their own era.
A.T.: What’s next for you after this production? Any other Chekhov works you’d like to explore?
C.O.: After this project, I am considering directing Shakespeare’s Hamlet in a new and unprecedented way — as a satirical comedy. Perhaps afterward, I will return to Chekhov with other plays.
