Here is a brief summary of the play. A national singing competition is taking place in the capital. As winning the contest helps to launch emerging singers on the road to music stardom, the main character, Arzuv, and her rivals Maksat and Chary are going to win it. While Arzuv only wants to make the most of her singing talent and thoroughly prepares for the competition, Maksat and Chary hatch dishonest plans to eliminate their stronger fellow competitor.

… When the young men meet Arzuv at the Music Conservatory, they tell her that the competition has come to an end and she should return home. However, composer Aydyn Amanov steps in to save the situation and the young woman resumes practicing for the competition. However, the mean-spirited plotters lie to Aydyn’s wife about her husband’s infidelity…

During an angry scene, Aydyn’s wife, Myakhriban, accidentally drops a piece of paper with the poem ‘Where Do the Feelings Go Away?’ written on it. Arzuv, who finds the lines deeply moving, requests that the composer set the poem to music. And the song is chosen to be performed at the competition!

Meanwhile, the main character’s classmates and mother become directly involved in the chain of events, things get more complicated and the situation around Arzuv grows increasingly tense. Finally, on the competition day Arzuv finds herself being locked inside the apartment building she lives in…

Maksat now sees himself as a winner of the competition and dreams of receiving a top accolade. Like all cautionary tales, the story illustrates the triumph of good over evil and has a happy ending. Arzuv overcomes all the difficulties and wins the competition singing the song entitled (as you have already guessed) ‘Where Do the Feelings Go Away?’!

-Intended for young viewers, our production features a cast of young actors, their peers, director and Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Gulyalek Akmuradova said in a conversation. The work is her directorial debut.

As for the cast, special mention must be made of Dilshat Melyaeva’s wonderful performance as the main character’s wife, Myakhriban, a loving, sensitive, strong-willed and wise woman, who makes every effort to restore harmony in her family life.

The husband and wife duo Merjen and Begench Garlyev perform the principal roles of Arzuv and Aydyn. The parts of unsympathetic and grotesquely miserable characters, Maksat and Chary, are played by Magtymguly Kurbanov and Atajan Annaberdyev. Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Perkhat Babaev and Azat Didarov really impress with their vivid portrayal of their roles.

There are several scenes in Govshutgeldy Danatarov’s play that feature a funny girl named Ziba. Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Gulshat Takhirova excels in her performance as Ziba, adding deft touches of humor to the production.

‘The Ship of Love’ boasts the dramatic music selected by Selbi Niyazova, a teacher at the Maya Kulieva Turkmen National Conservatory.

- As the Theater’s artistic director, I have been watching the entire production process with keen interest but I haven’t directly interfered in it, People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Kakajan Ashirov shares his impressions. – I wanted the production director and actors to be their own masters and have more freedom to generate bold ideas and to experiment. I am confident that the work injected with youthful drive and creative solutions will be given a warm reception by audiences.

Govshutgeldy Danatarov deserves our special thanks for his play, which is a harmonious blend of family values, a love of art, talent and a strong desire to make one’s dream a reality… We wish the new play, poetically called ‘The Ship of Love’ and brimming with talent and inspiration, a safe and happy journey in the theatrical ocean!