Theatre Society Blog. Episode 2. Vika Kriukova
PART 1
Anabell: How do you like to be introduced?
Vika: My name is Vika, I prefer just Vika. Viktoria is a very long form and it’s too poetical. I’m a girl, a human, an actress and a journalist. And now I’m leaving the best moment of my life, I’m developing in all the spheres I’ve just mentioned. It’s really cool, but of course first of all you start to develop as a human and then the rest will come. I mean, I have some difficulties but I think I’m doing really good and I’m happy to be here.
A.: And I’m really happy to hear about all those processes of yours. Let’s maybe now concentrate more on your acting journey. So, you have this human side, journalist side. How about acting? How did it all started?
V.: I just can’t live without it. Sometimes when I’m alone in my room I’m just acting some characters. And then I go to the shower and remind myself to be in the moment and stop acting those characters. But it’s really so amazing how you can feel so many different emotions, be different! I think that the best is when you believe in what you act. Of course there are a lot of techniques, someone thinks, for example, that Meisner is great (and he is) but the most important thing is if it works when you go on stage. In acting you need to use what works specifically for you. And of course listen to the director (smiles).
I have my own methods. For example today I’m going to act on camera the character that is very angry and he is taking about killing people. Some people would think: «hm, how does it feel to kill people?» but I would just remember the moments I was really angry. It works for me, this way I catch the state that character is in. And I hope that if I believe I’m angry, people will believe me.
It all started in 2016 when I approached Alex Borovenskiy with a project that didn’t work out but it was the first time we met. He showed me the trick with the stick and said: try to learn it. I’m still trying (smiles).
A.: Which trick?
Vika: The one when you need to hold the stick with one hand.
A.: Oh, right, pretty useful for the inner balance.
Vika: Yes, you have to actually have it to hold the stick. So my acting experience started in ProEnglish Drama School, I’m calling it my Alma Mater. (Smiles) After, it was a period when I was lost and had some difficulties in life and this is exactly when Denmark and Højskolen Snoghøj came to me and changed my life. I came there being really closed and they helped me, spiritually, psychologically, with the students life. It all worked for me step by step. We had the Anger Group, for example. It was based on the principle of sharing, we were gathering and sharing the stories about when we felt really angry. After it, we would write a script, perform it on stage. It was like a full performance, with music, movement. We really wanted and needed to express those emotions. Every performance triggered me, touched me, every character was as if made for me. I had a chance to work with Vibike Wrede, danish director, really cool and supportive person. We worked on different characters including Charlotta in The Cherry Orchard, I made her really funny. There was also a performance fully based on the improvisation connected to jazz, it was beautiful. A lot of mixed styles. Unfortunately then came Corona and I had to come to Ukraine earlier then expected.
Nastya Humenuk made a documentary about my life in Ink, called «can’t pretend». A movie about how I changed and how I found a family. This is what acting is for me as well. Family. Like we are here, in the ProEnglish.
Actually, before Højskolen Snoghøj I had other project I took part in acting a dog, it was pretty coinciding with my state back then. It was my first film acting experience. Now, I feel that film acting is more interesting for me. Theatre as well, but camera catches something so deeply hidden inside of you, your inner world through your eyes, it’s so cool.
PART 2
Anabel: How did you understand your love to the film acting?
V: Well, thanks to Alina Zievakova. We did the course Hero’s Journey. It wasn’t about the film acting itself…
A: but it is developing your personality, human side as you said in the begging.
V: Yeah, and sharing this in front of people and on camera. It was the first step to push me forward. I understood what does it mean to show up during acting. There is some connection between how good my acting is and how present I am. I need to show up in the moment. And during the actual Film Acting course Alina gave me the texts that helped me even more to understand myself, those texts were like mirrors to my inner state and it helped me to use my personal experience in acting. And when I watched the results, I liked them a lot, especially the dialogue with Nastya, I think it’s really beautiful.
A: So now you will concentrate on the movies?
V: Well, I still prefer to combine, I feel like I still have some fear of public speaking. And we all know, when you are afraid of something, means you really want it and you should go for it. And it’s really easier to act on camera for me. So I really want to combine. And actually, I’m going soon to my first film casting! I think now I know something about it so, let’s see!
A: Nice to hear that!
V: Yeah, it’s good to have this experience. You know, acting was the first thing that helped me to drag me out of my head and personal problems. I know that acting isn’t exactly the therapy but sometimes it can be. When I work on something serious, I just watch a movie or go to theatre, and coming into this different imaginary woulds, I can relax. I think this is what people are searching in art and why are they are coming to theatre, to dive into this different worlds. It is magic and ProEnglish is the place that makes this magic, so thank you very much!
