This is a documentary performance based on true events: the father of the murdered girl and her murderer, sentenced to life imprisonment, were having a correspondence, lasting for 15 years. One man is a father who experienced an awful tragedy. Another is a cause of his sufferings, a criminal shut down in jail for ever.
"I first heard this story on the radio back in USA. I searched those two men out and that is how the idea of a documentary performance formed. ‘Black & Simpson’ is a dialogue about forgiveness, which born out the over-decennial correspondence between two utter strangers. One is Hector Black, who had tragically lost his beloved daughter; the other is Ivan Simpson, sentenced to life imprisonment. This performance is about difficulties that modern human has to surpass to go on. Most of us have no problem solving practice. It is not the accident that is important, but how it reshaped you. Hector and Ivan, two characters of this story, are fine example of how people can broaden their inner “self”, their existence and their everyday life through overcoming their pain." Cazimir Liske
"The term ‘forgiveness’ is used in everyday routine without any full sence. Forgiveness is not just a happening, but an extremely tough work. One has to walk along protracted and tiring road to attain forgiveness, like heroes of the play did. The performance is our attempt to share this experience with spectators." Dmitry Brusnikin
"When I first read the text I could not believe such story may be true. It looked rather like a finely written drama, which it is not. It is a true story, and this is what makes it so dramatic. Two men, bound with vice, become strong enough to find a way to love. This sounds unreal, but true: a man who ruined another man’s life, says ‘Forgive me and help me to love you’." Anton Kuznetsov
Cazimir Liske born in Denver (Colorado, USA). Graduated Dartmouth College (Director and Stage design), won an internship at Studio School of Moscow Academic Art Theatre. While teaching acting at Moscow Academic Art Theatre he was also a composer in a number of performances, producer, theatre pedagogue, performer and director in a number of contemporary Russian theatre productions. For example, he was a director of ‘Black & Simpson’, and co-director of ‘Sugar’, and a performer in ‘Illusions’ and ‘Grace and Grit’ at Praktika Theatre. Liske tragically deceased on April 24, 2017
Premiered on April, 2015
Media about the
The authenticity of these letters, their indeterminacy and detailed routine, repeats, dull scrutiny that any established scriptwriter would delete change our attitude to this story. Here documentary beats melodrama, the extraordinary misfortune of a true accident blocks any spectator’s attempt to put himself/ herself in characters’ place and express sincere empathy. The intimacy of the accident assists in remaining aloof from the story, in remaining unemotional. Therefore, the text is seen as an intellectual exploration and/or philosophical treatise on the boundaries of humanity.
Anna Banasyukevich