The Island of Love

Atyrau Oblast Theater of Drama named after M. Utemissov finished premiering Island of Love, a play written by Adilbek Tauassarov, a 20th century Kazakh play writer.
The play portrays an episode of three characters: a forester (performed by Assylbek BADEL) and two loving hearts – a doctor, Marat, in his fifties (by Yeltai SHAMANOV) and his beautiful young wife Aina (performed by a debutant Nurshat ARALBAI, a graduate of Zhurgenov Institute of Arts, Almaty).

The story starts with the husband and wife stop in woods on an island at night after vehicle breakdown. Yet, this doesn’t make them sad – they are happy together. For now.

Marat decides to prepare some food for Aina – he goes to a river and falls dropping his food parcel to the flowing water. This is a half problem – he injured his waist when fell.

Growing hungry and with no food, they start realizing what a bad situation it is. In addition, Marat can’t walk.

Suddenly they remember a forester whom they had sent to the right about before. They ask him to help them with food and pain relievers.

The forester is willing to help, but… for money. For big money.

In a rush, Marat checks all his pockets seeking cash while the forester looks at him with eyes full of hatred.

It turns out the forester has been long waiting to revenge on Marat for his wife’s death. When forester’s wife, badly sick, was in hospital where Marat was a surgeon, Marat kept asking money from the forester – allegedly for ‘medications, for surgery, for care.’ Poor lady died anyway.    

Not at once, but Marat admits the woman’s death was his fault. He extends his hand with money to the forester, but the latter says the money is not enough and asks for a greater payment – Aina, the doctor’s beautiful wife crying by her paralyzed husband.

Marat agrees.

Aina, who at first did not believe in the forester’s accusations, now understands what a bad person her beloved spouse was. She leaves Marat amid cold dark forest and goes with the forester.      

The play reflects a famous folk saying - as the call, so is the echo.

Thanks to actors’ expressive performance the play worth watching.

The next show starts in January in the Utemissov Theater of Drama.

By Ainur SAPAROVA