Mind games: Mark Rozovsky will stage a play with the help of AI
A musical dedication to Steve Jobs, a fantasy about Federico Fellini, a staging of the Golden Calf and co—creation with artificial intelligence - Mark Rozovsky, the 88-year-old artistic director of the Nikitsky Gate Theater, knows how to surprise. Izvestia visited the opening of the 43rd season and found out why the master scolded the troupe and why he resorted to the help of AI.
Time obliges
The gathering of the troupe is a working, but no less expected event for any theater. Actors rarely find themselves in the audience seats, and the gathering of the troupe is exactly that exceptional case. Rested and happy, as theater director Tatiana Revzina shrewdly noted, they made noise and applauded Rozovsky.,
The artistic director, despite his venerable 88 years, bravely took his place in the foreground and, to a deafening ovation, invited the "permanent cupbearer", Honored Artist of Russia Andrei Molotkov, according to tradition, to uncork a bottle of champagne. Then the contents were poured into a glass the size of a small aquarium and passed through the rows.
— Without a burning eye, without the expression of soul and flesh, there is no theater. We're going sailing for the 43rd time! Mark Rozovsky rumbled, barely shouting over the lively troupe.
While the "glass" was walking around the hall, the artistic director reported on the last season. The theater released 10 premieres, played 470 performances, earned 73.6 million rubles from ticket sales, receiving 87.7 million rubles from the budget. And the average occupancy rate of the hall was kept at around 85%. This season, the captain of the theater "At Nikitsky Gate" is not going to slow down. He has outlined 10 premieres and plans to tighten the screws. Time obliges. But this will only affect the artists.
"I sang something in my hoarse voice, and voila! All the music is ready"
The artistic director promised that before the New Year he would release a detective drama "Who killed Simon Demanche", inspired by the biography of playwright, nobleman and Russian philanderer Alexander Sukhovo-Kobylin. Rehearsals began in the spring of 2025. The artists even played the first act, but the main work will be in September.
— This is the story of a talented man, a gambler, a philanderer and his love for a French woman, Simone Demanche. He brought her from France. But she was soon found murdered. It is still unknown by whom. He was chased and slandered, but he did not admit guilt. In our performance, he will be judged by the characters of his own plays," Mark Rozovsky revealed the secret.
Another premiere scheduled before the end of 2025 is the musical play Jobs, dedicated to Steve Jobs, the inventor of the world's first home personal computer. The jazz poem tells about the life and myth of the creator of Apple. The audience will see a musical show about a genius who turned the world upside down, in the best traditions of the theater. At the moment, 18 musical numbers have been created out of the planned 40.
After the New Year, the release of the play "Chonkin today" based on the novel by Vladimir Voinovich "The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of soldier Ivan Chonkin" is planned. It will be a satirical folk comedy about an ordinary soldier who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The play was written by Yuli Kim and directed by Yuri Golubtsov.
The next premiere is maestro's directorial experiment based on the work of writer Andrey Platonov. Rozovsky decided to install the Epiphany Gateways, and took artificial intelligence as his assistant. Hardly anyone in theatrical Moscow decided on such a move.
— The work is almost ready for rehearsal. There are poems, a literary basis, but I will surprise you with music. Mark Rozovsky's music in collaboration with artificial intelligence. Family members helped me. I hummed something in my hoarse voice, and voila! All the music is ready," the master confessed to the audience.
The know-how of the theater will be available on April 25.
The plans include a fantasy based on one of the most famous films of the classic Italian and world cinema Federico Fellini. And then — the staging of the famous creation of Ilf and Petrov "The Golden Calf". Mark Rozovsky noted that he wrote the play about Ostap Bender 10 years ago, but it was only now that the director of the play, Igor Skripko, found it.
By the way, in the upcoming season, the adventures of Ostap Bender can be watched in two theaters at once. Vladimir Pankov, the new artistic director of Lenkom Mark Zakharov, also took up the staging of Ilf and Petrov. According to Rozovsky, the theater is ready for competition and is not afraid of comparisons.
"We can't afford to keep ballast in the troupe"
In addition to the premieres, the band continues its touring activities. In September, performances of the play "The Poetry Ribbon. Sergei Yesenin" in Belgorod, and in December — a trip to St. Petersburg, where the troupe will play five musicals on the stage of the Bryantsev Youth Theater.
The most anticipated tour is Israel. Back in July, Izvestia wrote that the theatrical hit "Songs of Our Yard" was supposed to go on a two-week tour to the Promised Land. But the trip was disrupted due to the dangerous political situation.
— Starting from November 5, a group of our artists will finally go on tour to Israel. They are confirmed. The situation is such that everything can change. But they're waiting for us there. Next season, our legendary play will celebrate its 30th anniversary. He feeds us, gives us water and gives pleasure to all viewers all over the world," said Rozovsky.
The small stage will go on a six-month repair break, and several performances will go to the archive. The artistic director focused special attention on his considerable 110—person troupe. According to Rozovsky, some artists "lost their shape and relaxed."
— We can't afford to keep ballast in the troupe. We have to fight for a place in the theater. It's not about intrigue, but about artistic expression. Prove your place! Stop picking at your navel and saying that Rozovsky doesn't notice me. The troupe should be working. The theater begins to bend. Dissatisfaction causes problems to grow. We have to tighten the screws," the artistic director added.
From that moment on, Rozovsky refuses to accept applications not to hire actors in connection with filming. Absence for a disrespectful reason is equivalent to a reprimand, and two reprimands give the right to dismissal.
— If you are not satisfied, go to another theater. The schedule is the law. The theater is a service," the director concluded.
Nevertheless, the troupe is waiting for a planned salary increase. Even though it's through a rating system. An extra charge will be applied for an emergency entry or rank.
In conclusion, Mark Rozovsky introduced eight new students to the team — two girls from GITIS and the Konstantin Raikin Higher School of Economics and five boys from GITIS, Shchuka and I.D. Kobzon Institute of Physics and Technology. The latest newcomer is Vladimir Begma, who returned to the troupe after a long absence.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
