“Base X” presents “Do You Swear by the Children?”
She is a psychotherapist; he is a lawyer. They are a couple as much in love as they are superstitious. One evening, they swear to remain faithful to each other for ten years, for the sake of their children.
Time passes, and the end of this “term of fidelity” draws near. And with it comes the moment of truth—how heavy is it to say “I swear”?
As they prepare to cross this long-awaited milestone and demonstrate a clear conscience, morality, and propriety, doubt begins to show more and more in both of them. Bending morality in their own way, the couple enters a spiral of lies from which escape is nearly impossible.
Salomé Lelouch’s new play, “Do You Swear by the Children?”, takes us into situations that are as intractable as they are real. Because they are part of the reality of romantic relationships today. The lead roles are played by Vesela Babinova and Vladimir Zombori, who are a couple offstage as well. The cast is rounded out by Daniel Kukushev. The director is Chris Sharkov, and the set designer is Vanina Tsandeva.
Following the success of “Don’t Say That!” starring Teodora Dukhovnikova and Zahari Baharov, this is the second play by French author Salomé Lelouche to be staged in Bulgaria. The comedy captivates with its relevance and its sharp sense of humor. The text is lively, surprising, and intelligent, and the actors compete in an endless battle of small secrets and big lies.
Cast: Vesela Babinova, Vladimir Zombori,
Ekaterina Lazarevska
Daniel Kukushev or Alexander Kenderov
Director: Chris Sharkov
Author: Salomé Lelouch
Translation: Snezhina Zdravkova
Set Designer: Vanina Tsandeva
Music: Emilian Gatsov – Elbi
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Synopsis by Chris Sharkov
A man and a woman. Each has a child from a previous relationship. They swear to their children to remain faithful for 10 years.
What is the responsibility of the spoken word? Increasingly underestimated by us, accustomed to permissiveness, where anyone can say, promise, and swear to anything. The spoken word, however, possesses unsuspected power.
What is the meaning of a vow in our day and age? Is it merely a ritual or a genuine realignment of our personal moral compass? Where does infidelity occur—in the mind or in actual actions? In theater, the very intention to cheat has long held a powerful performative nature. Is it possible for a couple to preserve their love in a world of constant temptations? Does love need to be put on the line for us to remember that it exists?
These and other questions are explored in Salomé Lelouch’s new play, “Do You Swear by the Children?” They are posed in a playful and dangerous game for adults, which redefines the vow not so much as manipulation by an incomprehensible higher power, but as a pledge to oneself.
