Director Markholia spoke about his performance based on Gorky's play "At the Bottom"

Director Roman Markholia presented his version of Maxim Gorky's play "At the Bottom". The main roles are played by People's Artists of Russia Mikhail Porechenkov and Svetlana Kryuchkova. The action is transferred to our days. Nochlezhka for the capital's homeless in the new reading is a capsule hotel.

Premiere family man: Tabakov Theater presented a new version of "The Eldest Son"

Vladimir Mashkov returned to the repertoire a legendary play based on Vampilov's play

"The first title of the play was "Without Sunshine". And if there is no sun, where does the light come from? Only from within. This play is about people shining from within. What fascinates me in the play "At the Bottom", recognized as a masterpiece of world drama and the most famous play by Maxim Gorky? The inextinguishable taste for life of its characters, the fierce desire of a man to prolong his days, despite the harsh circumstances," the director shared.

The artist Vladimir Kovalchuk built a capsule hotel on the stage with sleeping places in the form of storage cells. Ten luminous windows. On the second tier you can climb the stairs. This is a temporary shelter for those who have strayed here. In the center is a makeshift screen, a metal station bench and a large table where the inhabitants gather.

A thief, a prostitute, a hustler, a peddler, a policeman, a locksmith, a shoemaker - Gorky's heroes are still around today. Not having their own homes, they have nothing to do but adapt to the conditions and do not lose their vigor.

"It is not by chance that the author places his protégés - thieves, murderers, cheats, prostitutes - at the very bottom of life, in the closed space of the lodging house. This is Noah's Ark, where unique human specimens are saved, which are neglected by 'normal' society," Marholia noted.

"At the Bottom" is shown in the educational and theater complex of GITIS, on Akademika Pilyugina Street, 2. There for the time of reconstruction of the stage on Povarskaya housed Workshop "12" Nikita Mikhalkov. But soon the work in the historic building will come to a close and the performances will again be possible to see in the renovated space in the center of Moscow.

Read more in the exclusive material of "Izvestia":

Gorky's Maxims: Nikita Mikhalkov's Workshop 12 read "At the Bottom" in a new way