An excerpt from Ostrovsky's play. Five major post-war plays and their best productions

Theatrical kaleidoscope built a bridge between the past and future of MTM

I know there will be a dance, I know the theater will bloom,

When Katya’s artists are in Ufa dear!

Atmosphere of the evening

As part of the project “Retrospective for the anniversary of the MTM named after me,” on January 28, 2016, a creative evening of funny performances by the Workshop of Theater Miniatures (MTM), performed by this theater over 10 years, was held.

When attending the evening, I planned to combine business with pleasure, personal with public. I planned a visit to MTM from October 26, 2016 as a curator and invited law students from my sponsored groups: UBD-11 (20 people) and UBD-21 (15 people). Of these, 6 students confirmed their intention to come to the theater the day before. I arrived at the event on the PAZ bus route No. 262 10 minutes before the start. In a hurry, I forgot my camera and notebook at home, which made writing this review much more difficult. Dmitry Osipov (Yubd-21) was waiting for me on the porch of the 3rd building of UGATU, and Elmira Garifullina and Alina Mazitova (both from UBD-11) were already inside on the landing of the third floor. Students of UBD-11 Ibragimova Elza also wanted to visit, but could not, Akbirova Albina went to her parents in Kushnarenkovo, Zvers Elizaveta, Mingazova Ellina was late. My sister Anna also changed her mind about going to the performance at the last moment.

Entrance doors in the Third Building of UGATU they are very “hospitable” - the door closer is tight, like the spring spring of a steam locomotive. This is probably a test - weak people will not get into USATU. Control on watch is again formal, the grandmothers only limited themselves to the routine question: where are you going? And the answer: “to the theater.” And in October, due to rumors about mass terrorist attacks being prepared in Kazan, everyone’s passport was actually looked at. This time there was no MTM representative at the wardrobe before the shift. This is a violation of tradition.

At the entrance to the auditorium, a volunteer girl handed out charity collection coupons to those entering, the minimum for that evening was set at 100 rubles. The coupons did not indicate the date, name of the event, or even the location. Therefore, it was important to immediately take the place you liked and not leave it until the start of the performance. MTM director Ekaterina Temnova, the famous Katya Slavovna, acted as a hostess and offered everyone to warm up with hot tea. On a separate table stood plastic cups, an electric kettle, a saucer with sliced ​​lemon and a tray with cookies and sweets. Before the start of the performance there was a tea party in the hall. As an advertisement, programs from performances from the MTM repertoire were laid out on nearby tables. They could be taken for free.

The audience in the hall was represented mainly by middle-aged men; there were few students. This can be explained by the fact that the event took place during the student holidays, frosty weather and the swine flu epidemic in Ufa. The hall was filled with 1/3 of the 263 seats, that is, compared to the October performance (09.29.15 “My Bradbury”) and the November performance (11.26.2015 “Purely Simple”), it was noticeably less. From famous people in the hall was a journalist from the magazine “Belskie Prostori” Anatoly Lvovich Chechukha with his wife Elena Ilna, a long-time fan, and previously an actress of MTM. The audience increased the vector of nostalgia in the event.

Organizer before last moment kept secret what exactly would be shown on stage that evening. On January 17, a survey was conducted on the VK social network page: “What funny performances have you seen at MTM?” Those who responded indicated:

The pages not named by the guests, but then announced by the moderator, were: “All Mice Love Cheese” by Gyula Urban and “Internet Noodles”. The uncertainty about what exactly will be shown on the MTM stage on January 28 was the reason why I did not intensively campaign among my friends to come to the performance that evening. It’s not entirely convenient to call “it’s not known what will happen.”

A special feature of MTM's direction is that almost all performances there have elements of comedy. Even in Pushkin’s tragedies “Mozart and Salieri” and “The Miserly Knight” you can laugh heartily. So it’s not easy to draw a clear line between “funny” and “unfunny” performances.

I missed my favorite theater for two months from November 26, 2015, since various circumstances prevented me from visiting it in December and January. Therefore, any performance performed by MTM would be a pleasure, but most of all I wanted to see “Cowboy Story”. Firstly, this performance has not been performed in Ufa for a long time (almost 5 years since February 24, 2011); secondly, he is really the funniest, to my taste, from the MTM repertoire; thirdly, this performance has beautiful costumes; fourthly, simple, but interesting story will be understandable to a wide range of students.

My students immediately went to the first rows of the hall and sat down there, and I undressed and folded my outerwear in the corner of the last row. Despite the cold outside, it was very warm in the hall. I offered the students some tea, but they refused. Then I treated them to chocolate, they happily accepted it and rustled with candy wrappers. After making sure that everyone who wanted to was gathered, I turned off my cell phone in order to isolate myself from the outside world and enjoy what was happening on stage. Students put their phones on silent. For a change, the students sat on the left (as viewed from the stage) part of the hall. Dmitry sat down right next to the central aisle, then two chairs were left under their jackets, then Alina and Elmira sat down. I sat in the row in front, leaving two aisle chairs empty. I advised my friends: “Sit closer to the center, today they won’t throw bottles. And Adela Kuramshina didn’t come because she was afraid that they would throw bottles into the auditorium again?” Her friends agreed, which amused everyone.

In the central aisle, the organizers installed a tripod for filming, so there is hope that someone still has video footage or at least professional photographs of this wonderful evening.

Performers

The following “veterans” were involved on stage: Innokenty Shulga, Marat Rashitovich Sarvarov, Pavel Panov, Ivan Tsekalo, Regina Irekovna Utyasheva, Ulyana Renatovna Utyasheva, Kristina Shulga. “Young Veterans”: Ildar Shakirov, Sergei Kondratiev. “New Shift”: Elina Gabidullina, Lilya Mukhametshina; “assistants”: Kamil Kabirov, Veronika Muslyukova, Maria Dubinskaya.

Among the veteran artists, only Dina Kurbangaleeva was noticed in the hall. Unlike October creative evening There was a noticeable absence in the hall of “veterans” and “legends” of MTM, such as: Galya, Salavat, Ivan Mityakin, Aigul Sultanova, Maria Gadzhieva, Vladimir Bortsov.

Director's speech

According to MTM tradition, the evening began with an opening speech by director Ekaterina Temnova. She announced general program evenings: first they will show excerpts from the performances, and then they will play “Tales of Lena and Seryozha” in its entirety. She asked the audience: do you need a break? Like, tea is not beer - you won’t be asked to return it quickly. And if they served beer here, there would be more spectators. Most of the audience shouted that there was no need for a break between the medley and the performance. Katya Slavovna said that she does not like to stage comedies, since in a comedy the main burden falls on the skill of the actor, and little depends on the director. With this phrase she was asking for a compliment.

She told how the MTM artists performed as a theatrical team in front of the sailors of the Krasnodar dredge, which was deepening the fairway along the river bed. They performed the play "Cowboy Story" in front of one spectator. The director has never seen another viewer with such a sense of humor in her life. The riverman began to laugh, fell from his chair, and asked to stop so that he could catch his breath.

Ekaterina Matsievich, now living in Brussels, the capital of Europe, asked to stage “Tales of Lena and Seryozha.” This performance became the leader in the number of awards received by MTM at various competitions. So, with the award she received for her diploma in Kazan, the director bought a jacket.

The director asked to open the curtain in advance. Once it was opened, the back revealed a large white screen onto which an image from a digital projector was projected. She asked to bring bottles. One of the artists from behind the curtain placed four empty plastic bottles on stage: one completely transparent and three brown. My students got scared and whispered indignantly that “you promised that this time they won’t throw bottles into the hall.” I reassured them, saying that this time the bottles would be empty, which means they would be light, and they would be thrown into the net, not at people. Katya Slavovna took 100 rubles out of her pocket as an incentive to encourage spectators to eagerly catch bottles rather than dodge them. The bill was inserted into the theatrical program of the MTM performance, rolled into a tube and pushed into the neck of a brown bottle. The rest of the bottles were filled with programs without money. She said: “Whoever catches the lucky bottle will justify admission ticket. It’s a pity that not all the bottles are brown, now they won’t want to catch the white one.”

Katya Slavovna asked the audience to move closer to the center so that they could better see what was happening on stage, and not on the side behind the scenes. I moved to the central aisle, which did not escape the watchful gaze of the Hostess of the evening. She remarked: Zhenya, this doesn’t concern you, but the girls on the seventh row.

Excerpts from performances - theatrical kaleidoscope

The actual review presented below will differ from classic theater reviews. Since on the one hand, during the evening they showed not one performance, but several. Also key point The analysis will be a vector called by the organizers - a retrospective: nostalgic memories of the youth of “veterans” and those who are now far away. Unnamed, but guessed from hints, the vector is a farewell to the repertory theater project. Katya Slavovna plans to implement other creative projects, and not restore comedy performances of past years. After the end of the evening, a sad aftertaste of the “Olympic bear” remained in my feelings.

0)"Tales of Kings"

Video from Irish dance from "Tales of Kings". The girls dance and gradually, losing their rhythm, drop out of the line. The girl who remains in the ranks the longest is a girl who looks like Galina Chepurnova. The plot is for a narrow circle of “insiders”. The play was performed only for the first two seasons. This was 8 years ago. The work itself is also unknown to the public. The rehearsal excerpt is very short, the director’s commentary is cryptic. We remind you of the joke in Goblin’s parody voice acting of the film “The Lord of the Rings”: everyone who knew anything about this was killed long ago.

1) " Internet noodles» –

The play “Internet Noodles”, consisting of 20 short stories, was presented this time with the following episodes:

a) First they performed a dance, probably the ending of the novel “Death in Chat” - the zombie movement. But this time the plot itself was not revealed, so even to an experienced viewer the meaning of this episode remained a mystery.

b) Then the video presentation “Retrospective of the 2010 Event” was shown on the screen; that year there was the premiere of the play “Internet Noodles”, created by Katya Slavovna based on the wishes of the audience from stories on social networks. But there are no Ufa events, it’s a pity.

The time on my watch is 20.10. My student Alina whispers from behind: “Elina is coming. What should I tell her?” I answered her: “Let her wait at the door for intermission.” Alina: “But the director said that there would be no break?” I reassured: “We must hope that suddenly it will happen. Previously, they always took a break.” But they didn’t announce an intermission, and Ellina, who had snuck in, was kicked out the door, observing the “latecomers not allowed in” rule.

c) The short story “The Lighthouse and the Aircraft Carrier” is the “accordion” of Internet networks. The roles were played by: Americans - Innokenty Shulga and Timur Sarvarov, Spaniards - Ildar Shakirov and Pavel Panov. It's poorly acted and crumpled: the cut out intermediate episodes don't allow for progressive development. The tension is lost. Perhaps the director initially came across a bad version of the text. In principle, you can make candy out of this short story. The previous time, on April 11, 2013, I saw Vladimir Bortsov in the role of US admiral. He went out wearing a naval cap. That game was more authentic and more widespread: 10 people, not 4 as now. The number of people emphasized the inequality of the parties, but this time it was equal.

d) “Children’s letters to God” with throwing plastic bags (do the bags represent souls?): Lord, give me magic wand(Regina), How do you distinguish between masculine and women's souls? (Pasha), are candles in church your business? (Christina), Now I know what love is, love is a naked woman (Timur), etc. Without a clear announcement of the theme or title of the short story, almost nothing is clear to those who have not watched the entire performance. The actors acted as if by inertia.

e) “History of the Runet from 1989 to 1912” – “a mirror of civilization.” The Internet and technology are developing quickly, so it looked good at the premiere, but now two things hurt the eye: 1) it is necessary to continue the factual series until 2016 and 2) raise the level of presentation design from “junior school age” to at least “11th grade graduate.” The musical background of George Lucas' imperial march during the promotion of the premiere of the next episode of "Star Wars" in its current form is unreasonably pretentious.

This time they did not show the short story “The Whole Life in 100 Words: The Cradle. Diapers. Crying,” “What They Really Meant to Say,” “Letters from Hospice.”

2) " Cowboy story» –

This time, one of the longest MTM performances was left with 5 episodes.

a) dialogue between the Horse and the cowboy: The Horse scares Tom that there will be trouble at home and he needs to hurry. At first the cowboy is scared, but then he remembers that his name is not Tom, but Ronnie, that he has never had a home and calms down. I am glad that over the years Regina has managed to remain the same frisky “horse”. Since "Cowboy Story" was the first performance I saw at MTM, and main role Regina performed in it, then among my friends she remained with the stage name “Horse”. And behind Innokenty Shulga’s back one can invisibly discern Ivan Mityakin, who played Ronnie in the 2008-2009 season.

b) dance of 4 couples to an unfamiliar song English song(V original version this song did not exist). They dance with soul, but the style of music does not really fit into the parody western. It's not country or folk.

c) cowboy Ronnie’s dream of riding a white horse causes his horse to be offended. She begins to be jealous of his mythical blonde. Ronnie is trying to make up for his involuntary slip: do you want me to take you to the hairdresser? Will you forgive me if I show you the gold?

d) Ronnie and the horse are discussing Uncle Sam's treasure (Uncle Sam's daughter), with whom Ronnie fell in love at the first shot. The image of Ekaterina Danilova comes to mind. The horse discovers on the ground the tracks of the horses of a gang of terrible Pew Whiskey, Paul Banks, Bill Eyes leading towards Uncle Sam's ranch. After that, I expected Ivan Tsekalo to appear on stage with a Colt in the role of a cunning chieftain of bandits who could even read brochures with train schedules. The images of the predecessors of the artist-atamans also came to mind: Roman Surkov, Salavat Gibadullin, Rishat Khasanov. But this did not happen - the director Scheherazade had already moved on to another page of the theatrical kaleidoscope.

e) country dance of six couples in costumes. The artists perform a signature dance detail: the boys form a circle with their backs to the center, clasping their hands, and the girls sit between them on strong men's hands and swing their legs wide open. The art of dance competes with acrobatics.

Roles: Ronnie - Innokenty Shulga, Horse - Regina Utyasheva; all other artists are busy as extras. Particularly noteworthy is the fury of the “neophyte” Elina Gabidullina. My students noted that this is a more worthy candidate for the role of Volkova in the play “Purely Simple” than Ulyana Utyasheva.

I’m glad that in the costume room they kept intact not only the plaid skirts and pantaloons, but even the green plastic bags, torn into fringes, depicting cacti. What kind of bottomless costume room is there at UGATU?!

3) " March»

a) memory of a picnic by the lake; b) Misha's dance.

Roles: mother – Regina Utyasheva, daughter Masha – Kristina Shulga, husband Misha – Sergey Kondratyev, guest – Ulyana Utyasheva.

A stick of sausage fell on the stairs. Regina overacts with a constant “yes, y-yes, yes.” The performance moves from tragicomedy into the genre of the absurd. Only Christina plays naturally and organically.

I was able to watch the full and more earlier version productions with a slightly different cast: mother - Galina Chepurnova (Gala), Misha - Salavat. This is exactly the option posted in photographs on the MTM website: http://mtm-menya.info/files/index.html. And a fundamentally different vector in RDT “March” was played as a mystical horror film.

The plot of the play “March” itself is not unambiguous, admits various interpretations, what the author wanted to say, therefore requires a separate review.

4. " Mozziconi»

The performance "Mozziconi" was presented by two monologues of the main character, dancing and a game of "spin the bottle" with the audience. A documentary was shown on the screen when MTM members marched “to the people” in costumes from the play “Mozziconi”, holding philosophical slogans on cardboard in their hands. And passers-by on the streets of Ufa were asked what they thought about it. This performance is an example of the genre of socio-political satire. From the very beginning of the production of the play, I was surprised how this creative experiment was allowed during the period of “tightening the screws.”

On stage the roles were performed by: Mozziconi - the permanent and irreplaceable Timur Sarvarov, four flower girls with umbrellas: Kristina Shulga, Regina Utyasheva; four young men with a volleyball net.

a) dance in dressing gowns. A very successful smooth transition from “March”, where the heroes also sat in dressing gowns. I think not many spectators realized that the next performance had begun.

b) stomach scratching monologue. I tried to get drunk, but it only gave me a headache, I smoked cigarette after cigarette, but I never became a heavy smoker. The stomach is the home of the imagination, not the head. Schools need to teach how to scratch your belly correctly.

c) where is the midpoint of even numbers? I'll give a million to whoever answers;

Song “Happiness is” “Why am I howling like a wolf at the moon? Not enough vitamins, I’m going down.”

d) throwing bottles into the hall. Timur-Mozziconi threw plastic bottles into the hall along a suspended trajectory, which I mentioned at the beginning of the review. All bottles first fell onto a volleyball net, which was carried over auditorium, and then fell into the outstretched hands of the audience. My students managed to catch one of the bottles; they excitedly unscrewed the cap and took out the program of the performance. But there was no money in it. They were childishly upset that the magician had deceived them. I couldn’t see who got the “lucky” bottle.

5. " All mice love cheese»

The play “All Mice Love Cheese” by Gyula Urban is known to the Ufa public for productions in state theaters. Its genre is more likely to be a children's play than a comedy. One excerpt from three scenes was shown on stage:

a) dialogue between the gray mouse Shomo and the white mouse Fruzhi;

b) a white mouse sings a song in English. In the five performances that I managed to watch, this element was not present;

c) Lidi, Shoma’s mother, appears, finds them together and scolds them.

Roles: gray mouse Shomo - Ildar Shakirov, white mouse - Elina Gabidullina, gray mother Lidi - Lilya Mukhametshina.

I was pleasantly surprised by Elina Gabidullina. This combination of expression (manifested in “Cowboy Story”), plasticity (Internet noodles), vocals (aria in English). If this continues, she will be able to become a star on a par even with Regina and Galya.

6. "Tales of Lena and Seryozha»

Presenters: Ulyana and Timur

1) “King”: Seryozha - Pasha, Lena - Christina; King - Innocent;

2) “Lena is lost”: Seryozha – “fat”, Lena – Regina;

3) “Swimming and the crocodile”: Seryozha - Innocent, Lena - Regina, Crocodile - Pasha;

4) “Robbers”: Seryozha - Pasha, Lena - Regina; Robbers - Ivan, Ildar, Timur. The robbers were somewhat sluggish this time.

5) “Soldier”: Seryozha - Innocent, Lena - Christina. Innocent failed to beat Salavat.

6) “The Case of the Seal”: Seryozha – Innokenty, Lena – Regina, Seal – Christina, Lariska – “Lilya Mukhametshina”;

So far, Christina has not managed to beat Masha Gadzhieva.

7) “Death”: Seryozha – Timur, Lena – “Elina Gabidullina”, Death – Pasha.

8) “The Witch”: Seryozha - Timur Sarvarov, Lena - Ulyana, Vasya - Ildar, Witch - Ivan, Button - Christina, alcoholic father - Pasha, stepmother - Christina, sister - Regina, twins Innocent.

Ivan once again proved that he is a master of disguise and a versatile actor. But this is not the director’s first experiment in introducing a young man to the role of a witch. Rishat Khasanov played the witch quite interestingly on April 4, 2013.

Tonight demonstrated how useful it is when life circumstances “pluck” irreplaceable veterans from the troupe. The absence of the great Galya Chepurnova from the stage for good reason allowed for the creation of so many new creative discoveries. The phenomenon of “the irreplaceable turner Uncle Petya.” I’m looking forward to February 25 to find out: they will introduce replacements for the roles of Mozart and Salieri in Pushkin’s “Mozart and Salieri” or, due to the absence of Gali and Aigul, this short story will be removed.

9) “The bruise went away quickly, but the leg...” - they didn’t show it.

The musical accompaniment traditionally remained Yu. Shevchuk’s song “The Clouds Were Flying”:

The clouds were flying

We flew far.

Like a mother's hand

Like daddy's tights

Like fish-ships

Like the thoughts of a fool

Above the glass of the earth...

A new ending has appeared, which can be called “Farewell Tango”: “It’s better to be one-legged than to be lonely” (music and song from the Soviet cartoon “Treasure Island”). Excellent find by the director! It fits very organically with “Lena and Seryozha” as a final composition or an encore option. I would remove the previous one, “Clouds Were Flying,” from the finale.

The success of “Tales of Lena and Seryozha” in the MTM repertoire is explained primarily by the fact that it 100% fits the very name of the theater and its vector: Workshop of Theater Miniatures.

Student Feedback

Elmira Garifullina really liked everything. I was especially impressed by the core story of Lena and Seryozha from kindergarten to death. I liked it because there was life, laughter and sadness there. The most interesting acting discovery is Ivan Tsekalo in the role of the witch.

Dmitry Osipov: The acting is at a fairly high level. Despite the “naked” enthusiasm, they are able to convey the feelings and experiences of the characters, which not everyone can do. Result: 10 crocodiles out of 10. There was a lot of confusion in the first part, not everything was remembered. Internet noodles are not very good (the idea itself is good, but the joke didn’t land). "Cowboy Story" is quite good. There are memorable actors (the main character from "Mozziconi") and the main character from "Purely Simple", the rest are not particularly memorable. I didn’t pay attention to the music, so everything was fine. In my opinion, everything and everyone is in its place, so I wouldn't touch anything.

Conclusion

Since I have been a regular viewer of MTM since March 2009, I perceived what was happening on stage through two phenomena: “bridge” and “ghosts”. Two pictures were superimposed before my eyes: what was now happening on stage, and the previous performers of these roles: “sometimes there are no names left from the artists of bygone times.”

For good story a loop is desirable: where we started is where we end. I got into MTM through the phrase of Alexander Yuryevich Zalesov “The theater is alive!” And now, after watching the retrospective, I can confirm: The theater is alive! Especially MTM! He has a future! The basis of this hope is the “bridge” between the “veterans” who do not want to leave and the “new shift”: Elina Gabidullina, Lilya Mukhametshina, as well as the replenishment, who clearly declared themselves in the play “Purely Simple”.

Play

Alexander Volodin, 1958

About what: Finding himself in Leningrad on the occasion of a business trip, Ilyin suddenly decides to go into the apartment where seventeen years ago, when he went to the front, he left his beloved girl, and - lo and behold! — his Tamara still lives in the room above the pharmacy. The woman never married: her student nephew, for whom she replaces his mother, and his eccentric girlfriend - that’s her whole family. Wading through the fear of misunderstanding, insincerity, quarrels and reconciliation, two adults eventually realize that happiness is still possible - “if only there was no war!”

Why it's worth reading: The meeting between Ilyin and Tamara, stretched over five evenings, is not only a story about the late, restless love of the foreman of the Red Triangle factory and the work manager Zavgar- garage manager. northern village of Ust-Omul, but the opportunity to bring real, not mythical Soviet people onto the stage: smart and conscientious, with broken destinies.

Perhaps the most poignant of Volodin’s dramas, this play is filled with sad humor and high lyricism. Her characters always leave something unsaid: under the speech clichés - “my job is interesting, responsible, you feel people need“- one senses a whole layer of difficult questions driven deep inside, related to the eternal fear in which a person is forced to live, as if a prisoner in a huge camp called “homeland”.

Next to the adult heroes, young lovers live and breathe: at first Katya and Slava look “unafraid,” but they also instinctively feel the fear that eats the souls of Tamara and Ilyin. Thus, uncertainty about the very possibility of happiness in the country of “victorious socialism” is gradually passed on to the next generation.

Staging

Bolshoi Drama Theater
Directed by Georgy Tovstonogov, 1959

You can imagine a little of the shock that this performance was for the audience, thanks to a radio recording from 1959. The audience reacts very violently here - they laugh, get excited, and calm down. Reviewers wrote about Tovsto-Nogov’s production: “Today’s time - the end of the 50s - revealed itself with amazing accuracy. Almost all the characters seemed to come onto the stage from the streets of Leningrad. They were dressed exactly as the spectators who looked at them were dressed.” The characters, riding from the back of the stage on platforms with partitions of poorly furnished rooms, played right under the noses of the first row. This required precise intonation, absolute pitch. A special chamber atmosphere was created by the voice of Tovstonogov himself, who delivered the stage directions (it’s a pity that in the radio play it’s not him who reads the text from the author).

Internal conflict The performance was a contradiction between imposed Soviet stereotypes and natural human nature. Tamara, played by Zinaida Sharko, seemed to be peeking out from behind the mask of a Soviet social activist before throwing it off and becoming herself. From the radio recording it is clear with what inner strength and amazing richness of nuances Charcot played her Tamara - touching, tender, unprotected, sacrificial. Ilyin (played by Efim Kopelyan), who spent 17 years somewhere in the North, was internally much freer from the very beginning - but he did not immediately manage to tell the truth to the woman he loved, and pretended to be the chief engineer. In a radio play today, Kopelyan’s performance can be heard with a lot of theatricality, almost pathos, but he also has a lot of pauses and silence - then you understand that the most important thing happens to his character in these moments.

"In Search of Joy"

Play

Victor Rozov, 1957

About what: Klavdia Vasilyevna Savina’s Moscow apartment is cramped and crowded: four of her grown children live here and there is furniture that Lenochka, the wife of her eldest son Fedya, is constantly purchasing - once a talented young scientist, now a successful careerist “in science” " Covered with rags and newspapers in anticipation of the newlyweds' imminent move to a new apartment, cabinets, pot-bellied sideboards, couches and chairs become bones of discord in the family: the mother calls her eldest son a “little tradesman,” and his younger brother, high school student Oleg, chops down “Lenochkin’s” furniture with a saber deceased father - a war hero. Attempts to explain only worsen the situation, and as a result, Fyodor and his wife leave their home, while the remaining children assure Klavdia Vasilyevna that they have chosen a different path in life: “Don’t be afraid for us, mom!”

Why it's worth reading: This two-act comedy was initially perceived as a “trifle” by Viktor Rozov: by that time the playwright was already known as the author of the script legendary film Mikhail Kalatozov “The Cranes Are Flying.”

Indeed, touching, romantic, irreconcilable with dishonesty and money-grubbing, the younger children of Klavdia Vasilyevna Kolya, Tatyana and Oleg, as well as their friends and loved ones, formed a strong group of “correct Soviet youth”, numerically superior to the circle of “money-grubbers, careerists” presented in the play and bourgeois." The schematic nature of the confrontation between the world of consumption and the world of ideals was not particularly disguised by the author.

The main character, 15-year-old dreamer and poet Oleg Savin, turned out to be outstanding: his energy, inner freedom and self-esteem were associated with the hopes of the Thaw, with dreams of a new generation of people sweeping away all types of social slavery (this generation of uncompromising romantics came to be called - "Rozov boys")

Staging

Central Children's Theater
Director Anatoly Efros, 1957

The most famous scene of this play is the one in which Oleg Savin chops down furniture with his father’s saber. This was the case in the performance of the Sovremennik Theater Studio, released in 1957, and from the film by Anatoly Efros and Georgy Natanson “Noisy Day” (1961) this is what primarily remained in the memory - perhaps because Oleg played in both productions young and impetuous Oleg Tabakov. However, the first performance of this play was released not at Sovremennik, but at the Central children's theater, and in it the famous episode with the checker and the dead fish, the jar with which Lenochka threw out the window, was, although important, still one of many.

The main thing in Anatoly Efros’s performance at the Central Children’s Theater was the feeling of polyphony, continuity, and fluidity of life. The director insisted on the significance of every voice in this populous story - and immediately introduced the viewer to a house filled with furniture, built by the artist Mikhail Kurilko, where precise details indicated the life of a large friendly family. Not a denunciation of philistinism, but a contrast between the living and the dead, poetry and prose (as noted by critics Vladimir Sappak and Vera Shitova) - this was the essence of Efros’s view. Not only was Oleg, played by Konstantin Ustyugov, alive—a gentle boy with a high, excited voice—but also Valentina Sperantova’s mother, who decided to have a serious conversation with her son and softened the forced harshness with her intonation. Very real is this Fedor himself, Gennady Pechnikov, who, in spite of everything, loves his pragmatic wife Lenochka very much, and another lover - Gennady Alexei Shmakov, and the girls' classmates who came to visit Oleg. All this can be clearly heard in the radio recording of the performance made in 1957. Listen to how Oleg pronounces key phrase plays: “The main thing is to have a lot in your head and soul.” No didactics, quietly and deliberately, rather for yourself.

"My poor Marat"

Play

Alexey Arbuzov, 1967

About what: Once upon a time there lived Lika, she loved Marat, she was loved by him, and Leonidik also loved her; both guys went to war, both returned: Marat as a Hero of the Soviet Union, and Leonidik without an arm, and Lika gave her hand and heart to “poor Leonidik.” The second title of the work is “Don’t be afraid to be happy”; in 1967, London critics named it the play of the year. This melodrama is a story of meetings and separations stretched over almost two decades of three characters growing up from episode to episode, once united by war and blockade in cold and hungry Leningrad.

Why it's worth reading: Three lives, three destinies of Soviet idealists stung by the war, trying to build a life according to the propaganda legend. Of all the “Soviet fairy tales” by Alexei Arbuzov, where the heroes were necessarily rewarded with love for their labor deeds, “My Poor Marat” is the saddest fairy tale.

The Soviet myth “live for others” is justified for the characters – still teenagers – by the losses and exploits of the war, and Leonidik’s remark: “Never change our winter of 1942... right?” - becomes their life credo. However, “days pass”, and life “for others” and a professional career (Marat “builds bridges”) does not bring happiness. Lika leads medicine as the “unexempt head of the department,” and Leonidik ennobles morals with collections of poems published in a circulation of five thousand copies. Sacrifice turns into metaphysical melancholy. At the end of the play, 35-year-old Marat announces a change of milestones: “Hundreds of thousands died so that we could be extraordinary, obsessed, happy. And we - me, you, Leonidik?..”

Stifled love here is equal to strangled individuality, and personal values ​​are affirmed throughout the course of the play, which makes it a unique phenomenon of Soviet drama.

Staging

Director Anatoly Efros, 1965

Reviewers called this performance a “stage research”, a “theatrical laboratory” where the feelings of the characters in the play were studied. “The stage is laboratory-like, clean, precise and focused,” wrote critic Irina Uvarova. Artists Nikolai Sosunov and Valentina Lalevich created a backdrop for the performance: from it, three characters looked at the audience seriously and a little sadly, looking as if they already knew how it would all end. In 1971, Efros filmed a television version of this production, with the same actors: Olga Yakov-leva - Lika, Alexander Zbruev - Marat and Lev Krugly - Leonidik. The theme of a scrupulous study of characters and feelings was further intensified here: television made it possible to see the eyes of the actors, giving the effect of spectator presence during close communication between these three.

It could be said that Efros’s Marat, Lika and Leonidik were obsessed with the idea of ​​getting to the bottom of the truth. Not in a global sense - they wanted to hear and understand each other as accurately as possible. This was especially noticeable in Lika-Yakovleva. The actress seemed to have two game plans: the first - where her heroine looked soft, light, childish, and the second - which appeared as soon as Lika's interlocutor turned away: at that moment the serious, attentive, studying gaze of a mature woman glared at him. “All real life is a Meeting,” wrote the philosopher Martin Buber in his book “I and You.” According to him, the main word in life - “You” - can be said to a person only with his whole being; any other relationship turns him into an object, from “You” - into “It”. Throughout Efros’s performance, these three said “You” to the other with their whole being, most of all appreciating each other’s unique personality. This was the high tension of their relationship, which even today it is impossible not to get carried away and with which one cannot help but empathize.

"Duck Hunt"

Play

Alexander Vampilov, 1967

About what: Waking up in a typical Soviet apartment on a heavy hangover morning, the hero receives a gift from friends and colleagues funeral wreath. Trying to unravel the meaning of the prank, Viktor Zilov recalls the pictures of the last month in his memory: a housewarming party, his wife leaving, a scandal at work and, finally, yesterday’s drinking session in the Forget-Me-Not cafe, where he insulted his young mistress, his boss, colleagues and got into a fight with best friend- waiter Dima. Having decided to really settle accounts with his hateful life, the hero calls his friends, inviting them to his own wake, but soon changes his mind and goes with Dima to the village - on a duck hunt, which he has been passionately dreaming of all this time.

Why it's worth reading: Viktor Zilov, combining the features of a notorious scoundrel and an infinitely attractive man, may seem to some to be the Soviet reincarnation of Lermontov’s Pechorin: “a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation, in their full development.” A smart, thoroughbred and perpetually drunk member of the ITAE who appeared at the beginning of the era of stagnation engineers- engineer and technical worker. with energy worthy of better use, he consistently freed himself from family, work, love and friendship ties. Zilov's final refusal to commit self-destruction had implications for Soviet drama symbolic meaning: this hero gave birth to a whole galaxy of imitators - superfluous people: drunkards who were both ashamed and disgusted to join Soviet society - drunkenness in the drama was perceived as a form of social protest.

Zilov's creator, Alexander Vampilov, drowned in Lake Baikal in August 1972 - at the peak of his creative powers, leaving the world one not too weighty volume of drama and prose; which has become a world classic today" Duck hunting”, with difficulty overcoming the censorship ban, burst onto the Soviet stage shortly after the death of the author. However, half a century later, when there was nothing Soviet left, the play unexpectedly turned into an existential drama of a man in front of whom the emptiness of an organized, mature life opened up, and in the dream of a hunting trip, to where - “Do you know how quiet this is? You're not there, do you understand? No! You haven’t been born yet,” a cry was heard about paradise lost forever.

Staging

Moscow Art Theater named after Gorky
Directed by Oleg Efremov, 1978

The best play by Alexander Vampilov is still considered unsolved. The closest thing to its interpretation was probably Vitaly Melnikov’s film “Vacation in September” with Oleg Dal in the role of Zilov. The performance staged at the Moscow Art Theater by Oleg Efremov has not survived, not even in fragments. At the same time, he accurately expressed time - the most hopeless phase of stagnation.

Artist David Borovsky came up with the following image for the performance: a huge plastic bag containing felled pine trees hovered above the stage like a cloud. “The motif of the conserved taiga,” Borovsky told critic Rimma Krechetova. And further: “The floor was covered with tarpaulin: in those places they wear tarpaulin and rubber. I scattered pine needles on the tarpaulin. You know, like the New Year tree on the parquet floor. Or after funeral wreaths..."

Zilov was played by Efremov. He was already fifty - and his hero’s melancholy was not a midlife crisis, but a summing up. Anatoly Efros admired his performance. “Efremov plays Zilov fearlessly to the extreme,” he wrote in the book “Continuation of the Theatrical Story.” - He turns it out in front of us with all its giblets. Ruthless. Playing in the traditions of the great theater school, he doesn’t just denounce his hero. He plays a generally good person, still able to understand that he is lost, but no longer able to get out.”

The one who was deprived of reflection was the waiter Dima, performed by Aleksey Petrenko, another the most important hero performance. A huge man, absolutely calm - with the calm of a killer, he hung over the other characters like a cloud. Of course, he had not killed anyone yet - except for animals on the hunt, which he shot without missing a beat, but he could easily knock out a person (after looking around to see if anyone was watching). Dima, more than Zilov, was the discovery of this performance: a little time will pass, and such people will become the new masters of life.

"Three Girls in Blue"

Play

Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, 1981

About what: Under one leaky roof, three mothers - Ira, Svetlana and Tatyana - while away the rainy summer with their constantly fighting boys. The unsettled nature of dacha life forces women to argue day and night about everyday life. A wealthy suitor who appears takes Ira to another world, to the sea and the sun, she leaves her sick son in the arms of her weak mother. However, heaven turns into hell, and now the woman is ready to crawl on her knees in front of the airport duty officer in order to return to her lonely child.

Why it's worth reading: The play continues to amaze contemporaries of “Three Girls” to this day by how accurately it captures the era of “late stagnation”: the range of everyday concerns of a Soviet person, his character and the type of relationships between people. However, in addition to external photographic accuracy, the inner essence of the so-called scoop is also subtly touched upon here.

Leading a dialogue with Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,” Petrushevskaya’s play initially presents its “girls” as three variations on the theme of Chekhov’s Natasha. Like Chekhov’s bourgeois Natasha, Petrushevskaya’s Ira, Svetlana and Tatyana constantly care about their children and wage a war for the dry rooms of a dilapidated dacha near Moscow. However, the children for whom mothers argue are, in fact, no one needs them. The play is permeated by the weak voice of Ira Pavlik’s sick son; The boy’s world is full of fairy-tale images, in a bizarre form reflecting the realities of his frightening life: “And when I was sleeping, the moon flew to me on its wings,” - no one hears or understands the child in this play. The “moment of truth” is also connected with his son - when, realizing that he could lose him, from a “typical Soviet person” Ira turns into a person capable of “thinking and suffering”, from Chekhov’s Natasha into Chekhov’s Irina, ready to sacrifice something For others.

Staging

Theater named after Lenin Komsomol
Director Mark Zakharov, 1985

This play was written by Lyudmila Petrushevskaya at the request of the chief director of the Lenin Komsomol Theater Mark Zakharov: he needed roles for Tatyana Peltzer and Inna Churikova. The censorship did not allow the performance to pass for four years - the premiere took place only in 1985; On June 5 and 6, 1988, the play was filmed for television. This recording still produces great results today. strong impression. Set designer Oleg Sheintsis blocked the stage with a translucent wall, behind which silhouettes of branches are visible; on foreground a table with a bouquet of dried flowers on it, and endless laundry going on in a tin basin placed on a stool; There were squabbles around, flirting, confessions. Each was ready to get into the other’s life, and not just get in, but thoroughly trample around there. But this is only superficial participation: in fact, no one really cared about each other. The old woman Fedorovna (Peltzer) mumbled, indifferent to the fact that there was a sick child lying behind the wall. Svetlana (actress Lyudmila Porgina) instantly became agitated in a fit of hatred towards the intellectual Irina and her son: “He’s reading! You’ll finish reading!” And Irina herself - Inna Churikova looked at everything with huge eyes and remained silent as long as she had the strength.

Recognized master stage effects, Zakharov built several reference points, calibrated like a ballet. One of them is when the dacha boyfriend Nikolai kisses Irina and she, out of surprise, does an almost clown somersault. At that moment Churikova almost falls from her chair, falls on Nikolai’s shoulder, immediately jumps off him sharply and, throwing her knees high, makes her way to the door to see if her son saw the kiss.

Another scene is the tragic climax of the play: Irina crawls on her knees behind the airport employees, begging to put her on the plane (at home the child was left alone in a locked apartment), and hoarsely, annoyingly, she doesn’t even scream, but growls: “I may not make it in time!” In the book “Stories from My Own Life,” Lyudmila Petrushevskaya recalls how once at a performance at that moment a young spectator jumped out of her chair and began to tear out her hair. It's really very scary to watch.

As you know, Russian classic literature very rich in beautiful dramatic works, enjoying truly worldwide fame. Many of them are quite possible and interesting to stage on the school stage - in full or in excerpts.
We would like to offer you an approximate, by no means exhaustive of all possibilities, list of such works.
In some cases, we offer you not one, but two or three excerpts from the play. You can choose one of them or play them all, depending on your capabilities and the lineup of performers.
Unfortunately we cannot give you detailed tips to the production of each of the plays named in this list (for this we would have to compile a second collection), but we still want to tell you how to generally approach such work, what to think about, what to look for Special attention. Therefore, we give “Advice to Performers” for three plays of different genres: the one-act “Autumn Boredom” by N. Nekrasov, an excerpt from the play in verse “The Snow Maiden” by A. Ostrovsky, and a scene from Ostrovsky’s comedy “Jokers.” Read these tips, even if you are staging another play: in this case, they will tell you a lot and help you in your work. Also look at the “Tips for Performers” for performances - you can also glean a lot of useful information from them.

WORKS OF RUSSIAN CLASSICAL DRAMA RECOMMENDED FOR PRODUCTION ON SCHOOL STAGE

I. D. Fonvizin. "The Minor", comedy. Completely or excerpts.

II. A. S. Pushkin. "Mermaid", poem. First scene (at the mill).

III. A. S. Griboyedov. "Woe from Wit", comedy.
Excerpts:
1. Second act from phenomenon 7 to the end of the second act.
2. Third action, phenomenon 3.
3.Fourth act, phenomena 10, 11, 12, 13.

IV. N. A. Nekrasov. "Autumn boredom" village scene" (You can play without the scene with Antipus.)

V. N. A. Nekrasov. “The Petersburg Moneylender”, vaudeville in one act.

VI. V. A. Sologub. “Trouble from a Tender Heart,” a vaudeville comedy in one act.

VII. N.V. Gogol. "Inspector".
Excerpts:
1. Third action, phenomena 8, 9, 10, 11.
2. Fourth act, phenomena 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
3. Fourth act, phenomena 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.

VIII. N.V. Gogol. “Marriage is an absolutely incredible event.” Full or Excerpts:
1. First action, phenomena 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
2. First action, phenomenon 11.
3. First action, phenomena 12, 13.
4. Second action, phenomenon 1.
5. Second act, phenomena 12, 13, 14, 15.
6. Second action, phenomena 18, 19, 20, 21.

IX. N. G. Chernyshevsky. “The Mistress of Cooking Porridge”, a pastoral in one act.
Completely (possibly with some abbreviations of the text) or excerpts.

X. I. S. Turgenev. "A Month in the Country", comedy.
Excerpt from the second act.
The beginning is with Katya’s song “It’s not the fire that burns, it’s not the tar that boils,” the end is after Vera’s words: “Let’s go... otherwise I’m afraid she will scold me.”

XI. M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin. "Shadows" dramatic satire. Excerpt from fourth act, scenes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. At the beginning of the 1st scene, we recommend shortening Klaverov’s monologue: after the words “Finally, I can’t go out to a duel!” you can immediately go to the text: “What did Klaverov do?”, and then everything until the end, that is, until Olga Dmitrovna appears.

XII. A. N. Ostrovsky. "The Thunderstorm", drama.
Excerpt from the second act, phenomena 2, 3, 4, 5.

XIII. A. N. Ostrovsky. "Snow Maiden. Spring Tale».
An excerpt from the third act, scene 2 and beginning of 3, ending with the words of the Snow Maiden: “It’s amazing to find such a couple.”

XIV. A. N. Ostrovsky. “Jokers, pictures of Moscow life.” Excerpt from the first act, phenomena 2, 3, 4, 5.
The beginning is from Anna’s words: “Sit down! “What kind of boring are you?”, the end - Verochka’s words: “I don’t know about you, but I’m very clever!”

XV. A. N. Ostrovsky. “Holiday sleep before lunch”, comedy. Completely or excerpts.

XVI. A. N. Ostrovsky. "Balzaminov's Marriage", comedy. Completely or excerpts.

XVII. A. N. Ostrovsky. "Warm Heart", comedy.
Excerpt from the second act, phenomenon 1 (from the appearance of Parasha), 2, 3.

XVIII. A. N. Ostrovsky. "Forest", comedy.
Excerpt from the fourth act, scene 5.

XIX. A. V. Sukhovo-Kobylin. "Krechinsky's Wedding", comedy.
Excerpt from the first act, scene 5.

XX. A.P. Chekhov. "Offer. A joke in one act."

XXI. A.P. Chekhov. "Wedding. A scene in one act."

XXII. A.P. Chekhov “Anniversary. A joke in one act."

XXIII. A.P. Chekhov. "Uncle Ivan. Scenes from village life" Excerpt from the second act.
According to Sonya: “Mikhail Lvovich! You are not asleep? For a minute!" until the end of the second act.

XXIV. Bitter. "The Bourgeois", play.
Excerpts
The first act is from the appearance of Neil, Elena, Shishkin and Tsvetaeva until the end of the first act.
The fourth act is from the beginning until the appearance of Elena (ending with the words of Teterev: “And all other philosophy is an-nathema!”).

N. A. Nekrasov

Autumn boredom

ADVICE FOR PERFORMERS

The title of the work accurately defines its atmosphere: viscous, endless, like autumn rain, enveloping, hopeless boredom.
How to play boredom?
You need to understand well that Lasukov has a very important goal that determines every minute of his existence. This goal is to combat boredom. At any cost, by any means, to hold out until that blissful moment when you can, so to speak, legally go to bed! With joyful hope, even with enthusiasm, Lasukov seizes on every new circumstance that promises him the opportunity to somehow prolong time. It is this constant hope, this passionate dream of Lasukov to do at least something that the performer must remember above all. You can't play boredom, but you can and should play the fight against boredom. However, Lasukov’s hopes are not justified: the desired “entertainment” lasts only a few moments, and, actively and joyfully starting each new scene, in the end he wilts and gets bored even more. Please note that in this sense, all the scenes (with the boy, the cook, Anisya, Yegor, Dmitry) are constructed the same way: they begin at a vigorous pace, end at an extremely sluggish pace.
Pay attention to how the “illness” scene is constructed: doubt about the goodness of the sauce gradually develops into panic about the state of health. Having found, as it seems to him, the cause of the ailment (mushrooms!), Lasukov is already sure that he is seriously, incurably, mortally ill! The performer needs to listen intently, moreover, with passion to the processes occurring in the body. Panic grows and continues until Maxim brings the sauce. Having tasted the sauce and convinced that it is extremely tasty, Lasukov happily empties the sauce boat and... calms down. But, having calmed down about his health, he does not let the cook go. The hope to forget about boredom at least for a while awakens in him again. He felt like a speaker, a tribune, statesman, finally! He denounces the poor cook for a serious crime, denounces him with genuine anger and pathos, with metal in his voice.
Maxim absolutely does not understand what the master wants from him, he tries to guess, he is tormented, and after the words: “If you fall from the roof, you will hurt yourself - that’s where you belong!” - may even cry. But this “tragic” scene suddenly ends - Lasukov again despaired of overcoming hopeless, hopeless boredom and sent Maxim away to crow - out of habit and without any enthusiasm.
The lethargy into which Lasukov falls after each new failed attempt at “activity” is a manifestation not of character, but of circumstances. By nature, he is not an apathetic person at all, but, on the contrary, quite lively, not without humor and malice.
Lasukova's servants live as if half asleep: they are all too lazy not only to take a step, but also to open their mouths. But such “performances” are performed in the house every evening, you can’t get away from them, it’s better to play the roles that Lasukov imposes, otherwise he won’t lag behind. Sometimes it's better to play smart. The boy and Anisya even know their birthplaces by heart. The boy has become so skilled that he can hand over books and glasses even before Lasukov orders.
The only surprise in the established nightly performance is the fur coat. For some reason, Lasukov demanded a fur coat, and not a frock coat or, say, a hat. Otherwise everything would have gone smoothly.
It may very well be that the boy responds joyfully to Lasukov’s extravagances, for he is no less stupefied than the master from idleness and sleep. Transitions from half-asleep prostration to rapid activity and back occur in him without any preparation; they are sudden. It seems like he was just fast asleep - and now he’s rushing as fast as he can to carry out the master’s next stupid order; It seems like he was just dancing and now he’s already asleep again. This very funny suddenness of transitions from one physical state of health to another, exactly the opposite, must be learned by the performer of the role of a boy first of all.
A few words about the other characters.
Anisya is the sovereign mistress of the house. Her rights are almost unlimited. Lasukov is generally helpless, and even more so without Anisya. In front of the master, Anisya is used to playing the unfairly offended, innocent victim, and this has an unfailing effect on him. She is not afraid of him at all, but he, on the contrary, is thoroughly afraid of her. As soon as she cried, he immediately turned sour and chickened out.
Cook Maxim is a simple-minded and flexible person. His task, which he performs as actively as possible, so actively that it seems you can clearly hear his brains creaking, is to guess, to guess why Lasukov has clung to him.
Tatyana doesn’t even try to understand what the master needs. Quite old, obviously deaf, she shows a joyful willingness to talk. He mumbles something all the time and smiles at the same time.
Egor, on the contrary, is gloomy and gloomy. He is angry that he was disturbed, and all the time he seems to reproach the master for this.
Tailor Dmitry clearly stands out from the rest of the servants with his “aristocratism”. He believes that he knows the craft, and is terribly proud of it. He is constantly concerned about the problem of maintaining his prestige and therefore walks around puffed up like a turkey.
In his stage directions, Nekrasov seemed to have directed the play, so the stage directions should be performed as carefully as possible. They describe in sufficient detail the costumes, partitions, furniture and lighting.
If the size of the stage allows, use a screen to fence off the small hallway in which the boy is sleeping on a stool. There is no need to make doors. If your school stage is very small, you can do without a screen. A sofa with a pillow, near the sofa there are some house shoes, thrown haphazardly; at the head there is a small table with a candle, that’s all. And the boy is sleeping, sitting on a stool at the edge of the stage and leaning his head against the portal.
Do not light the stage too brightly: after all, Lasukov only has one tallow candle burning. Use general dim lighting, preferably with yellow filters, and additionally highlight the main scenes of action. Don't forget that when the boy removes the carbon from the candle, you need to add light. At the end of the play, the candle goes out - leave a very weak general light.
Be sure to look for the sound of rain. Good sound This works by rubbing crumpled paper on a wooden board, but perhaps you can find some other ways. The sound of rain can be amplified during pauses and, conversely, should be left very weak, barely audible during the main scenes.
Almost all the costumes are described by Nekrasov in sufficient detail. Lasukov needs a robe. Egor threw some kind of frock coat over his shirt, without even buttoning it. Tailor Dmitry is wearing a vest over his shirt.
The performers of the roles of cook Maxim and butler Egor will need beards. Maxim’s beard is light and thin, while Yegor’s is impressive and thick.
Dmitry apparently sports a dapper mustache. Lasukov is bald, the remnants of his hair are disheveled, and there may be a thin gray mustache. Obviously, you understand that "Autumn Boredom" is a comedy. The more boring Lasukov is, the more hopeless his frantic attempts to somehow kill time, the funnier and more fun the audience should have.

A. N. Ostrovsky

Snow Maiden

Act three

Event 2 and the beginning of Event 3

ADVICE FOR PERFORMERS

“The Snow Maiden” is one of the most poetic creations of world drama. Despite the tragic ending - the death of the heroes - it is difficult to imagine a brighter play; It is no coincidence that its subtitle is “A Spring Tale.” This is truly a hymn to life, to all things, a hymn to love.
The scene that we invite you to play is one of the most typical in this regard. The Snow Maiden, the daughter of Frost and Spring, does not yet know love. Having learned this great feeling, she dies. But the tragic outcome is still far away; in our scene, the Snow Maiden rejoices in life, rejoices with childish selflessness and rapture.
The Snow Maiden's task is to force Lel to take her as a friend, and she achieves her goal with the same natural persistence with which children achieve a long-desired toy. She uses all means, all shades of prayer: she asks, conjures, takes revenge, reproaches, promises, etc. She can even cry, but these are not evil, but very light, childish tears.
And for Lel, everything that happens is a fun and welcome game. The Snow Maiden is funny to him, he himself is not averse to frolic. It’s fun for him to listen to how she praises him and begs him to be her girlfriend, he deliberately teases and provokes her into new confessions. The whole scene is very sonorous, major key.
Don't forget that the play is written in verse; pronouncing them requires special technique. Under no circumstances should poetic lines be merged.
Remember that at the end of each line a pause is necessary to emphasize the rhythm of the verse.
This pause may coincide with the end of the phrase or with some natural break in it, marked by one or another punctuation mark, for example:

Don’t remember the old things, handsome Lel!
Love me a little, wait
The Snow Maiden will love you herself.

But there are often cases when the final verse pause seems to interrupt the phrase, for example:

Snow Maiden, alone, in tears.
What are you yearning for? The girls are having fun
Throughout the forest there is a cheerful hum:
Now songs, now ringing laughter, now whispers
Cooing, then shyness and happiness
A short, abrupt sigh. And you
Alone, in tears.

In the first case, the final verse pause coincides with the logical one; in the second case, this stop is, as it were, an expectation of continuation of the thought. The thought is never interrupted.
Poems also require some melodious intonation. It’s not good if this melodiousness is exaggerated, if the poems sound drawn out, but it’s even worse if you begin to pronounce them with everyday, everyday intonation, if in your performance they become like prose.
A sense of proportion is very important here.
Try to make the costumes yourself. You can dress the heroes in traditional Russian costumes. Lel is wearing bast shoes with onuchas, an embroidered blouse, and a colored belt. On blonde hair- a wreath of wild flowers.
The Snow Maiden is wearing a long Russian colored sundress with an embroidered vertical stripe on the front, a shirt with puffy embroidered sleeves and also a wreath. A thick brown braid is pulled down her back.
But, since you have to play not an everyday play, but a fairy tale, you can come up with very special, fairy-tale costumes.
If you want this lyrical scene to be accompanied by music, you have at your disposal Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Snow Maiden” and Tchaikovsky’s music written for this play.
If you don’t need music, try to reproduce the sound of the shepherd’s pipe played by Lel backstage.
The action takes place in a forest clearing. In this case, there can be any number of decoration options.

You may want to make an illusory design, that is, depict a dense forest in the background and place several trees on equal planes. But many options for conventional design are quite acceptable: maybe you write the forest on some flat boards or screens; maybe you'll do stage clothes in forest green, etc.
Since the action takes place in the evening and bright light is not required (Ostrovsky’s remark: “The evening dawn is burning out”), you can make a projection of the forest. It will be clearly visible on a regular light background.
Look for the colors of the evening dawn in the lighting. Obviously you'll need pink and pale purple filters.
There is no need to wear makeup for this scene.

FROM THE ARTIST

The action of the picture chosen for production from Ostrovsky’s fairy tale “The Snow Maiden” takes place in a spring meadow.
It is therefore important to give on your stage an idea of wonderful world spring, which awakened in the Snow Maiden unknown feelings of fullness of life, happiness, love.
You can, for example, paint a panel with ringing and joyful colors in a light painterly manner.
The best assistant and adviser in working on the decoration will be your own idea of ​​a joyful spring day, a transparent drop, the rustle of young foliage.

A. N. Ostrovsky

Jokers

Act one Scenes 2, 3, 4, 5

ADVICE FOR PERFORMERS

“Jokers” is a sad play, despite the fact that there are many comedic scenes in it. Its main characters, the Obroshenov family, are very kind and warm-hearted people. They are tenderly attached to each other and are constantly concerned not to upset each other. A lot of insults and humiliation befell these simple-minded people. However, the humiliation they experienced did not harden them, and the wealth obtained at the cost of a difficult moral sacrifice did not turn them into callous self-lovers. On the contrary, all three, especially Verochka, are distinguished by heightened sensitivity and the ability to sense the anxiety of loved ones. This constant “connection” to your partner’s experiences largely determines the scene you have to play.
The content of the scene is the first declaration of love between two very young people. Verochka, youngest daughter Obroshenova, seventeen years old, her fiancé Sasha Goltsov - no more than twenty. The age of the young people is very important here; it influences the atmosphere of the scene, bright and touching, despite the fact that Verochka always feels Sasha’s anxiety.
Verochka is completely devoid of affectation and coquetry; she always says what she thinks and behaves in a way that comes naturally to her. But it’s natural to enjoy life and love your loved ones: father, sister, Sasha.
Verochka is only vaguely aware of the difficult sides of life, and therefore matchmaking for her is, first of all, a joyful game.
Sasha loves Verochka and seriously seeks her hand, but he already knows the heavy worries about a piece of bread and the humiliated state of a semi-beggar. Throughout the entire scene, despite his sincere love, he is haunted by a heavy and unpleasant concern. He tries to prevent Verochka from noticing anything, but sometimes to no avail. Verochka catches Sashino’s anxiety, and Anna Pavlovna catches it too. Her first question to Sasha, who had just entered, was “Why are you so boring?” Anna Pavlovna’s task is to understand what kind of person Goltsov is. Verochka for her is the meaning and content of her whole life. Naturally, she wants to arrange the fate of her beloved sister as best as possible. Her questions to Sasha (about her lifestyle, about her salary) should in no case be politely indifferent, and she perceives every answer as an argument in favor of the upcoming marriage or against it. That’s why her insistent request for money is so unpleasantly surprising and alarming. But as soon as she saw Sasha’s confusion and tears, her wariness gave way to a desire to help.
In the next scene, her task is to calm him and Verochka, not to frighten them, to encourage them.
The performer of the role of Anna Pavlovna needs to remember that her heroine is a very young woman. Constant worries about my father and younger sister They sometimes make her stern and thoughtful, but by nature she is as open and smiling as all the Obroshenovs. For example, she can laugh cheerfully at the beginning of Sasha’s explanation with Verochka, in response to Verochka’s direct question: “Do you love me?”, and through her laughter advise Sasha: “Tell me no.” In the explanation of Sasha and Verochka, as we have already said, there is also a second, alarming plan. Verochka really wants everyone to be happy; her idea of ​​happiness is naive, but very kind: all the people close to her - father, sister, Sasha - should be together and love each other. However, she feels that some unknown forces are preventing her from achieving this harmony. Not knowing what to attribute Sasha’s anxiety to, she nevertheless guesses that he is worried about the future, and therefore falls silent and thinks precisely when she has to decide something regarding this future: for the first time, when Sasha asks for her hand; the second time - before giving him consent.
According to Ostrovsky, the scenes you will play take place in the garden in front of the house, but if necessary, you can change the scene. If it is difficult for you to make a fence and a tree, move the action into the room, placing only round table, covered with a tablecloth, and two or three chairs in covers.
Women's costumes here are simple, you can sew them yourself. Dresses should be long, with petticoats, with wide sleeves, closed and with belts. Verochka needs to make a light dress. You can sew it from simple chintz, smooth or with a small flower. Anna Pavlovna's dress is a calm, soft tone, maybe also floral or checkered.
Verochka has her braid down. Anna Pavlovna has her hair combed smoothly, her hair tied in a knot at the back of her head.
If you cannot get a frock coat for Sasha, have the performer play in his own light suit (the jacket should be long) and a white shirt. Black tie tied with a bow. The trousers are narrow. The hairstyle is very simple, close to modern: parting on the side, hair cut into a comb.
No stickers are needed, moreover, it is better for the performers of all three roles not to wear makeup at all: the age of the characters and the nature of the lighting allow this.
The action takes place on a summer morning, so the light should be bright enough. Turn on all the lights you have on your stage.
It's good if you succeed with the help of filters White light mixed with yellow - this will create the illusion of a sunny morning.

A. Pushkin

Duet of Tatiana and Olga from the opera “Eugene Onegin”

Have you heard the voice of the night behind the grove?

When the fields were silent in the morning,
The sound of the pipes is sad and simple -
Have you heard?

Have you ever met in the deserted darkness of the forest
Singer of love, singer of your sorrow?
Are there traces of tears, have you noticed a smile,
Or a quiet gaze filled with longing—
Have you met?

Did you sigh, listening to the quiet voice
Singer of love, singer of your sorrow?
When you saw a young man in the forests,
Meeting the gaze of his extinct eyes,—
Did you sigh?

Plays for enterprise projects

Plays for enterprises and private theaters in their artistic merits should not differ from plays performed in repertory and any other theaters. However, the specifics of their distribution require that they also meet certain technical requirements: a limited number of characters, convenience and portability of the scenery, appeal to a wide range of viewers (usually a comedy or lyrical drama). Below is a list of plays that, in the author’s opinion, are most suitable for performance in enterprise projects. Annotations of these plays are also provided. By clicking on the title of the play, you can see its full text on the Internet.

Two characters

A modern comedy dell'arte in the genre of a cheerful farce. Two clowns and clowns act out a play that is born right in front of the public.Pantomime, acrobatics, circus tricks, music, singing, dance, words merge into a single action.Comedy presupposes the ability of actors to improvise, buffoonery and live contact with the public.2 men, 1 woman, interior.

. This work combines dramatic, melodramatic and comedic motifs.

The bride and groom, successful business people, are forced by the will of circumstances to invite a random person they meet - an already middle-aged man of strange behavior - to be a witness at their wedding. To laugh at the man and have some fun at the same time, a young couple asks him to talk about the women he has loved. The result of the entertainment is quite unexpected. Relations between all three become tense. This meeting decisively changes the fate of each of the heroes. Purity of soul, intelligence, sensitivity, and the ability for deep feeling triumph over rationalism and dry practicality. 2 men, 1 woman.

Three friends - single women of the “golden age” - decide to change their fate and find life partners. This warm comedy convinces the viewer that years are not an obstacle to the search for love and happiness. 3 age female roles. Interior.

.The play has 3 characters: a man, a woman and... a dog (to be played by a child or an actress).

A lonely man, a railway worker by profession, finds a puppy, and very quickly this little devoted dog becomes his only joy and consolation. She responds to this concern with selfless love and loyalty.

The day comes when Mikhail must make a choice: either quit his job or get rid of the dog. After painful hesitation, Mikhail decides to kill his friend. A woman kills animals at a veterinary station. She is trying to save the dog, and with it the soul of its owner. The collision of the characters’ two truths, their dissimilar views on the true meaning of life, creates a spring of conflict. The character of the woman – prickly and at times aggressive, but selfless, ready to love and help – gave the name to the play. The play has been translated into English language, staged in New York.

Director Howard Fishman: American Theater Company is proud to present itself in New York with Valentin Krasnogorov's production of Dog, the first production of this unique and challenging play on the American stage.

What I admire most about her is her nobility of spirit, and the heart that pulsates so vulnerable within her. Without a doubt, this is a difficult play - prickly and subtle, frightening and ambiguous. But she is courageous enough to admit it all and show it on stage, where we can all recognize the parts of ourselves that we try so hard to hide."

. An evening of three one-act comedies of different genres, paradoxically interpreting the problems of modern marriage. These theatrical short stories can be presented separately or together. 1. " " . The wife persistently calls her husband for a frank conversation. 2 male roles, 1 female. Interior.2.“ ». " ". An ironic presentation of a version of an ideal family consisting of a classic triangle. 2 female roles.

. (see above)

4 characters

. An exploration of modern marriage in the form of a brilliant comedy, poignant and very funny. Critics in Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic noted the "profound meaning and wit of this funny, but wise and cautionary play", its "magnificent construction and sparkling dialogue." A. Shirvindt concluded the preface to this play, published in Modern Drama, with these words: “If you are not afraid of the mirror, hurry to look into it. In Bulgaria, a performance based on this play received a prize “ ». " Plot: A husband and wife invite two of their friends (a man and a woman) to a party. All four are connected by complex relationships, and each is waiting for their fate to be decided: today or never. 2 men and 2 women. Interior.

By the beginning of the performance based on the classic play of the 18th century, the performer of one of the main roles does not appear in the theater. He is urgently replaced by another actor who does not know the role, which leads to numerous tragicomic situations. They are complicated by the difficult personal relationships between the participants in the play. Love, hate, envy, jealousy, flirting contribute additional colors into a comic plot. Each participant in the performance simultaneously plays both the character and the actor performing it. 1 female, 3 male roles.

. (see above)

. Strange, funny and dark, a night rehearsal for an unusual performance with an unexpected ending. 2 male roles, 2 female roles, interior.

. An evening of three one-act comedies of different genres, paradoxically interpreting the problems of modern marriage. These theatrical short stories can be presented separately or together. 1. " " . The wife persistently calls her husband for a frank conversation. 2 male roles, 1 female. Interior.2.“ ». Husband is looking for best way separation from his wife. 2 male roles, 1 female. Interior " ". An ironic presentation of a version of an ideal family consisting of a classic triangle. 2 female roles.

5 characters

. Comedy. A man suffering from memory loss comes to see a doctor asking for help. The doctor tries to find out the symptoms and causes of the disease, but to no avail: the patient’s answers are so contradictory that it is impossible to get anything useful from him. Fortunately, we manage to call the patient’s wife. She answers all the questions clearly and confidently, but from her statements it follows that the doctor also suffers from memory loss. The situation becomes even more confusing when another woman unexpectedly comes and also declares that she is the wife of the sick man. The situation is becoming completely absurd. The doctor reaches almost madness. This dynamic and funny comedy develops rapidly and lively, ending with an unexpected ending. 3 men, 2 women. Interior.

6 characters

. Farcical sitcom in French style la piece bien faite - "a well-made play." Intricate adulterous situations are intertwined with the passionate desire of the characters to make a career. The play has big success. 3 men, 3 women, interior.

An excerpt from a review of the play: “This is a wonderful gift for the audience - a balm of humor, smiles, laughter, an excellent remedy for bad mood, blues, pessimism.”

(THIS WEAK TENDER SEX. ) . An evening of two one-act comedies with music and dancing. These very dynamic farces take us back to the times of Lesage and Rabelais. The play has not left the theater repertoire for many years in a row. The music for the play was written by Victor Pleshak.

Plot: 1. "Little night serenade." The old doctor's wife falls in love with a young man. She finds a way to deceive her strict husband. 2. "Silent woman." A husband invites a doctor to cure his young and obedient wife of muteness. In vain the doctor tries to dissuade the husband from this intention. Eventually, the doctor restores speech to the wife, and she begins to talk incessantly until she drives her husband crazy.2 male roles, 3 female roles, interior .

From a theater review: " The events unfolding on stage, although they take place as if in the 17th century, are very attractive today with their daring humor, wit, and unpredictability of plot twists."

XXI

7 characters

The characters in this paradoxical comedy are women who do not know each other, different in age and dissimilar in character, but by chance find themselves in the same place. In their conversations, disputes, and conflicts, the influence of our turning point on the destinies, views and moral values ​​of the heroines of the play becomes obvious. 6 female, 1 male role. Interior.

"Black comedy. The theater has just played the long-awaited premiere of Shakespeare's Othello. The actors performing the main roles stay after the performance to celebrate this event in a friendly circle. Unfortunately, the holiday is overshadowed by the mysterious death of one of the characters, and there is a suspicion that one of the participants in the play may be involved in this. Either dark or cheerful humor, detective intrigue, sharp plot twists and unexpected ending capture the viewer's attention until the very last line. 4 male roles, 3 female.

.Comedy with grotesque elements. Her characters of different ages and personalities hope to find their personal happiness in a successful marriage, but the realities of the hasty life of a business and practical XXI centuries force them to say goodbye to the ideals of the past. As a result, they find something completely different from what they expected. The engine of the action is the central character - an energetic middle-aged businesswoman. Funny and, at times, sad, this far from everyday intellectual comedy provides excellent material for performers of all roles. 2 men, 5 (3) women (three roles out of five can be played by one actress).

.This play is a 2017 “remake” of a comedy of the same name, first staged in the 1980s in Leningrad, where it ran for 400 performances, then in another 40 theaters in Russia, as well as in Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. At the festival in the Czech Republic, the play received three prizes, including the “Prize for Best Drama” and the “Audience Award.” 4 male roles, 3 female, interior.

. Synthesis of melodrama and ironic paradoxical comedy. The play develops two lines of action. Main actor one of them is a director looking for a way out of a creative crisis and recruiting actresses in a strange way for his new play. The leading heroine in another line of action is a famous artist experiencing her last love. The heroes of the play are in that period of life when it is time to take stock. Despite sad ending, the play is funny. Lively dialogue, unusual design and variety of colors make this comedy very theatrical. It contains a dozen “solo” roles for actresses of all ages and roles. 2 male roles, 10 female roles, interior.

The main characters of the play (2 men and 1 woman) are approximately 55-60 years old, female characters are aged from 25 to 55 years. If necessary, female roles may be played by fewer actresses.

Translation from French of three very unusual one-act comedies with elements of the grotesque and absurd.4-13 characters.

Contacts :

Tel. +7-951-689-3-689,+9 72-53-527- 4146,+9 72-53-527- 4142

e-mail: valentin. krasnogorov@gmail. com

A. N. OSTROVSKY “THE HEART IS NOT A STONE”

EXCERPT FROM THE PLAY with excerpts of the text, the characters of Ogurevna and Khalymov are shortened.

Karkunov.

Vera Phillipovna.

Konstantin.

Erast behind the desk, there is a candle on the desk.

Erast. But it seems that Konstantin told the truth: the owner walks around angry, does not look at the light; He keeps grumbling: “We need to finish off the factory, there’s no benefit...” Don’t praise the matter! You’ll go wander around Moscow, cutting the pavement. There is no money saved for a rainy day... But how can you save it on such a salary? Once you walk for three or four months, or even the entire six months without a place, you will find out where the crayfish spend the winter. If you get caught up in debt, you'll unravel your dress... after all, hunger is no big deal, you'll probably end up in such a rank that you won't be able to get out of it. Are there not enough of them in winter? summer dress they walk around the city, dance for pennies in the cold and extend their hands. Oh, life! Whenever you think about it, goosebumps creep up your spine. It’s not that... that... here you’ll go for robbery... It’s for sure that our mistress is a rare woman, quite special, and what a thing I’m doing now, it’s a little better than stabbing a person. And when you think about your life, it turns out that your shirt is closer to your body... …………(Looking at the wall clock.) It’s still twenty minutes to ten. Go get a book. (Leaves with a candle.)

It's dark in the room, Moonlight. Vera Filippovna enters unnoticed (scene 2 - abbreviated). Olga appears. Vera Filippovna is hiding.

Erast. Why are you doing this? Who asked you?

Olga. And then, to tell you straight to your face that you are an unscrupulous person.

Erast. So, I think you would have time to do this later, you have nowhere to rush.

Olga. Yes, my soul cannot bear it, you are a hateful person. That's how you stand for my love, that's how! But you can’t joke with me... I’ll tell you, my dear, wait!..

Erast. Quiet your voice! You're not in your apartment - you're being rowdy! You're in someone else's house. (Looks into the corridor.)

Olga. What do I care? I don't even want to know!

Erast. No, here’s what: you better leave it until tomorrow, we’ll talk later.

Olga. Yes, I can’t, I can’t; My soul is boiling, I can’t.

Erast. Well, speak up, just hurry up! What happened there?

Olga. I only marvel at how you have the conscience to look straight at me. Oh, I would kill you.

Erast. Yes, enough of your gasps! Speak up!

Olga. Did Apollinaria Panfilovna see you and your aunt together? Speak! Did you see it?

Erast. Well, so what’s the problem? I saw it so I saw it

Olga. And after that you can talk to me indifferently; and you're not ashamed of anything? So it turns out that your eyes are shameless.

Erast. And if only, then go home. It was worth running because of such trifles.

Olga (almost cries). Well, isn't that enough for you? few?

Erast. Of course, not enough, but what did you think!

Olga. Few! what do you want? Am I supposed to hang myself?

Erast. If your stupidity makes you choke, then choke! I'll tell you more! Your aunt will come here to see me now. Can you hear this?

Olga. Well, that won’t happen; I won’t feel sorry for myself, and I won’t let you mock me like that.

Erast. Allow me.

Olga. And don’t tell me, and don’t torment me; Otherwise I’ll do such things that you’ll be embarrassed and won’t get around to it.

Erast. Wait, listen to me! Now your aunt will come here, and in ten minutes Potap Potapych and your husband will come here and cover her here.

Olga. I'm sorry, what? Are you still making up nonsense?

Erast. Well, it’s none of your business.

Olga. But why, what is this for?

Erast. Therefore, it must be so.

Olga. Yes, my dear darling, tell me!

Erast. That’s it, that’s better; Otherwise you make noise and threaten to no avail. (Looks at the door.) Do you want to live better - and get dressed, and all that?

Olga. How could you not want to! Is it bad?

Erast. But your husband went bankrupt a long time ago, and there are still a lot of debts. If his uncle doesn’t leave him an inheritance, then he should sit in a hole, but where should you go?

Olga. Don’t leave me, Erast, you are my only hope.

Erast. Yes, I myself will have to chase dogs around Moscow today or tomorrow. And when Potap Potapych finds his wife here, he’ll lead me out the gate with a club, and she won’t get the inheritance either, but everything will be yours. So you see, I don’t spare myself for you and my husband; and here you are getting confused and in the way.

Olga. Did I know...

Erast. So know this! Well, go, go!

Olga. But I thought that you loved her.

Erast. No matter how much you fall in love, she’s not that kind of woman. You won't be able to get to her anytime soon.

Olga. Would you mind coming over if possible?

Erast. Yes, of course, why yawn!

Olga. Oh, you are disgusting! So I won’t go, I won’t go.

Erast. Who do you want to threaten? You'll make it worse for yourself. Yes, your husband will kill you to death if you interfere with us.

Olga. Yes, I would leave, but how can I leave you with her? Doubtful to me.

Erast. Jealousy. You judge your aunt by yourself!.. Don’t hesitate. She is not like that, no match for you. Well, go quickly, it’s almost ten o’clock.

Olga. Well, look at me! And it seems... then don’t live in the world.

Erast. Let it be, go! Wait! Someone is coming. That's it. Run to my room, take a candle. Shut yourself up and sit there, don't breathe.

Olga leaves with a candle. Erast approaches the corridor door.

Erast (at the door). Vera Filippovna, is that you, sir?

Vera Filippovna (coming out from behind the partition). No, Erast, I’ve been here for a long time.

Erast (grabbing his head). Did you all hear?

V e r a F i l i p p o v a n a. All.

Erast. So, now you know what kind of people we are?

V e r a F i l i p p o v a n a. I know, Erast.

Erast. There are no excuses, and the tongue will not rise to justify itself to you! Why should I cry, ask for forgiveness, lie down at my feet? So, I may be a lost person, but I will not humiliate myself, there is no baseness in me. The whole thing is clear... there’s nothing to it... You should just ignore us, spit and leave... and remain again the tall woman you were, don’t get involved with people like us.

Vera Phillipovna. That's what I'll do. How accurately you guessed my thoughts.

Erast. But allow me! For you, I am a small, insignificant person, so everything is the same as a crawling worm; but do not refuse to do me one last favor. (Kneels down.) Say something, say something! Scold, forgive, curse; Well, whatever you want, just say it - it will be easier for me; If you leave in silence, I can’t live. Don’t kill with contempt, tear off your heart, curse and leave!..

Vera Phillipovna. Please. Stand up. (Erast gets up).

You wanted to deceive me, but God had mercy on me, so I have nothing to complain about. I should be glad that God has not forgotten me. Even if they deceive me a hundred times, I still won’t stop loving people. I’ll tell you only one thing: you need to love people, but you don’t need to get involved in their affairs. To enter into people's affairs, you need to know them, but I am not given the ability to know them. If I can’t tell who is telling the truth and who is deceiving, then it’s better not to take it on. Who silently needs, who asks, who extends a hand - help everyone and pass by with a light heart. And if you start asking people about their needs, then, willy-nilly, you will be deceived, because everyone wants to justify themselves, to blame their guilt on others or on fate, everyone wants to show themselves better, no one will tell you their sins, their guilt. will say. And if you realize that you are being deceived and condemn the person, then what good is there, only sin. But this is how we, stupid people, should live: love people, and don’t know them, and don’t judge. I didn’t take up my own business, my concern is the poor, helpless people; and you will help yourself; Look how cleverly you came up with everything. I have no need to see you or talk to you anymore. You ask forgiveness for your sin not from me, but from above, and if you need my forgiveness, then I forgive you. With God blessing! We are strangers now. (Goes to the door.)

Erast. Looks like someone has driven up to the gate, but now they won’t catch you.

Vera Phillipovna. You don’t care about me, think about yourself, I’m not afraid. What does a right person have to fear? (Leaves.)

(…………..)

Karkunov and Konstantin enter. Erast stands up and bows.

Karkunov (sitting down on a chair). Why shouldn't I live, huh? What other kind of life do you need? The clerks of the night do not sleep, they sit over their books; but they don’t get drunk, they don’t act out. (...)

And nephew, I can’t find words to praise him enough. I'm behind him like behind a stone wall! How he takes care of his uncle! He will come with his uncle to the tavern, and he will get drunk before his uncle! Golden guy, golden! We are driving home at night, it is not known who is carrying whom, who is holding whom, you can’t tell. We hug each other all the way until the wipers take us off the droshky at the porch.

(Bows.) Thank you, my friends! You, Erast, will receive your payment tomorrow morning! (To Konstantin.) And you, without any calculation, get out! And so that your spirit does not smell tomorrow...

Erast bows silently.

Karkunov (at the door). Wife, Vera Filippovna, come out! He doesn’t come, he stands on ceremony... Come here, we ask you with honor. Eh, the woman got upset and stubborn... Apparently, I should go myself and bow to her properly! (He leaves, his laughter is heard; he appears from the door.) Shh... hush!.. Found, found, found a find. I won’t share it with anyone! ur, alone! (He leaves and quickly returns, dragging Olga by the hand.) Here she is, here she is, the wife! S Peers, then runs up to Konstantin and hits him on the shoulder.) Wife... wife, but not mine, eccentric!

Konstantin. Just like that... Well - Olga!

Karkunov. Ha, ha, ha! (Laughs hysterically.) Get all of you out tomorrow! everyone out! I'll order you to sweep it clean with a broom! Ha, ha, ha! (Leaves)

Konstantin. Well, Olga...

Olga runs into the corridor.

If you don’t run away, there will be a reckoning with you. (To Erast.) How can we deal with you, how will we take you into account?

Erast (takes out the bill, tears it up, rolls it into a ball and throws it away). That's all for you. Take your bill! We have no business being considered. There is no one to cry to, don’t dig a hole for someone else...

Olga runs in.

Olga. The guy felt bad in the corridor... they say it was a stroke... he is dying...

Konstantin. Uh, dying? So that's a different matter.

Olga (looking into the corridor). Died.

Konstantin. Well, Olga, it would be worth killing you; and now I will bow at your feet. By your grace, my uncle dies without a will, and I am now the complete master of all this.