Bulgarian Meryl Streep (after David Varod) 32 years does not go down from the stage
Maria Kavardzhikova was born on November 2, 1956 in Krumovgrad. He graduated from VITIZ in 1978 in the class of Prof. Nadezhda Seikova. Played in the Pernish Theater and “Tear and Laughter”. Since 1991, he has been in the troupe of the National Theater, where he played over 70 roles. More than 60 are her roles in the cinema.
She is the winner of 3 Asker awards: for “Descent from Mount Morgan” by Arthur Miller (1997), “Former Miss Small Town” by Martin McDonough (1998) at Theater 199 and “A Spanish Play” by Yasmina Reza at MGT “Behind the Channel” (2022).
Some time ago, film producer David Varod called her the Bulgarian Meryl Streep.
During the new theater season, Maria Kavardzhikov performed in 7 plays. Six in the National Theater and one in the Small City Theater “Behind the Canal”. What a great choice for the fans of the grand mother of the Bulgarian theater: “Two”, “The Footnotes”, “Flying Test”, “The Ideal Man”, “The Father”, “Parts of a Woman” and “A Spanish Play”.
We offer you a new meeting with the great actress, which will help you appreciate even better her enormous talent and acting on stage.
Maria, do you know what this kavardzhik is?
I’ve heard that in the Macedonian region that’s what they call Chorbadji peppers. My father used to say that a kavardzhik is a type of curly sheep. He is from Rodop. Everyone knows that I’m not curly. The sheep remains.
(Non)lyrical digression)
A check on Uncle Google shows that yes, kavarjik does mean curly. But don’t worry, there is no mention of a sheep at all! The word is not found in the Interpretive Dictionary of the Bulgarian language.
How the shy girl Maria
from Krumovgrad took over
the fortress called VITIZ?
She admits that she doesn’t know how it happened either. “The lost sheep appears for the exams and Prof. Nadezhda Seikova likes her. “I call her mother Nadia – said Maria. – She is a great woman. Theater is in her soul. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be who I am. She loves artists. It makes you believe that what you are doing is meaningful. And meaning!
(Non)lyrical digression)
With a diploma from VITIZ in her pocket in 1978, Maria entered the Pernish Theater. She was personally invited by its director Georgi Rusev.
Then it is. The directors of the theaters watch the graduation performances of the graduates and thus replenish their troupes with young artists. Georgi Rusev himself is a great actor and a good director. He is the man who gives the young actress a chance.
After the theater in Pernik and “Tear and Laughter” in 1991, Maria entered the National Theater. This is the time of the rallies, the protests, the beginning of the mess in the country. How does our heroine feel in this setting and in the presence of so many stars in the People’s troupe? Was he worried about them?
The weather was nice. As Miryana Basheva says, “it’s raining a little, but nice.” The troupe of the National Theater at that time had decreased in terms of “stars”, because Vasil Stefanov, the director at the time, had retired them on such a scale that people like me, who passed for young people, poured in at once and in a year or two the troupe changed totally. Stefan Danailov, Marin Yanev, Kiril Kavadarkov, who were each 45 years old, became stars. And I already had 12 years on stage. I wasn’t really scared. The stress was more from the theater itself. The people! A national institution! Olemale…
(Un)lyrical digression.)
At the beginning of 1992, the National Theater hastily retired some of its greatest actors. Forced to leave it are Georgi Georgiev-Gets, Tanya Masalitinova, Georgi Cherkelov, Slavka Slavova, Violeta Bakhchevanova, Asen Milanov, Andrey Chaprazov, Maria Stefanova and Rachko Yabandzhiev. Their orders were signed by the director of the theater Vasil Stefanov, also a pensioner. Minister of Culture is Elka Konstantinova and she is of retirement age.
None of the “old muzzles” encouraged the young actress. She just “pulls the job” and so to this day,
32 years! 32 whole years of love, dedication, joys and pains between man and stage.
The actress builds her roles in a very interesting way. He says he has an almost unerring intuition about people. She
waiting, watching and listening to what
said the director. If his
believes, follows him like a dog If not, offers what she thinks, and he, if he wants, to accept it.
Every day when there is a performance, she gets stage fright. And it cannot be changed. I’m tired already! And I’ll admit it to you, because you’re a friend, I’m thinking of playing out what I’ve got and ending… I don’t know. Time will tell. This is how the actress threatens, but she hardly believes herself.
And if we look back in time, we will see a unique statement of Maria took because of the cursed “white spot” – the biggest enemy of artists when they forget their lines.
30 years ago, “Lorenzacho” played in Narodnia. The artist Elena Ivanova has done a great make-up for the actors, like some kind of demons are on the stage.
After the first act, Maria puts on her “civilian” clothes, fully aware that the performance is over, and leaves.
In the window of VITIZ, you can see the heavy make-up and it looks stupid. She does not remember how she got back to the theater, how she put on her stage costume, how she “entered” the second act, which begins with her. … She still doesn’t know, but she still gets shivers when she thinks of him.
– How do you get out of such a “stain”?
– White spots are fixed with the help of colleagues. They put in a line, you “bite”… and so on.
Maria admits that it is difficult for her to say which role on the theater stage they are closest to. If there were five or even ten, I would find one. But they are over 70. Mother dear! Horror!!! – exclaims the actress. – I try to make them close while I work. Then comes another, and so on. And yet Vesa Zheleznova and Vasilisa Karpovna from “At the Bottom”, Arkadina, R. Nevskaya.”
And is there a role that
considered a failure?
Well, quite a failure! It happened to me that strangers met me and said to me: “Mrs. Kavardzhikova, we have seen you in one or another role. And I don’t even remember that I played her in a similar performance. Maybe that’s the failure.
So far, Maria has acted in more than 60 roles in the cinema. And not her, but she discovers him. For yourself, of course. Accidentally. Like a penny on the sidewalk. As children we used to say: “Ha, good luck!”
But it’s not the cinema that makes her popular. Fame comes from television because it enters every home. For Maria, it is from the series “Home for our children”. And in the cinema – from “Orchestra without a name” – so popular to this day.
Even while the film was being shot, the story began that the director Ludmil Kirkov did not want to film Maria in “Orchestra bez ime” because she is the wife of the actor Konstantin Tsanev, and he was his relative? I suggest we clear this rumor up.
It might be true, but I don’t know. He didn’t tell me. He was an extremely delicate and subtle person, the actress is laconic.
What are the most important things
for Maria Kavardzhikova?
Answers philosophically. Over the years, I understand that most “things” are not important at all. This is characteristic of “things”. When you share them, they seem banal.
Still philosophical, but with one idea more sharply, Maria also talks about the most difficult decision she has had to make so far.
Thank God, these difficult decisions are only mine, personal – says – I didn’t have to make decisions that would “shake your readers”. I became an actress. To command the theater, that’s important. I think so. The late wonderful colleague Vasil Dimitrov used to say: “If there are two people in the salon, it means that what you do is important to someone.
No idea why her colleagues call her “Wonderbird”? But she likes it a lot. And he loves them!
Her answer about the roles she dreams of in the cinema and in the theater is also laconic and sincere: There are none. I can’t imagine that I’ll go home in tears because I’ve fallen out with Julieta or Grandma Gitska again…
I remind Maria Kavardzhikova that she played in my first TV series “One More Child”, and her ex-husband Kosyo Tsanev in the second – “Ludmil and Ruslana”. What is their relationship with him, do you keep in touch, I ask.
Thanks for the script. Write! Our relations with Mr. Tsanev are good. CHNG, CHRD, CID, etc., we also do everything else in life together. I’m not nagging, but this question seems to be mandatory. I lived with Kosyo for 14 years, and with my current husband Ivan for 30 years. Which is the bigger number?answers the question with a question Maria.
(Un)lyrical digression.)
In 1989, Konstantin Tsanev received an invitation from the British Council for specialization in London. He leaves and doesn’t come back. Stays in Germany.
Here is his confession:
“In 1991, the family gathered in Cologne. I lived quite simply in a very small apartment, but I told them that even with an additional unprestigious job I could support them.
But Maria… She is from the Rhodopes,
broad soul, it would be difficult
adapted
And not so much because of the language, he learns. But first, she is a fantastic actress, like no other in Bulgaria. And secondly, it is structured in a different way, internally it cannot be separated from its root.”
They divorced in absentia in 1994, but remained on good terms. And today he admits that it was not easy for him. But he is convinced that such fateful decisions must always be made by oneself. Otherwise, he can always blame the other person for ruining his life. Then their little daughter Gergana stays with him, and the older Alexandra returns with her mother.
Today, everyone – both daughters and three granddaughters – are healthy and very beautiful, says Maria. And adds: The beautiful ones grow too. Yes. And they are smart. Not like your grandmother the Kavarjiklika.
For balance, I also ask about the current husband of the actress – the director Ivan Balevski. Why is he hiding it so carefully?
I don’t hide it. He just is. Edge! I don’t want to change it. I’m glad he’s by my side. But me too, of course, next to him…
