Actress of the Theater-Studio of Film Actor Yana Khodanovich-Lapanitsyna, upon closer acquaintance… surprises! For actors, this is probably mandatory – the ability to surprise, otherwise there would be no art. Everything is clear: the profession itself is mysterious, full of professional secrets and mysteries of creativity that defy logic, and all this inevitably leaves an imprint on the artist’s personality… But Yana turned out to be even taller than it seems from the audience. In addition, in real life she is much younger than most of the characters she has played. These are “firstly” and “secondly”. And you can also add “thirdly” and “fourthly”, because during our conversation the topic changed abruptly several times. Just like the fate of our heroine.
…Yana has the ideal acting appearance: she can be presented in any proposed circumstances, be it a classical play or an experimental production. She can be easily and organically incorporated into the image of our compatriot or a resident of any “abroad”, at any time, from the Middle Ages to the present, in a fairy tale and in harsh reality too.
Yana is very emotional: when she talks about work and family, relatives and teachers, she sometimes cannot hold back her tears. She laughs the same way – openly and contagiously… And, of course, Yana is simply beautiful, perfectly built, flexible. This is probably quite enough to enter the acting profession. But in order to truly succeed in it, many more qualities are needed, including human and female experience, a living intellect open to everything new, spiritual depth, and the ability to empathize. Yes, and a sense of humor, of course!
And all this is in the young actress, and all this did not “grow” out of nowhere.
She has been in the profession for almost eight years. And over all the previous years, Yana has accumulated serious experience of choice, or, more importantly, experience of decision-making. Life seemed to deliberately put obstacles in her way that could either be accepted or overcome.
Now, with the passage of time, Yana understands: she needed to go through just such a difficult path to herself. Everything had its meaning, its meaning, everything played its role – such a theatrical pun… Today Yana is closely involved in the repertoire of her native Theater-Studio of a Film Actor and plays very different heroines, different from each other and not at all like her.
But not everything worked out right away for the girl, who to some may seem like the living embodiment of the word “success.”
***
Yana comes from the village of Izha, Vileika district, Minsk region. She always studied well and graduated from her “Belarusian” rural school with “excellent” marks.
Dad, Vyacheslav Adamovich, worked at a rural gas station. And Yana’s mother and grandmother were teachers. Mom, Svetlana Ivanovna, devoted 37 years to teaching; she is a Belarusian philologist. Svetlana Ivanovna began her work at school as a pioneer leader. Having received a higher education and gained teaching experience, she became a head teacher and then a school director. At one time she was even the class teacher in Yana’s class. Grandmother, Liya Timofeevna, is also a teacher and historian.
…One could expect that the girl would continue the family tradition – she would become a “master.” But Yana was drawn to something completely different, and she had absolutely no idea of her future life in her native village. Well, was she the only one eager for the “lights of the big city”… Artistry literally flowed, manifested itself at every opportunity: it was no secret to anyone that Yana, who sang well, danced, read poetry, dreamed of an acting profession. At school, when I was late for class, I could often hear an ironic remark from the lips of teachers: “Sadzisya, Khadanovich. Don’t think that dancing this way will earn you a living…”
So-so. Ale…
***
After 9th grade, Yana decided to radically change her fate and enter the Minsk State College of Arts in the acting department. But actors are recruited once every four years, and Yana was unlucky – there was no recruitment that year.
However, every cloud has a silver lining. Members of the admissions committee, seeing how upset the applicant was, advised: “If you sing, then go to “Variety Vocals,” the college is conducting an experimental recruitment.” Yana did just that.
The course was taught by Elena Viktorovna Atrashkevich. She liked Yana. And most importantly, the teacher understood that this was a serious step for the girl. And everything worked out…
There were only four people on the course without musical education, including Yana. In two years I had to catch up and get on par with my classmates, get a music education – literally “from scratch.” But acting and stage speech at the college were taught by actress Tatyana Nikolaevna Kovalevskaya. During her classes, Yana felt in her element.
Therefore, quite expectedly, after graduating from college, Yana headed her steps to the Belarusian State Academy of Art.
And… failed the 1st round.
But the failure was preceded by an interesting episode. The dean of the acting department, Vladimir Andreevich Mishchanchuk, who personally brought 10 applicants to the audition, heard Yana reading a fable: he was just leaving the audience where the selection committee was working. How much does an experienced teacher need to assess the degree of giftedness of a young person? Therefore, as he walked, he met the girl’s eyes and nodded approvingly, saying, “okay, well done…”
This encouraging nod and the attentive look of the dean were remembered by the failed student. And there was little room left in the heart for vague hope: maybe not this time, but one day everything will be different…
***
At that time, applicants who did not enter a creative university had a chance to try to enroll in another educational institution so as not to lose a year. And Yana went to the department of Belarusian philology at the M. Tank Pedagogical University: she loves Belarusian language and has known it since childhood.
I took the exams in tears and, of course, I got in… And I cried again – and not at all from happiness!
She studied easily in the “ped” class: again she was an excellent student and again participated in amateur performances. One day Yana even sang while answering at the blackboard!.. The teacher could not resist asking: did Yana think well when she chose the teaching path?..
For Yana, however, this was a purely rhetorical question. Therefore, in her second year, excellent student Khodanovich left the Pedagogical University.
There was also an “acting sketch”. When I signed the documents for expulsion from the dean, the respected head of the faculty saw the name and thought: “Khodanovich… We have some Khodanovich who sings well…” – “No, I don’t know that one…” – answered Yana without blinking. It was May 2, 2012. There were exams ahead at the BSAI…
Yana, however, retained the warmest memories of the Pedagogical University. He gave her two best friends, excellent teachers taught there, and, as you know, there is no wasted knowledge… And yet Yana was honest with herself: she could not spend her whole life doing something she didn’t love.
…I listened to Yana’s story about this stage of her life and understood: the fragile girl with huge eyes already had determination on the verge of courage. By leaving the Pedagogical University, she risked everything – from her strong position in her alma mater to her housing in Minsk.
Yes, everything worked out for her here. Yes, there was only alarming uncertainty ahead. Yes, the eternal debate between “bird in hand” and “pie in the sky” could not leave my head. But not taking the risk meant giving up the dream.
***
Having collected the documents from the Pedagogical University, the brave girl went to an appointment with the dean of the acting department V. A. Mishchanchuk for advice on whether to enroll or not? I received a clear answer: “Of course, do it.” That year, Vladimir Andreevich was gaining his course. And Yana suddenly felt with some sixth sense: “I will study.”
And the real student life began, the one that was dreamed of – with an atmosphere of creativity, expectation of some future victories and discoveries… At the same time, there were no greenhouse conditions: for starters, a large-scale renovation was taking place at the BGAI. They studied not within the walls of the Academy, but… wherever necessary, in all sorts of rented premises on Proletarka (at the Proletarskaya metro station), on Budyonny, on Chicherin… Only by the middle of the 4th year did they return to the Academy.
The course play “Privates” was performed on the stage of the Film Actor Studio Theatre, and the diploma play “Dowry” was performed on the stage of the Youth Theater. Yana played Larisa Ogudalova.
The master, Vladimir Andreevich Mishchanchuk, instilled in his students the habit of constantly being in creative tone at work. He was always in favor of students acting in films. Once, for the film “And the Snow Whirls…” Mishchanchuk arranged for the entire course, all his students who played… students! “Are we extras?” – the guys asked Vladimir Andreevich. The teacher answered seriously and weightily: “No, you are a group.” The young artists were filled with pride – this is not something for you, not some kind of extras… And suddenly the assistant director’s command sounded: “Extras – into the frame!” They didn’t even react right away. And when they realized that they had been “demoted” back to the crowd, they went to film. It is not the gods who burn the pots. This is a school…
A few words about the school.
Today we can already talk about the “Mishchanchuk School”. It is always easy to recognize Vladimir Andreevich’s students: the Teacher’s unique talent, which is distinguished by authenticity, organicity, and naturalness of acting, is for his students not just an example, but, perhaps, a guiding beacon, a landmark in the profession. Need to match!
Mishchanchuk feels responsible for those “whom he has tamed”: he personally monitors the professional fate of his students. And he helps as much as he can. It was on his recommendation that Yana Khodanovich and Sergei Lapanitsyn came to the film actor’s Studio Theater. This happened in the 3rd year.
…For Yana it was her “finest hour.” The artistic director of the Theater, People’s Artist of Belarus Alexander Vasilyevich Efremov immediately noted the young actress and entrusted her with a big role – Glafira Alekseevna in “Wolves and Sheep”. Another important role played by Yana as a student was the nun Gladys in “No. 13.”
When Yana talks about her beloved Teacher, she is not shy about grateful tears. At graduation, she told Vladimir Andreevich that she was grateful to him for everything – for her studies, for her profession, for her work, for her family. Because in the 2nd year, Sergei Lapanitsyn came to BGAI, who became her husband and the father of her daughter…
The full version is in the magazine “On the Screens”, No. 6, 2023.