The Reflection is a performance about an actress searching for herself. The two-hour monologue traces the act of a woman sitting in front of a mirror searching for the truth which lies inside.

The Reflection is currently being shown in both French and Bulgarian at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre. The next performance, which will be in French, takes to the stage at 7.30pm next Friday, and is realized with the cooperation of the French Cultural Institute.

The Reflection consists of a series of monologues by the main character, played by Antonia Malinova, with her reflection in the mirror, played by Emanuela Shkodreva.

"Sometimes, even I was at a loss whether it was me or some kind of reflection of me," Shkodreva said with a smile.

Both actresses tried to create a complete whole, made of two human beings. "There was not any competition between me and Antonia Malinova, who I adore for the zeal and passion she is filled with on stage," Shkodreva explained. The actress added how mutual cooperation made them unite into one whole being and stop thinking about who is a better partner.

"The performances staged in different languages have a various impact on the audience," Shkodreva said. "The French version sounds rather poetic and it puts accent on the text itself," she explained. For her, playing in the native language is more vivid, active and powerful. "That is how the two different feelings are created."

She also said she saw an exchange energy between the audience and the performers during The Reflection performance.

Shkodreva was particularly pleased by the decision to have the reflection in the mirror be played by a separate actress. "I think that (director) Elena Tsikova's idea to set a different character in the monologue proves her gift for surprises and attracts interest."

The performance bears a cosmopolitan appeal and cannot be localized exclusively for Bulgaria. "It belongs to the world simply because everybody finds something for themselves," Shkodreva said.

The concept of The Reflection is also in accordance with both the actresses' real and surreal lives. The protagonist is set in the middle of a fantasy or a dreamlike vision. "There is not a concrete prototype behind the mirror reflection - it could be a beautiful, charming and sensitive woman," Shkodreva explained.

"Everybody possesses both feelings of good and bad, black and white."

The performance reveals a sensitive woman, which is not only a female issue. "It is the problem of our true spiritual self and the search for the personality that is posed as a pending topic throughout The Reflection," Shkodreva said.

The Reflection's playwright, Ana Topaldjikova, intended to display the fragility of human nature and succeeded to a certain extent, the actress said.

Her role in the play taught Shkodreva how to be much braver than she used to be, how to perceive the environment around her and to not be selfish. "My character realizes who she is on stage, and finally manages to get into the depth of her soul and evolve in the eyes of the rest of the world," she said. The reflection starts to like herself and comes to terms with the angels and devils inside of her.

The challenging part for Shkodreva was the provoking personality of the character she represented. "Sometimes I hated her, and at other times I fell for her and was pretty sympathetic," she confessed.

Another challenge was performing the quotations from French writer Jean Paul Sartre which are included in the play, and especially the fact that they focused on the emotional condition of the person rather than their philosophical attitude. "There are people who accept The Reflection philosophically, unlike the emotional ones," she admitted.