Probably, each of us stopped at least once near a glossy theater poster and examined bright, inviting illustrations on it, inviting you to see a particular performance. Today, in modern theaters, there are diverse productions designed for different categories of the population, depending on the preferences and penalties of the domestic public. What genres of theatrical art do you favor?
If you like a subtle comedy that conveys the life and worldviews of people of the nineteenth century, if you like classical works written by great Russian thinkers, then you should visit the unusual and original comedy "The fruits of enlightenment." Mayakovsky Theater hospitably opens its heavy curtain for everyone.
The very first production
This play did not leave the stage of Russian theaters from the very beginning of its writing. Written in 1890 by the magnificent talented writer Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, she was very fond of a wide audience and is now one of the most visited theater productions of them. Mayakovsky.
The first director of the play was the famous Konstantin Stanislavsky (he also played one of the leading roles in the play).
The production was shown in a narrow circle of viewers, consisting mainly of friends of actors.
Work on the big stage
Then the play was staged on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater, where such stars of the imperial scene as Vladimir Davydov, Vera Michurina-Samoilova, Vasily Dalmatov lit up. It is noteworthy that in the play the actors did not choose for themselves the main plot roles; they wanted to play characters that were hardly noticeable at first glance, but possessed a certain semantic load. Until now, according to numerous reviews of the "Fruits of Enlightenment", these characters are considered the central figures on which the whole production is held and to which the views and attention of the audience are riveted. This is, first of all, Tanya, Betsy, men, cook, cook and so on. Therefore, if you will be present at the comedy, pay attention to how modern artists cope with these special, peculiar images.
A few months after the first show, the play was a great success at the Maly Theater. There, Leo Tolstoy also attended the performance. “The fruits of enlightenment”, demonstrated by equally talented actors (among them were Konstantin Rybakov, Alexander Lensky, Glykeria Fedotova, Olga Sadovskaya), made a pleasant impression on the writer. However, the play of some actors playing the roles of men seemed Lev Nikolaevich unnatural and boring. As we see, in his play Leo Tolstoy assigned a significant role to these characters. We will talk about who plays these heroes on the stage of the modern theater a little later.
From the history of writing a work
The first draft version of the play "The fruits of enlightenment" was written by the great Russian writer back in 1886. Written and left in a drawer. Three years later, they decided to deliver the work in a narrow circle of the Tolstoy family. This enabled the author to look at his literary creation from the side.
During the period of numerous rehearsals, Lev Nikolaevich began to work on the processing of the play, trying to convey dramatic images as deeply and as accurately as possible. Change and adjustment of the work was carried out more than once, after which the play, entitled earlier “The Thread Broke”, found its current name.
A bit about the theater itself
Theater named after Mayakovsky, founded in 1922, is located at the address: Bolshaya Nikitskaya street, 19/13. The initial performances of the theater belonged only to modern foreign plays. Then, classic pieces were staged in a bold, innovative style.
Artistic directors of the theater at different times were talented directors and artists such as Alexey Popov, Nikolai Okhlopkov, Andrei Goncharov and others.
Now the place of the artistic director is (since 2011) the experienced and gifted Mindaugas Karbauskis. Under his strict guidance, the theater. Mayakovsky has undergone some changes and is now one of the most visited theaters in the capital. Another master of his craft also shows his productions here - the Russian theater director, teacher and professor Yu. V. Ioffe.
The drama repertoire involves such famous and talented actors as Svetlana Nemolyaeva, Igor Kostolevsky, Evgenia Simonova, Olga Prokofieva, Daniil Spivakovsky, Galina Belyaeva, Andrey Gusev and others.
Modern plays
The play "The fruits of enlightenment" has long been on the stage of the Mayakovsky Theater. It was first delivered in 1985. This production was entrusted to the invited director - P. N. Fomenko. The "fruits of enlightenment" in the interpretation of Pyotr Naumovich were distinguished by grotesqueness, lively action, imagery, brightness and musicality. The audience is already so accustomed to this work of the great director that they reacted with caution to rumors of a new production of the play, carried out under the direction of Mindaugas Karbauskis.
By the way, the gifted artistic director dedicated the premiere of the performance to Fomenko, his friend and teacher.
Play in facts
Here is a summary of the work:
- The modern production of the play "The fruits of enlightenment" at the Mayakovsky Theater first happened in February 2015.
- The duration of the dramatic work is three hours and twenty minutes.
- Almost all actors from the theater troupe are involved in the performance.
- Interestingly, in the modern production of the play some actors are involved, playing in its earlier variation. First of all, this is Igor Kostolevsky, who played the role of a young Zvezdintsev under Fomenko, but now he has got an older character - Zvezdintsev-father. The artist of the RSFSR Svetlana Nemolyaeva is also beautiful in her new heroine. If earlier she played the role of Zvezdintseva, now she has got an interesting and curious character - a cook.
For other actors, let's talk a little lower.
Experienced artists
Who else is involved in the production of "The fruits of enlightenment"? The poster for the performance gives an exhaustive answer to this question.
First of all, this is Igor Kostolevsky, who plays the role of a wealthy landowner, a retired cavalry guard lieutenant, fond of spiritualism. Igor Matveevich, born in 1948, is the Honored and People's Artist of Russia. The actor is familiar to the Russian public by numerous films ("Dawns Here Are Quiet", "Asya", "Garage", "Tehran-43", "Vacation at Your Own Account" and others). Among his vivid and unforgettable theatrical works, it is necessary to mention such productions as Karamazov (Ivan Karamazov), Dead Souls (Plyushkin), Seagull (Treplev) and so on.
The role of Zvezdintsev’s wife is played by Tatyana Augshkap (born in 1961). Honored Artist of Russia, known for such theatrical images as Serafima Saratova ("Whim"), Nina Smelskaya ("Talents and Fans"), Polina ("Children Spoil Relations"), the wife of Blue Beard ("Birthday of the Blue Beard"), Elizabeth Markovna (Dead Souls) and others. Among the actress’s talented films, the Pathfinder (Jenny), Tomorrow Was the War (Zina Kovalenko), Queen Margot (Claudette), Mother and Daughters (Marta) and etc.
It is impossible not to mention Galina Anisimova, People's Artist of the RSFSR, playing the role of a fat lady. Galina Alexandrovna, born in 1929, has been working in the Mayakovsky Theater since 1952. She is a war veteran and a labor veteran. Among the brilliant works of the actress, “One hour before dawn” (Varya Kalinnikova), “Talents and fans” (Smelskaya), “Hamlet” (Ophelia), “The Cherry Orchard” (Anya), “The Zhurbin Family” (Tonya), “ Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk "(Aksinya) and many, many others.
Young talents
The role of Zvezdintsev’s daughter Betsy is played by Valery Kulikov. This is a young actress (born in 1994). Despite such a young age, the girl has already distinguished herself in episodic roles of such interesting productions as "On the Grass of the Yard", "Footman", "Dead Souls".
The son of the four Zvezdintsevs is also played by a young actor (born in 1989) - Vladimir Guskov. The young gifted artist is actively involved in other productions of his native theater - “The Last” (Alexander), “Berdichev” (Garik), “Nine by Ten” (Kostolevsky), “Mayakovsky Is Going for Sugar” (Mayakovsky), etc. Vladimir also takes off to the cinema.
The role of the resourceful maid Tanya went to the young and promising actress Natalia Palagushkina. Also, the artist is known for such theatrical works as “Fathers and Sons” (Fenechka), “Berdichev” (Zoya), “Not All the Cat is Shrovetide” (Agnia), and so on. Also, the girl can be seen in the films ("Moscow. Three stations", "Citizen boss. Continuation", "Barvikha" and others).
As you can see, in the production of "The fruits of enlightenment" involved the brightest and most talented artists of our time. However, your idea of ​​the performance will not be complete if you do not give a brief description of its plot. This will be discussed below.
The intrigue of the work
The play begins with the arrival of three men in the house to the landowner Zvezdintsev. They want to buy land from him, and bring a small deposit. Leonid Fedorovich is dissatisfied with such an insignificant amount and does not want to sell his possessions, as promised earlier. Moreover, now he is not worried about economic thoughts. He is absorbed in only one desire - to find a good medium for the next spiritualistic session.
The maid Tanya is not satisfied with the resignation of the lieutenant. She wants to help peasants - her countrymen and relatives. Therefore, the girl decides to go on a fraud: she gives her fiancé - the barman Semen for a medium. Zvezdintsev invites a young man to a session, after which all the fun begins. What ends the play "The fruits of enlightenment" - you can see, having visited the production itself.
Positive feedback from viewers about the work
As for real reviews of the play, in two years there have been a lot of them. Many visitors celebrate the talented play of actors (especially Kostolevsky and Nemolyaeva). Also, according to numerous reviews, the play itself, its comic nature and topicality, were awarded approving reviews. However, not all viewers are so unanimous.
Negative and neutral feedback
Some admit that they were annoyed by Nemolyaev, as well as the excessive lengthiness and sophistication of the work. The performance looked boring, outdated and ornate.
However, as the audience admits, the modern production of "The fruits of enlightenment" is designed in the classical Russian style, combining sparkling humor, subtle psychologism and actual edification. The play clearly and distinctively conveys the spirit of the time, makes you laugh and cry at the same time.
The talented play of the actors, combining several age categories of the troupe, is also impressive. It was evident that each artist carefully got used to the image, harmoniously complemented the other, played with a sense and knowledge of his craft.
A special bow for this wonderful eccentric comedy is Mindaugas Karbauskis, the main director of the Mayakovsky Theater.