This year, Gurbannazar Ezizov would have turned 85. On the 1st of March, artists honoured the poet's memory with an exhibition of contemporary art. And today, a new play is being prepared for production in memory of the poet at the National Music and Drama Theatre named after Magtymguly.
The authors of the play «Gurbannazar Ezizov» are the Amangeldiyev brothers: Hydyr and Ylyas. They took the phrase «I have never pitied myself» as an epigraph to their work. These words, spoken by the poet, summarised his life, in which he sought to do as much good as possible. It is noteworthy that the playwrights have maintained friendship with the poet's family and friends for many years. Therefore, the play carries the biographical style of Gurbannazar Ezizov.
- We used to live next door, - says the poet's daughter Yazgul Ezizova. - Hydyr and Ylyas were teenagers and looked up to dad as an idol. And when they grew up and became journalists, they published many articles about my father. The translation of one of the articles becomes an exhibit at the annual Nury Halmamedov festival «Sounds of the Dutar».
Our family is grateful to the playwrights and actors of the Magtymguly Theatre for their desire to stage a play about Gurbannazar Ezizov, which will be interesting and useful to many generations of Turkmen citizens.
Young director Mekan Jumabayev, based on the poet's work, came to the conclusion that Gurbannazar Ezizov had a premonition of his early death, and introduced some mystification into the play - the presence of a character from the poem «Night Guest». In the last moment of the poet's life, episodes of his unfairly short, but unusually bright life flashed before his eyes - this late-motive is taken as the basis of the play.
- In the play «Gurbannazar Ezizov» I want to reveal the image of the poet, to understand why he was in a hurry to do good and why he never spared himself, - says Mekan Jumabayev. - Perhaps the reason is precisely that he had a premonition of how short his life's path was and how much he needed to do for his family, for people, for himself.
We will add that lovers of Ezizov's poetry and theatrical productions are eagerly awaiting the premiere of the play.
