Theatrical premieres
The Volgograd theatrical season is rich in premieres. The theaters will delight both the very young and experienced theatergoers.
Puppet Theater.
'Stories of Young Heroes'.
The performance 'Stories of Young Heroes' immerses the audience in a world of feats and the resilience of Stalingrad's young heroes, in the atmosphere of those days when boys and girls faced death face to face but did not lose hope for life, for victory. The play shows that courage, kindness and faith in the future can be found even in the most difficult circumstances.
The script by Ekaterina Urzhumova is based on diary entries and recollections of Stalingrad children whose fates were intertwined with one of the most terrible pages of history.
'The Seagull: A Method of Reading'.
Anton Chekhov's play 'The Seagull', barely having appeared in print and on stage in 1896, became a symbol of theatrical renewal. Thousands of interpretations around the world have produced both crushing failures and incredible successes. Theater practitioners have been puzzling over the phenomenon of the legendary play 'The Seagull' for more than one generation. The play is mystical, striking in its depth and drama.
I attended the premiere. A magnificent production, impeccable acting. Tip: read the play before attending so that some moments will be clearer during the performance.
Youth Theater.
It pleased with three premieres.
'Maddalena' — a mystical drama based on Don Nigro's play, rooted in the ancient Greek myth of Medea and Jason. A very atmospheric and mesmerizing production.
'Vassa Zheleznova' — a tension-driven play about inner strength and loneliness, exposing the most complex issues of human relationships and suffused with the eternal theme of love. The production features both experienced actors and a young company. Audiences will be pleased by the original scenography — the main set element will be a pyramid, which will also serve as a platform for the chorus. For the premiere, production designer Kirill Martynov from Saint Petersburg created a unique authorial costume collection.
'I Won't Tell' — a poignant story of two families, filled with wonder and magic. It is a play about relationships and the problems of young people who love each other but are unable to find the strength to talk. The action unfolds on New Year's Eve, when, in a miraculous way, two couples intersect and try to sort out the crisis in their relationships and within themselves.
The performance 'Vassa Zheleznova' was seen by theater critic Olga Galakhova, editor-in-chief of the newspaper 'Da' (House of the Actor), Associate Professor at the Department of Russian Theater History at GITIS and Candidate of Arts. The critic highly praised the actors' work. 'I saw living artists who exist here and now. Living performances and, most importantly, living theater. Glad to get acquainted with your theater,' Olga Igorevna concluded.
Musical Theater.
'The Queen of Spades' — Pushkin's most mystical work. What the protagonist hears — whether an anecdote or a true story — about a countess who knows an unbeatable sequence of cards gives rise to many events combining all-consuming obsession and gambling, farce and fatal love, melodrama and tragedy... The dramatically rich plot, in which the real and the mystical intertwine, proved akin to a new genre. The fantasy style of the musical's authors instantly transports us from our days into the atmosphere of mysterious 19th-century Petersburg, where the life collisions of the characters and their surroundings are virtuously unraveled.
'The Ball at the Savoy' is sometimes called 'the last operetta', referring to the classical Neo-Viennese operetta. Of course, that is not entirely fair, since operettas were created later as well. The work was born in 1932 (its premiere took place in Berlin), and at that time a new genre — the musical — was gaining momentum, having inherited some traits of operetta and ready to substantially push it aside. The combination of 'old' and 'new' can be seen in the appearance of 'The Ball at the Savoy'. This operetta is the true child of its time: it is dominated by beautiful, memorable melodies and is rightly considered the most danceable operetta — here you will find Argentine tango, foxtrot, tap, and pasodoble, but perhaps the most beautiful melody is the Viennese waltz in the classical style. The dynamic twists of the plot, where witty dialogues intertwine with sensual lyricism, comedy with drama and irony, will leave no one indifferent.
New Experimental Theater.
'Khanuma'. The ruined Georgian prince Pantiashvili intends to marry well to improve his financial situation. To find a suitable bride he hires the well-known matchmaker Khanuma in Tiflis, and she finds him an older and plain but wealthy bride. Another matchmaker, Kabato, decides to marry the indebted prince to the beauty Sona, who is fond of the groom's nephew Kote. Kabato wants to become the chief matchmaker of Tiflis, while Khanuma is convinced that 'since the world was created there is no better matchmaker in the world.' Wishing to assert her leadership, Khanuma is ready to 'spite' her rival and helps the lovers.
'Cosmos'. Tatyana lives in the provincial town of Bugulma and works as an English teacher at the very school she once graduated from. Her life is like an endless 'Groundhog Day': dreary gray days follow one another — school-home-school-home. Her husband died long ago; her son has grown up and grown distant. But suddenly she learns that a famous cosmonaut — her former classmate and first love — is going to visit the town. And, of course, he will visit his old school. Tatyana's life will never be the same — a desire for happiness and hope for a miracle awaken in her. However, Tatyana's timid dreams are not destined to come true, and under the rubble of hope seeds of anger and destructive passion suddenly sprout. This contemplative production allows each viewer to look inside themselves to find a cosmos where there is room for love and cruelty, the light of hope and the darkness of loneliness.
'Notre-Dame'. Victor Hugo's legendary plot will be reborn on the theatrical stage as a dramatic play. Medieval France is aflame with intrigues unfolding around the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda. Who will win the young dancer's heart: the young captain of the royal archers Phoebus, the ever‑love-struck poet Gringoire, the cruel Archdeacon Claude Frollo who is ready to obtain her at any cost, or the deformed hunchback Quasimodo, prisoner of the Notre-Dame cathedral? A story of the struggle for happiness, truth and love — the eternal tale of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris will, for the first time in decades, regain stage life.
Cossack Theater.
'Don't Leave Me' — a dramatic ballad whose plot is built on a story of love, loyalty and steadfastness of spirit unfolding against the harsh trials of wartime. Special attention is paid to the acting. Rehearsals include drill training conducted by the director of our Cossack Theater, Andrey Zuev. This allows the actors to immerse themselves more deeply in the atmosphere of those years and more authentically portray their characters.
Tsaritsyn Opera Theater.
'Ilya Muromets and the Firebird's Feather' — a mystical ballet created on motifs of Russian bylina epics. The music for the ballet was written by the talented composer from Yekaterinburg, Evgeny Prituzhalov. Russian epic and folk music inspired him to create a musical work, each part of which became distinct. The scenography in the production continues the choreographer-director's artistic concept and the emotional perception of the music, creating the overall impression. From the first minutes the set immerses the audience in the atmosphere of a fabulous ancient epic: primeval forest, starry sky, clouds, a sacred stone, a hero's sword...
