- Статьи
- Culture
- Practical mania: the united Moscow Art Theater opened the season with the tragedy of Lady Macbeth
Practical mania: the united Moscow Art Theater opened the season with the tragedy of Lady Macbeth
What is a woman willing to do for love? How many should I sacrifice? How many to kill… And does she deserve sympathy? With an artistic conversation on this topic, the updated and unified Moscow Art Theater named after Gorky, under the leadership of Sergei Bezrukov, began the 129th season. However, due to circumstances, he is still on the Provincial stage in Kuzminki. Director Maxim Melamedov directed "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" based on the novel of the same name by Nikolai Leskov. Vera Shpak and Agnia Kuznetsova play the "Bloody lady" Katerina in the double. Details are in the "Izvestia" material.
The Moscow Art Theater returns to the Russian psychological theater
In recent years, the abbreviation of the country's main drama theater, the Moscow Art Theater, has been mentioned exclusively in scandalous terms by all news media. The site's leaders changed, each of whom broke a block rather than strengthened it. The troupe was bored from idleness, the famous staircase on Tverskaya Boulevard had forgotten how the audience climbed it. In this situation, the theater, which evokes a spiritual thrill for every Russian artist, went to the artistic director of MGT Sergey Bezrukov. Now two buildings, on Tverskaya Street and in Kuzminki, operate under the same name and under the leadership of the same team. And on September 17, she presented the first premiere of the season, "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District."
From performance to performance, Sergey Bezrukov emphasizes: we work according to the laws of the Russian psychological theater. Many people make such classical statements, but few people can prove the theorem in practice.
The story of the merchant Katerina Izmailova, who first ventured into forbidden love and then a series of murders, consistently encourages directors around the world to turn to Leskov's text. I also remember Mikhail Shapiro's Soviet film opera starring Galina Vishnevskaya, Roman Balayan's film starring Natalia Andreichenko, and William Olroyd's British film starring Florence Pugh as Katerina. At various times, Natalia Gundareva, Elizaveta Boyarskaya, Irina Pegova, and Kristina Asmus played her in the theater.
Young and in—demand director Maxim Melamedov chose two different actresses - Vera Shpak and Agnia Kuznetsova. This is not the first time he has referred to Leskov's text. Seven years ago, while studying at GITIS, Melamedov staged "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" at the Bulgarian NATFIZ Theater in Sofia. Later, I returned to this story in various laboratories. This performance also grew out of a sketch shown at the "Stanislavsky Factory" festival.
A hut, three witches and a Russian passion
Production designer Nicole Klampert built the facade of a traditional Russian hut on the stage, put together by skillful hands from solid planks and decorated with wood carvings. This is the house of the merchant Izmailov. In addition to himself, his basket-shaped son Zinovy and his wife Katerina and a dozen peasants live in it.
The play begins not in Leskov style, but in Shakespearean style. Closing the canopy of the British classic, served in the very title, Melamedov brings three Macbeth witches to the stage. Three beautiful long—haired maidens - Anastasia Borisova, Elizaveta Polshina, Irina Chemova — in flowing light dresses intercept carpenter Sergei (Sergey Vakula) along the way. And, like the sirens from the Hellenic myths, they sing in his ears tales of passionate love ahead.
The artist immediately distinguishes her from the ubiquitous grayness and dresses her in red. The color of love and passion. A peasant by birth, she pulled out a lucky ticket by marrying the merchant's son Zinovy. But the rich walls and naive men's caresses do not please Katerina. She wants to sing, laugh, dance. Hot blood flows in her, which has to be strangled in the ways accepted by old man Izmailov. But the pious handkerchief instantly flies off the diligent daughter-in-law's head when she meets Sergei.
Vera Shpak and Sergey Vakula are playing live. They love each other so much that the audience's cheeks burn. There is no theatrical affectation or vulgarity in their kisses and hugs. Katerina choked on a previously unknown passion. And, having drunk it in full, I am not ready to part with my beloved, no matter what the cost.
Even if my father-in-law gets in the way. Even if I have to kill my husband. Even if you have to kill the boy Fedka, Izmailov's sudden nephew, with whom you would have to share your fortune. This means a chance for legitimate happiness with your loved one.
There's a witch slumbering in every Katherine.
Traditionally, Katerina Izmailova is portrayed as a kind of "bloody lady" with a death grip. Agnia Kuznetsova, who plays doubles with Shpak, will probably get it that way. For Vera, she remains a woman who greedily tries to get drunk on Sergei's love. And at the same time, a woman in whom a witch had been sleeping all this time. A devilishly beautiful and dangerous mermaid. That's why she dies at sea, taking with her the last victim, the carpenter's new lover Sonetka.
It's nice that the director doesn't focus solely on the main character and pays enough attention to other characters. Kirill Novyshev creates a full-fledged image of a child loved by a rich folder. And Maxim Dakhnenko, a member of the Moscow Art Theater, in the role of merchant Izmailov, perfectly demonstrates that he has not lost his skills during his forced downtime in the theater.
Sometimes you want to pause a performance — to consider artistic solutions, rewind the scenes you've just played, listen to the monologues of the murdered father and son again, and look into the eyes of Katerina, overcome with passion. Melamedov put the eventful drama in an hour and a half. And this is both an advantage and, perhaps, the only drawback of the production.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
