The ambiguous word "benefit" took root in Russia mainly as a theatrical concept. Literature lovers are well aware that in the 19th century this was the name of the play, which was arranged for the sake of one actor: he not only received income from the play, but he himself could choose a play for production.
This performance became a celebration of the beloved actor, a celebration, an anniversary or farewell evening. It is this side of the benefit that makes it interesting today. Although not everything went so smoothly in the history of Russian theater: the benefits were not always at the mercy of the authorities (not only after the revolution, but before it).
Let's look in the dictionary
In the explanatory dictionary of V. I. Dahl, the word "benefit" has several meanings. The first of them is the concept most familiar to the general public: a spectacle, a performance in favor of one of the participants. The second relates to trade (noted that to foreign): percentage discount on goods, concession.
The word “beneficiary” also has two very different meanings. This is the name of the artist, actor, musician, in whose favor the performance is given. In the feminine - "beneficiary." However, according to Dahl, there is another meaning - these are clergymen of the Roman Catholic faith who receive income from real estate.
In French, a benefit is a benefit, a profit, an income.
The theater encyclopedia states that the word “benefit” in the meaning of “a way to reward one of the actors” appeared in France in 1735.
What is the theater alive
This form of distribution of the income from the performance quickly took root. It provided for the payment of the full amount to a specific person or persons, minus the cost of the presentation.
And there were different options: in the theatrical environment there are the concepts of “full benefit”, “half benefit”, “quarter benefit” and so on. There could be several main characters in one performance, and these are not only actors or singers. Benefit could be held in honor of the composer, playwright, theater workers.
The viewer who paid for the ticket usually does not think about how the funds received at the box office are distributed. For this, there has always been an entrepreneur, a directorate, an office of imperial theaters, a ministry of culture, agents of all kinds and managers. By the way, the great Russian playwright A.N. Ostrovsky also took part in the reorganization of theater management in Russia. His notes "On award benefits" were published.
The Russian pre-revolutionary theater is not only the imperial or serf theater. In the 19th century, there was a private theater, where sometimes entrepreneurs were shamelessly robbing actors. V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko testified that he had met artists in the province who, by the grace of the employer, had to play only for food. The Karabas-Barabas Theater is not such a fiction.
When the administration of the theater was at its best, then the remuneration of the actors corresponded to their level. Benefit is not only one-time help in difficult circumstances. It existed as a certain part of the salary; an actor could agree on it before admission to the theater. "Profitable" performances were divided into contract and award.
Benefits and anniversaries
Benefits in the Russian theater appeared in 1783. The play was chosen with the expectation of the maximum box office. According to the recollections of the actors, a performance of this kind was especially received by the audience. The reward came not only from the sale of tickets (sometimes at a double price), but also from the audience, who were ready to contribute additional funds or give gifts to their beloved lyceum in honor of his anniversary or premiere.
Quite controversial was the issue of the effect of benefit. Does this have a positive effect on the repertoire of the theater or not? On the one hand, many plays by A. N. Ostrovsky were staged in this way, and on the other hand, low-quality works were often chosen as "profitable".
The Directorate of the Imperial Theaters did not welcome the benefits too much and canceled them in 1908. However, in private theaters this practice continued. The 1925 ban on this kind of reward for actors during the years of theater nationalization seemed quite logical.
One of the forms of benefit that exists today is a gala anniversary concert. The income from him will mainly be received by the artist, whom his friends, fans, and spectators honor.
There is another non-standard form of performance - the opposite of the benefit. This is a charity concert. A great artist (writer, singer, musician, dancer) speaks to the general public, not receiving a fee for his game or giving the funds received from the concert to victims in any tragic situation. The costs of organizing the event are borne by the state or public structure. The performance of an artist is his gift to the audience.
Synonyms
Nowadays, the plural of the word “benefit” is “benefit”. A.N. Ostrovsky used now obsolete form in his notes. Namely - "benefit". A performance, a performance, a spectacle, a show, a play, a production - these, of course, are synonyms for the word "benefit". However, incomplete. The meaning of the word "benefit" is determined by the economic side of the festive event. It indicates not only the exclusivity of the event, but also its financial component.
The use of this term to refer to events related to theatrical life, schools, performances, programs, which in the direct meaning of the word are not a benefit, somewhat obscures its meaning.