Moscow is famous for its rich theatrical life. Every day, many theaters hospitably open their doors for residents and guests of the capital. In recent years, the Moscow Theater Center "Cherry Orchard" has become one of the most beloved by fans of dramatic art.
History of the theater
The creator of the ITC "Cherry Orchard" and its permanent artistic director is director Alexander Mikhailovich Vilkin. His creative activity includes more than one hundred productions, which were successfully performed on the stages of many Russian theaters. Vilkin founded his troupe in 1995. The Cherry Orchard Theater did not have its own premises for a long time, and only in 2015, just in time for its 20th anniversary, the collective had its own building located in the very center of the capital. If you do not know where the Moscow Theater Center "Cherry Orchard" is located, address: Moscow, Malaya Sukharevskaya Square, building 10. The name of the theater was not accidental. Alexander Mikhailovich wanted his work to contain the moral and civic principles inherent in the works of the great Chekhov. The theater is a budget institution.
The building of the ITC "Cherry Orchard"
The construction of the theater center was carried out at the expense of investors. The building covers an area of ​​almost 19 thousand square meters. It has a very noticeable appearance - the diagonal plates of glass mounted on a strict stone lattice attract attention, standing out among the Garden Ring buildings, in which two architectural styles are mixed:
- modern, relating to the period of leadership of the city by Yuri Luzhkov;
- bourgeois, which includes the construction of the XIX century.
Most of the building (12 thousand square meters) is occupied by the business center of the main investor. Part of the building, owned by the theater, and part, owned by the office, are divided among themselves. Both the theater and the office have separate entrances. The building also has premises that are the property of the city. Moscow Theater Center "Cherry Orchard" includes eight floors. The glass plates mentioned above carry their semantic load. Those plates, on which trees are depicted, are symbols of the Cherry Orchard, and the plates, which are fixed at different angles, as conceived by the architect, are an imaginary theater curtain.
The main hall of the theater
The Moscow Theater Center "Cherry Orchard" occupies the first five floors. On the ground floor and one underground level, technical rooms are located under it. And the floors from the second to the fifth are occupied by the Main Theater Hall, executed in strict black tones. This performance of the hall helps the viewer to focus as much as possible on what is happening on the stage.
- The ceiling and the stage box are painted black, the upholstery of the chairs is matched to them.
- Facing of balconies is made of arched wooden panels.
- The stalls and the mezzanine are decorated with load-bearing columns of the same copper color built in a semicircle as the facing of the balconies.
- In the author's grisaille curtain of Maria Solopova-Polyakova, we see the presence of both black and brown tones. In the drawing on the curtain, viewers can look at tree branches, stairs, windows. And the planes developed at different angles on the curtain resemble the facade of the theater.
Theater Buffet
The Moscow Theater Center "Cherry Orchard" surprises its guests not only with the halls, but also with a theater buffet, which deserves special attention. Its walls and ceilings are completely made of wood. Around the perimeter, visitors see wooden grilles, which are an angular asymmetric pattern. They are somewhat similar to acoustic panels. In fact, their function is purely decorative, withstanding the general style of the theater. The stone floor and bar counter can be compared to a stone facade. Laconic round shades brightly and at the same time softly illuminate the entire room.
Moscow Theater Center "Cherry Orchard": repertoire
Since its founding, the repertoire of the theater center has consisted of the best works of both classics and modern drama. The authors of the plays on which the performances were staged are Moliere, Chekhov, Williams, Ionesco, Ostrovsky, Dostoevsky, Ulitskaya and others. Both the director and the actors consider it their task to preach the best human qualities in their works, to convey to the audience how important moral values ​​are in each person’s life. To date, the theater’s repertoire has 19 productions, including for children. For the performances "Tartuffe", "Glass menagerie", "How quickly life ends", the artistic director was awarded the Government Prize.
Performance "Russian jam"
I would especially like to note the performance “Russian Jam” directed by Nikolai Popkov. The author of the play of the same name, Lyudmila Ulitskaya, devoted her work to the fates of the Russian intelligentsia. The choice of this particular play at the Vilkin Theater is not accidental. After all, being written a hundred years after Chekhov's "Cherry Orchard", it is also comedic and ironic. At the same time, there is a piercing pain of the author, who understands how hopeless and vain the hopes of the intelligentsia are to somehow influence the course of development of Russian society. The content of the play is as follows: a typical Moscow family, representatives of the intelligentsia, unsuccessfully try to prevent the destruction of the family house and save the family. After watching this performance, here each viewer can draw a parallel with himself, regretting what remains in the past, and afraid of the unknown that awaits in the future. A subtle and witty play urges people to the main thing - to keep things and thoughts clean, to be heard by each other, to try to give yourself the answer that you can change your home for the better. In the play you can see the leading actors of the theater Vadim Raikin, Sergey Kovalev, Lyudmila Kozhevnikova and others.
Viewers reviews about theatrical performances
The Moscow Cherry Orchard Theater Center receives the most positive reviews from its fans.
- Very convenient location of the theater, from the metro station "Sukharevskaya" to the entrance to go less than a minute.
- A modern innovation has been introduced in the theater - at the entrance to the theater you first go through the magnetic frame.
- The theater has an unusual interesting interior, affordable tickets.
- On the floor you need to climb a beautiful spiral staircase.
- On the walls of the theater there are many portraits of honored artists who played here.
- A lot of mirrors in small rooms, which makes it possible to visually increase the space, and it seems huge.
- There are several elevators in the theater.
- In the hall, the seats are arranged in a semicircle, the rows are located at different levels, so the scene is clearly visible from anywhere.
- The theater has a wonderful cast, talented young directors. Fans of theatrical art celebrate the colorful, with excellent musical accompaniment, V. Annenkova's performances, as well as the production of "Johnny and Hes" directed by A. Troshin.
- In the play “Tartuffe” based on Moliere’s play, beautiful scenery and costumes are impressed by the inspired play of the actors.
- In the Cherry Orchard, you can also see performances by other theaters. For example, the audience was impressed by the play “Three Nights” based on Gogol’s novel “Viy”, staged by the State Theater of the Young Spectator of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
- The theater itself has a very warm and pleasant atmosphere.
Also, regular visitors to the Cherry Orchard recommend buying tickets in advance, as there is always a full house on the day of the performance in the theater.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I would like to note that the “Cherry Orchard” succeeded in what some theaters have so far failed to do — coexistence with a business center. Architects were able to achieve harmony in the neighborhood of the theater and offices. Being in the same building, they exist absolutely autonomously. In addition, the favorable location and unusual design of the facade attract both Muscovites and visitors. If you have not visited the Moscow Theater Center "Cherry Orchard", how to get to it by public transport - see below:
- by metro to the station "Sukharevskaya" - 80 meters to the theater;
- trolleybuses to st. Meshchanskaya - 200 meters to the theater;
- by buses to Prospekt Mira - 310 meters to the theater.