The play “Two on a Swing”: reviews in “Sovremennik”, in the Theater of Movie Actor, in “Shelter of a comedian”, in the Central House of Artists

A swing is a symbol. A symbol of inconstancy in the first place. Attempts to escape from the past lead the protagonist to a new relationship, full of absurdities, starting from the moment of acquaintance and ending with the separation, and consisting of stunning rises and rapid falls.

Gibson’s play “Two on a Swing” with unchanged success lives on the stages of various theaters in all corners of the world.

Broadway Story

The work was written in the middle of the last century. Drama of two loving hearts. Jerry's dodging lawyer and the failed dancer Githel bring the case together. After a party with mutual acquaintances, where Githel liked Jerry, he finds her phone and asks for a date under the pretext of buying a refrigerator. Jerry is married, he is trying to break off relations with his wife and start all over again, including a career, but he does not succeed, and even after the official divorce, Jerry returns to his wife, leaving Githel alone. Their separation is tragic - he and she love, but together it is impossible to be. The lovers dedicate the final dialogue of the play to various trifles, Jerry explains Githel how to contact him, asks to call him when he needs help, and only at the very end, for the first time for all time, he says that he loves her. Gitel smiles, trying to hide his sobs, and the first hangs up.

Throughout history, heroes have the strongest feelings - from hatred to all-consuming love. Swing up, swing down ...

Variations on a Theme

“Two on a swing” performed by Russian actors assemble full halls not only in the post-Soviet space, but also abroad. Several famous Russian theaters stage the play “Two on a Swing”. Feedback from viewers about what they saw is only positive. Of course, what is happening on the stage largely depends on the actors, but without the talent of the director it is impossible to play a good work. Despite the fact that the performances in different theaters were staged in the same work, each pair of actors plays in their own way, somewhere adding replicas, somewhere removing. The director builds the outline of events as he feels it, the actors masterfully translate his idea into a magnificent action.

Contemporary

The first in 1962 was a play by the Sovremennik Theater. "Two on a swing" reviews received the warmest. For 30 years, while Galina Borisovna Volchek staged the play, the actors changed, but the theater always assembled full rooms.

Returning again to the plot beloved by the audience, the director does not depart from tradition. The performance was staged in the spirit of a psychological theater, in deference to the work of Sovremennik. A minimum of scenery, each of which is a symbol. The main one, of course, is the telephone. He is that thin thread between the heroes, which connects them at the beginning of the play, and which ends at the end. The play “Two on a Swing” receives reviews not only about wonderful directing and acting, the viewer also praised the music, which perfectly complements the action. Frank Sinatra immerses us in the atmosphere of those years, precisely selected compositions completely fall into the theme of what is happening on the stage.

Fidelity to tradition

The play "Two on a Swing" ("Contemporary"), the audience’s reviews about it once again prove that the director was not mistaken, returning to a long-played story. Despite the fact that Galina Volchek staged the play, practically without changing anything, still some innovations in the production appeared. Neon, which was not in the 60s, and the lighting symbolizing the bright lights of New York add to the production of tragedy. The play of light helps to feel the mood of the characters deeper.

Fresh Forces

To the actors who played the play “Two on a Swing” (“Sovremennik”), the reviews of the audience who remember the performance of past years are enthusiastic. Many say that it was difficult to restrain tears, the game was so penetrating. Galina Borisovna was not mistaken here either. The choice of actors is another difference between the performances of past years and this new production. Previously, only actors from the theater troupe took part in it. In the new production, Gitel is played by the leading theater actress - Chulpan Khamatova, but Jerry was invited from the set.

Actor Kirill Safonov starred mainly in the series. A favorite of many spectators, Cyril opened from a completely new, unfamiliar side and did not disappoint. About the play "Two on a Swing" "Sovremennik" receives reviews from the very first days of the production, mainly these are opinions about the actors' play. The talented duet in the first act makes the audience laugh heartily at the harsh phrases and jokes, at Jerry’s awkwardness, and in the second - cry, watching the heroes’ torment.

Chulpan once again proved her skills. Slim, graceful, in a turquoise suit with a fluffy skirt, which emphasizes her thin waist - another symbol of fragility. No wonder Jerry calls her Cub all the time. She does not play - she lives in this role. This is not just a role, it is a dedication to Galina Chalikova. She was the creator of the Give Me Life Foundation and died of cancer three years ago. It was she, according to Chulpan, who was capable of such sacrificial love.

Not so long ago, an updated version was released, and the play "Two on a Swing" (Sovremennik Theater), the reviews of grateful spectators about which they told a lot of good things, gained great popularity among theater-goers. The hall is always full, tickets are sold out instantly, despite the rather high cost.

Railwayman Culture House

Another Moscow theater, which decided to stage the play “Two on a Swing,” is the Central House of Artists. The audience’s reviews about this production say that the director Andrei Kiryushchenko did an excellent job.

The choice of actors was unexpected. The role of Gitel was wonderfully played by Tatyana Arntgolts, and Jerry was wonderfully represented by Grigory Antipenko. A new role revealed wonderful talents. Gregory in his role actively used facial expressions and gestures, which significantly distinguished his game from Safonov's more restrained game. Jerry Gregory turned out to be more emotional. Frankly speaking, comparing a game between two actors is not entirely correct. Each has its own charisma. And it cannot be like one another, staged by different creative groups, the play "Two on a Swing".

The reviews of even those spectators who attended not only the premiere, but also later productions of one theater, are different. Viewers claim that the same replica sounds completely different. The skills of the actors are honed every time, roughnesses, minor inaccuracies disappear.

Field for creativity

Many spectators, before going to the theater, read the play and watched the old American musical “Two on a Swing”. The performance received the best reviews. The audience unanimously acknowledged that both the actors and the director did a great job. In both cases, the actors were both easy and difficult at the same time. It is difficult because not a single video was preserved either from rehearsals or from a performance of past years, there was no support. On the other hand, this is a big plus, there is an opportunity for creativity. Each of the actors showed the character he imagines. Played as prompted by the heart.

From the series to the big stage

The role played in the play “Two on a Swing” by Arntholz received excellent reviews. Tatyana was very organic: the final scene, where she sobs, having thrown the telephone receiver, did not leave any spectator indifferent. During this farewell dialogue, many men in the audience wiped away tears.

The play “Two on a Swing” received reviews not only from Moscow theater-goers, but also from residents of different cities of Russia and abroad.

Jerry and Gitel performed by Antipenko and Arntgoltz go on tour a lot, and in all cities there are performances with full houses. Thanks to these roles, they managed to get rid of the label "actor of soap opera" and win the love of a new, much larger audience.

What will Peter say?

Not only Moscow theaters give a real celebration of feelings to the audience who came to the play “Two on a Swing”. Reviews "Shelter of the Comedian" received a rather restrained, to match the cool St. Petersburg climate. Director Veniamin Felshtinsky in his own way interpreted the famous Broadway musical. But this did not prevent the performance from receiving well-deserved rewards.

Elena Kalinina in the roles of Gitel and Oleg Fedorov, and earlier - Dmitry Vorobyov, achieved great success on the stage of the St. Petersburg Theater of the Comedian. The performance was first presented to the public in 2004, and since then it has been performed 150 times. It is worth noting that the staging of the play by this particular director received the Golden Spotlight award in the nomination for “Best Acting Ensemble” and became a participant in the St. Petersburg theater season in Prague in 2007. And although the reviews about the play “Two on a Swing” “The Comedian’s Shelter” received less reviews than about the performances in Moscow theaters, the audience of St. Petersburg fell in love with this play. The halls are always full, the actors are not allowed to leave the stage for a long time, awarding a flurry of applause.

Thanks to such talented actors and directors, the art of acting continues to live. And no matter what they say, going to the theater, lively communication with actors, genuine emotions will never squeeze this art out of our lives.