Moscow is a city where almost two hundred theaters operate. Among them there are temples of Melpomene, which have a long history, and are very young. In 1996, a troupe was formed in the capital under the leadership of Armen Dzhigarkhanyan. “Theater D”, as the master called his brainchild, was immediately able to win the hearts of the audience and today is one of the most popular cultural institutions in Moscow.
Creativity of Armen Borisovich Dzhigarkhanyan
The theater is first of all a collection of interesting personalities who want to convey to the viewer their vision of life, so the story about MDT should begin with a creative biography of its creator.
Today it’s hard to find someone who has never seen films with Armen Dzhigarkhanyan. Arriving in Moscow from Yerevan at the age of 32 and having several film and theater roles behind him, he began to successfully perform on the stages of the capital's theaters. However, the actor brought popularity to the film in such famous films as “The New Adventures of the Elusive”, “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed”, “Hello, I'm Your Aunt!”, “Dog in the Hay”, and in many others. In the early 1990s, Armen Borisovich taught at VGIK and in 1996, based on his course, founded “Theater D”.
History
The Dzhigarkhanyan Theater, reviews of which is mostly positive, was originally located on Kooperativnaya Street and had an auditorium with 96 seats. Its opening was marked by the premiere of the play based on the play by V. Shakespeare “Twelfth Night, or As You Want” directed by Krikor Ghazaryan.
Over the years of its existence in the theater, in the literal sense of the word, a galaxy of actors has matured, who today enjoy the love not only of the capital's theater-goers, but also of spectators throughout Russia. This is largely due to the fact that MDT often tours the country and has even visited regions located thousands of kilometers from Moscow.
Repertoire
In a short time, a rather extensive repertoire was formed, which included the solo performance “The Last Crepp Ribbon” with the participation of Armen Dzhigarkhanyan. The theater was also famous for the productions of "Little Tragedies" by Pushkin, the plays of Moliere, Vampilov and Bulgakov. Among the performances that can be seen in the near future, I would like to note the production of Lyudmila Ulitskaya’s play “Russian Jam”. The play touches on the eternal theme of the inability of the Russian intelligentsia to live “outside the window”. Spectators who have already visited the Dzhigarkhanyan Theater and saw this performance note that during its viewing it seems that the characters are characters from Chekhov’s plays, who somehow miraculously find themselves in 21st century Russia. In the MDT, you can watch a play on corruption and social vices, which, although it was written 140 years ago, remains very relevant today. We are talking about the play “Wolves and Sheeps,” which has been going on the theater stage for several years and invariably collects full halls. The production of “Crime and Punishment”, which makes you think about eternal questions, and today tormenting modern young people, is also very popular with the audience.
MDT troupe
As already mentioned, the Dzhigarkhanyan Theater was founded on the basis of the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography, led by the master. Of the “oldest” members of the corpses who have served in the theater since the first years of its foundation, one can name Peter Stupin, Vladimir Kapustin and Elena Fomin. In addition, over the years, Alexei Shevchenkov, Kirill Pletnev, Ilya Bledny, Nina Zabelinskaya, Stanislav Duzhnikov, Elena Ksenofontova and others played there. Most of these actors and actresses are not just former students of Dzhigarkhanyan: the theater, created by the master, became for them their native home and a forge of professional skill.
The play “Nameless Star”
This work of the Romanian playwright M. Sebastian is familiar to many by the famous film adaptation of Mikhail Kozakov, in which the main roles were played by Igor Kostolevsky and Anastasia Vertinskaya. This is a touching story about how the eccentric socialite Mona, accustomed to luxury, invades the life of the humble teacher Miro from a provincial town. She falls in love with a young man and, having spent the night in his house, declares in the morning that she is going to stay in his shack. However, since “no star can deviate from its path,” Mona leaves with her patron Grieg, leaving Miro to suffer from the realization of the unrealizability of her dream to unite with her lover.
“Nameless Star” (Dzhigarkhanyan Theater): reviews
For several years, the play, which tells about the chance meeting of Mona and Miro, has been going on the stage of the Dzhigarkhanyan Theater. The composition of the actors involved in it has repeatedly changed, and today the main roles in it are played by Maria Kozlova, Alexey Annenkov, Mikhail Zheleznov, Anatoly Kot and Alexey Lapshin. Earlier this performance was called “Mona”, and the main character was personified by Elena Ksenofontova. After her departure from the theater, it was decided to make a new production. The scenery was also changed, and so successfully that when viewers are asked if they liked the play “Nameless Star” (Dzhigarkhanyan Theater), the reviews primarily relate to the excellent work of artist-designer Konstantin Rozanov. The author of the production is director Dmitry Isaichev, who managed to recreate the atmosphere of a provincial town. In the new performance, its inhabitants have a special role, and their collective image is key to understanding the tragedy that happens with the main characters.
“Theater of the times of Seneca and Nero”
Another performance, which, judging by the reviews of the audience, is of the greatest interest, is devoted to the relationship between the tyrant and his teacher. It is based on the play “The Theater of the Times of Seneca and Nero” by Edward Radzinsky and offers a new look at the nature of cruelty of this Roman emperor. The role of Seneca is played by Armen Borisovich himself, and his eloquent silence is called by the audience the strongest scene in the whole performance. According to some reviews, the play about Nero, which can be seen in the MDT, is not just a story about a sadist breaking the fate of people, but a story about a boy deprived of his parents' love and a devoted teacher, whom he infinitely trusted.
Children's repertoire
The Dzhigarkhanyan Theater is also a great place to familiarize yourself with the art of the younger generation. In his repertoire there are several children's performances, such as “All mice love cheese”, “Tales of the scientist Cat” based on the tales of Pushkin and others.
As for adolescents, they can be recommended to watch the play “The Thirteenth Star”. This is a parable that tells of rabbits forced to take part in races where losers face death. In fact, the creators of the play offer the viewer to think about whether to save love and friendship to save their own lives.
Ticket prices
Dzhigarkhanyan Theater is visited by people with different social status. Prices for performances there are much lower than in most other metropolitan institutions of this kind. In particular, to watch a children's play (beginning at 12:00), it’s enough to pay only 300 rubles, and tickets for “adult” performances cost from 1,000 to 1,500 rubles. On weekdays the box office is open from 12:00 to 20:00, and on weekends tickets can be bought from 11:00 to 20:00.
Should I visit the Dzhigarkhanyan Theater? “Nameless Star”, “Theater of the Times of Seneca and Nero”, “Vasa” and other performances, of course, deserve attention.