Karagoz, after a play by Kazakh literary classic Mukhtar Auezov, premiered on October 5, 2021, and immediately became a significant event in Kazakhstan's cultural life. This sound drama production – the first in the country – was staged by Farhad Moldagali, founder of the independent SHAM Theatre and winner of the Daryn State Youth Prize and the UMAI National Prize. This genre allowed him to give the old plot a fundamentally new sound, where the dramatic action is inextricably linked with the music and the sound score. The choice of Auezov's play is also deeply symbolic: it was Karagoz that opened the first professional Kazakh theater in 1926, and for the director, this literary work provided a bridge between the origins of national drama and the modern theatrical language.
The plot revolves around the tragic love story of a young woman named Karagoz for her cousin, the bard Syrym. Strict Kazakh customs forbid marriage between relatives: families oppose the union, Syrym becomes an outcast, and Karagoz is forced into marriage with a worthy young man named Narsha. Unable to bear the separation fr om the man she loves, the heroine loses her mind and dies. The director deliberately chose the first edition of Auezov's play to emphasize the initial intensity of the conflict.
Karagoz became a true hallmark of Farhad Moldagali – it was after this production that he came to the fore. The work was presented at the 6th Samgau International Theatre Festival in Astana, wh ere it won the Best Direction award, and then enjoyed a successful run in Almaty. It was subsequently revived at the Kazakh State Academic Theater for Children and Youth named after G. Musrepov, where Moldagali served as artistic director from 2021 to 2026. His productions have repeatedly been featured in the programs of the International Chekhov International Theatre Festival.
