Probably, each of us at least once stopped near a glossy theater poster and looked at bright alluring illustrations on it, calling to see this or that performance. Today in modern theaters there are diverse productions designed for different categories of the population, depending on the preferences and demands of the domestic public. And what genres of theatrical art do you favor?
If you like a subtle comedy that conveys the life and worldviews of people of the nineteenth century, if you like classical works written by great Russian writers and thinkers, then you should visit the unusual and original comedy "The Fruits of Enlightenment". The Mayakovsky Theater will hospitably open its heavy curtain for everyone.
The very first performance
This play has not left the stage of Russian theaters from the very beginning of its writing. Written in 1890 by the great talented writer Leo Tolstoy, she was very fond of a wide audience and is now one of the most visited productions of the theater. Mayakovsky.
The first director of the play was the famous Konstantin Stanislavsky (he also played one of the leading roles in the play).
The production was shown in a narrow circle of spectators, consisting mainly of friends of the actors.
Performance on the big stage
Then the play was staged on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater, where such stars of the imperial stage as Vladimir Davydov, Vera Michurina-Samoilova, Vasily Dalmatov lit up. It is noteworthy that in the performance the actors did not choose the main plot roles for themselves; they wanted to play characters that are inconspicuous at first glance, but have a certain semantic load. Until now, according to numerous reviews of the "Fruits of Enlightenment", these characters are considered the central figures on which the entire production rests and to which the views and attention of the audience are riveted. These are, first of all, Tanya, Betsy, the peasants, the cook, the cook and so on. Therefore, if you attend a comedy, pay attention to how modern artists cope with these special, idiosyncratic images.
A few months after the first show, the play was a great success at the Maly Theatre. Leo Tolstoy also attended the performance there. The “Fruits of Enlightenment”, demonstrated by no less talented actors (among them were Konstantin Rybakov, Alexander Lensky, Glikeria Fedotova, Olga Sadovskaya), made a good impression on the writer. However, the performance of some actors playing the role of peasants seemed unnatural and boring to Lev Nikolayevich. As you can see, in his play, Leo Tolstoy assigned a significant role to these characters. About who plays these characters on the stage of the modern theater, we will talk a little later.
From the history of writing a work
The first, draft version of the play "The Fruits of Enlightenment" was written by the great Russian writer back in 1886. Written and left in a drawer. Later, three years later, the work was decided to be staged in a narrow circle of the Tolstoy family. This gave the author the opportunity to look at his literary creation from the outside.
During the period of numerous rehearsals, Lev Nikolayevich began to work on reworking the play, trying to convey the dramatic images as deeply and as accurately as possible. The work was changed and corrected several times, after which the play, previously entitled "The Thread Broke", acquired its present name.
A little about the theater itself
Theatre. Mayakovsky, founded in 1922, is located at Bolshaya Nikitskaya street, 19/13. The original performances of the theater belonged only to modern foreign plays. Then the classical works were staged, decorated in a bold, innovative style.
The artistic directors of the theater at different times were talented directors and artists, such as Alexei Popov, Nikolai Okhlopkov, Andrey Goncharov and others.
Now the place of the artistic director is occupied (since 2011) by an experienced and gifted theater under his strict guidance. Mayakovsky has undergone some changes and is now one of the most frequently visited theaters in the capital. Another master of his craft, Russian theater director, teacher and professor Yu. V. Ioffe, also shows his productions here.
The dramatic repertoire includes such famous and talented actors as Svetlana Nemolyaeva, Igor Kostolevsky, Olga Prokofieva, Galina Belyaeva, Andrey Gusev and others.
Modern productions of the play
The play "The Fruits of Enlightenment" has been staged at the Mayakovsky Theater for a long time. It was first staged in 1985. This production was entrusted to the invited director - P. N. Fomenko. "Fruits of Enlightenment" in the interpretation of Pyotr Naumovich was distinguished by grotesqueness, lively action, imagery, brightness and musicality. The audience is already so accustomed to this work of the great director that they were wary of rumors about a new production of the play, carried out under the direction of Mindaugas Karbauskis.
By the way, the gifted artistic director dedicated the premiere of the performance to Fomenko, his friend and teacher.
A play in facts
Here is a summary of the work:
- The modern production of the play "The Fruits of Enlightenment" at the Mayakovsky Theater first took place in February 2015.
- The duration of a dramatic work is three hours and twenty minutes.
- Almost all the actors from the theater troupe are involved in the performance.
- Interestingly, in the modern production of the play, some actors are involved, playing in its earlier variation. First of all, this is Igor Kostolevsky, who under Fomenko played the role of the young Zvezdintsev, but now he got the character of an older age - Zvezdintsev the father. Also beautiful in her new heroine is the People's Artist of the RSFSR Svetlana Nemolyaeva. If earlier she played the role of Zvezdintseva, now she got an interesting and curious character - a cook.
For other actors, let's talk a little lower.
Experienced Artists
Who else is involved in the production of "The Fruits of Enlightenment"? The poster for the play gives an exhaustive answer to this question.
First of all, this is Igor Kostolevsky, who plays the role of a wealthy landowner, a retired lieutenant of the horse guard, who is fond of spiritualism. Igor Matveyevich, born in 1948, is an Honored and People's Actor familiar to the Russian public from numerous films ("The Dawns Here Are Quiet", "Asya", "Garage", "Tehran-43", "Vacation at Your Own Account" and others) . Among his bright and unforgettable theatrical works, it is necessary to mention such productions as The Karamazovs (Ivan Karamazov), Dead Souls (Plyushkin), The Seagull (Treplev) and so on.
The role of Zvezdintsev's wife is played by Tatyana Augshkap (born 1961). Honored Artist of Russia, known for such theatrical images as Serafima Saratova ("The Bliss"), Nina Smelskaya ("Talents and Admirers"), Polina ("Children Spoil Relations"), Blue Beard's wife ("Blue Beard's Birthday"), Elizabeth Markovna ("Dead Souls"), etc. Among the talented film works of the actress, Pathfinder (Jenny), "Tomorrow Was a War" (Zina Kovalenko), "Queen Margo" (Claudette), "Daughters and Mothers" (Martha) and etc.
It is impossible not to mention Galina Anisimova, People's Artist of the RSFSR, who plays the role of a fat lady. Galina Alexandrovna, born in 1929, has been working in the company since 1952. She is a war veteran and a labor veteran. Among the brilliant works of the actress, "One Hour Before Dawn" (Varya Kalinnikova), "Talents and Admirers" (Smelskaya), "Hamlet" (Ophelia), "The Cherry Orchard" (Anya), "The Zhurbin Family" (Tonya), " Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" (Aksinya) and many, many others.
Young Talents
The role of the daughter of the Zvezdintsevs, Betsy, is played by this young actress (born in 1994). Despite such a young age, the girl has already distinguished herself in episodic roles in such interesting productions as "On the Grass of the Yard", "Lakeyskaya", "Dead Souls".
The son of the Zvezdintsevs is also played by a young actor (born in 1989) - Vladimir Guskov. The young gifted artist actively participates in other productions of his native theater - "The Last" (Alexander), "Berdichev" (Garik), "Nine by Ten" (Kostolevsky), "Mayakovsky Goes for Sugar" (Mayakovsky), etc. Vladimir is also removed to the cinema.
The role of the resourceful maid Tanya went to the young and promising actress Natalya Palagushkina. Also, the artist is known for such theatrical works as "Fathers and Sons" (Fenechka), "Berdichev" (Zoya), "Not all the cat Shrovetide" (Agnia) and so on. Also, the girl can be seen in films ("Moscow. Three stations", "Citizen boss. Continuation", "Barvikha" and others).
As you can see, the brightest and most talented artists of our time are involved in the production of "The Fruits of Enlightenment". However, your understanding of the performance will not be complete if you do not give a brief description of its plot. This will be discussed below.
The intrigue of the work
The action of the play begins with the arrival of three men at the house of the landowner Zvezdintsev. They want to buy land from him, and bring a small deposit. Leonid Fedorovich is dissatisfied with such an insignificant amount and does not want to sell his possessions, as he promised earlier. Moreover, now he is not disturbed by economic thoughts. He is consumed by only one desire - to find a good medium for the next seance.
The master's maid Tanya is not satisfied with the refusal of the retired lieutenant. She wants to help the peasants - her countrymen and relatives. Therefore, the girl decides to deceive: she gives her fiancé, Semyon the barman, as a medium. Zvezdintsev invites the young man to a session, after which all the fun begins. How the play "The Fruits of Enlightenment" will end - you can see by visiting the production itself.
Positive feedback from viewers about the work
As for real reviews of the performance, there have been a lot of them in two years. Many visitors note the talented play of actors (especially Kostolevsky and Nemolyaeva). Also, according to numerous reviews, the play itself, its comicality and topicality, were awarded approving reviews. However, not all viewers are so unanimous.
Negative and neutral feedback
Some admit that they were annoyed by Nemolyaeva, as well as the excessive length and intricacy of the work. The performance looked boring, outdated and ornate.
However, as the audience admits, the modern production of "The Fruits of Enlightenment" is sustained in the classical Russian style, combining sparkling humor, subtle psychologism and actual edification. The play vividly and originally conveys the spirit of that time, makes you laugh and cry at the same time.
The talented play of the actors, which combines several age categories of the troupe, is also impressive. It was evident that each artist diligently got used to the image, harmoniously complemented the other, played with feeling and knowledge of his business.
A special bow for this wonderful eccentric comedy goes to Mindaugas Karbauskis, chief director of the Mayakovsky Theatre.
The fruits of enlightenment is an emotional performance that tells about the life of the Zvezdintsev family. Their house is constantly filled with people. The servants now and then open the doors for artel workers with a dress for the mistress, for Sakhatov, the barman and the doctor, for the peasants who came to the master to give them land in installments. By the way, a maid helped them, leading them to her master under the guise of mediums. The gentleman himself, Leonid Fedorovich, is very passionate about spiritualistic seances, and does not notice anyone around.
“Fruits of Enlightenment” based on the comedy by L. Tolstoy was staged by Fomenko for many years. Today, a new version is presented by a student of the legendary master - M. Karbauskis. Its premiere took place in 2015. And today the production rightfully takes the place of one of the most "densely populated" performances. After all, the entire troupe of the theater takes part in this performance - from mature and established artists to young only beginners and little-known ones. Such a tandem will please the audience. And to appreciate the performance, hurry up to buy tickets on our website.
Performance "The Fruits of Enlightenment" at the Mayakovsky Theater
Dedicated to Petr Naumovich Fomenko.
“The Fruits of Enlightenment”, which appeared on the theater billboard in Moscow in 2015, is a comedy by Leo Tolstoy, written not for the professional stage, but for the home theater. This is probably why all the scenes are very witty, and the characters seem to be written off from reality. The action takes place in the house of the Zvezdintsevs, where men come with a request to buy the land in installments. The owner of the house, Leonid Fedorovich, was left indifferent by their appearance - he is carried away by holding another spiritualistic session. The maid tries to help the peasants by disguising one of them as a medium.
The director of the play "Fruits of Enlightenment" is Mindaugas Karbauskis, who has been directing the Mayakovsky Theater for 5 years. For many years, Mayakovka's repertoire included "The Fruits of Enlightenment" staged by Fomenko. And therefore, Karbauskis dedicated the first premiere of 2015 to his legendary teacher, choosing as the material exactly the play that his master staged in the same theater. The “Fruits of Enlightenment” by Karbauskis is symbolic not only by the fact and context of its occurrence, but also by the fact that this is one of the most “densely populated” performances: literally all generations of the troupe are involved in the production: Igor Kostolevsky, Mikhail Filippov, Galina Anisimova, Svetlana Nemolyaeva, Natalya Palagushkina and Vladimir Guskov, combining in the performance both the history, the present and the future of the theatre.
The Fruits of Enlightenment
Comedy
The author of the work is L.N. Tolstoy
Production - Mindaugas Karbauskis
Space - Sergey Barkhin
Costumes - Natalia Voynova
Music - Giedrius Puskunigis
Lighting designer - Igor Kapustin
Actors and performers:
Leonid Fedorovich Zvezdintsev, retired lieutenant of the Horse Guards - Igor Kostolevsky
Anna Pavlovna Zvezdintseva, his wife - Tatyana Augshkap
Betsy, their daughter - Valeria Kulikova
Vasily Leonidich, their son - Vladimir Guskov
Alexey Vladimirovich Krugosvetlov, Professor - Mikhail Filippov
Doctor - Maxim Glebov
Marya Konstantinovna, music teacher - Olga Yergina
Petrishchev - Alexey Zolotovitsky
Grosman - Niyaz Hajiyev
Fat lady - Lyubov Rudenko
Sakhatov Sergey Ivanovich - Konstantin Konstantinov
Fedor Ivanovich, valet - Yuri Nikulin
Grigory, footman - Pavel Parkhomenko
Yakov, bartender - Igor Evtushenko
Semyon, the buffet man - Alexey Sergeev
Old cook - Rasmi Dzhabrailov, Sergey Rubeko
Cook - Svetlana Nemolyaeva
Tanya, maid - Natalya Palagushkina
and others.
The first premiere of 2015 is dedicated to Pyotr Naumovich Fomenko.
For many years, the repertoire of the Mayakovsky Theater included the play “The Fruits of Enlightenment” directed by P.N. Fomenko. The premiere of 2015 is by no means its reconstruction, but it is quite possible that the production of the Artistic Director of the Theater Mindaugas Karbauskis, a student of Peter Naumovich, will contain some "quotes".
In the morning bustle of a rich Moscow house, servants scurry about, visitors are constantly ringing at the door: an artel worker from Bourdieu with a dress for a young lady, Mr. Sakhatov, who is interested in everything in the world, an unlucky barman, an elegant doctor. Slowly, the owners of the house also come down to breakfast to once again plunge into conversations about mediums, spiritualism and seances. The series of visits is continued by unexpected guests - peasants from the Kursk village, fussing about buying land. Paradoxical as it may seem, the resourceful maid will decide the main issue of their life.
Tolstoy's first remark is "a young and handsome lackey looks in the mirror and preens." The artist Sergei Barkhin and director Mindaugas Karbauskis took it as a basis, embodying the very theatrical concept of “stage mirror” in the scenery. It is the mirror that will become a kind of passe-partout for the performance: here the awkward barman rehearses the fatal look, Mr. Sakhatov diligently combs his bald head, the lackey Grigory, showing off, recalls his love victories, the mistress of the house, passing by, straightens her hair, and the maid Tanya diligently polishes it to a shine rag.
The performance "The Fruits of Enlightenment" will become one of the most densely populated: all generations of the theater troupe are involved in the production. Many artists also played in Fomenko's performance. But if earlier, for example, Igor Kostolevsky played the role of Vasily Leonidich Zvezdintsev, now he will play his father, Leonid Fedorovich. As in Fomenko's production, the role of Professor Krugosvetlov will be played by Mikhail Filippov, and the role of the Tolstoy mistress - Galina Anisimova. Along with the masters of the theatrical stage, a lot of young people are involved in the play by Mindaugas Karbauskis: Natalya Palagushkina will play the maid Tanya, “the driving force of the whole action”, and Vladimir Guskov will play the role of Vasily Leonidich Zvezdintsev.
The play premiered on February 21, 2015.
The performance is three hours and 20 minutes long..
Festivals:
Participant of the XI International Theater Festival "Stanislavsky's Season" (Moscow program), Moscow, 2015.
The performance was included in the long list of the Golden Mask Award (the most notable performances of the 2014/15 season according to expert advice).
On the ground floor of the theater Vl. Mayakovsky, to the right of the entrance, at the end of the corridor, in the corner there is a dressing table - a trellis. No one looks at him, and no one looks at him either - they go upstairs rather. The mirror steps higher, on the contrary, is extremely popular. As in Pushkin's fairy tale, the mirror speaks and shows it. It contains both the past and the present, and sometimes it seems that the future can also be seen. The mirror is theater. It either reflects life, or the onslaught of those who are trying to correct its clarity. Photos are retouched, films are “cut”, words are erased from books and songs, and other performances are being tried to straighten out. Not only intrigues are hidden behind the curtain, but performances and entire theaters are “curtained”. They do not blame the mirror, they are charged with articles of the criminal code, offended feelings, “desecrated objects of veneration” ... Or, simply, mirrors that have forgotten how to flatter are beaten. Broken mirrors are a bad omen. A sign of the times. The angle of reflection is turned, not caring about the angle of its own incidence. But they still keep a few intractable theatrical mirrors, look at them (i.e. at themselves in them) occasionally and with disgust (therefore, they recognize them). And without a mirror, how can you tell if the one breathing on it is alive or ...?
Director Mindaugas Karbauskis, having taken up the production of the play by L.N. Tolstoy's "Fruits of Enlightenment", offered the audience a trick with three mirrors: a mirror of life, a mirror of the stage and just a mirror. The space, created by the outstanding stage designer Sergei Barkhin, is framed: throughout the whole stage, the frame “captures” the performance, turning every event in it into a picture. They play appropriately here - picturesquely, as on the genre paintings of Pavel Fedotov. In the introduction of the play, there is a portrait gallery of images, the director came up with his own “exit” for each of the characters, his own characteristic feature, which manifests itself in the way each of them holds himself in front of the mirror. Here, some people spit on the “fourth wall” in order to wipe it later, others turn around in front of it, and still others are afraid of their own reflection. The young flaunt, the old peer; youth throws a quick satisfied look at the mirror and hurries to live; old age shakes its head sadly or swaggers unsuccessfully in front of a time-spoiled reflection. Sometimes the eyes double: old age sees former youth, youth is frightened, noticing the signs of “age” ... The performance consists of many such sketches invented by the director, but the “mirror motifs” are not limited to those.
In the program of "Fruits of Enlightenment" there is no indication for the viewer about the genre of the play. There is only a short and exhaustive one: “dedicated to P.N. Fomenko. The performance of the same name by the teacher Mindaugas Karbauskis, and simply the Teacher, was on this stage for almost 30 years and earned the epithet "legendary". Whether the current production will continue the legend, time will tell, but it could not do without a “retelling”. Many participants in the current premiere were engaged in the performance of P.N. Fomenko and either retained their roles as Mikhail Filippov (Professor Krugosvetlov) and Galina Anisimova (fat lady), or tried on the images of other characters: Igor Kostolevsky from Zvezdintsev’s son grew into a father, and Svetlana Nemolyaeva, who once played the wife of a retired lieutenant, spirita, this time chose the role of a cook, turning her "episode" into one of the most striking impressions of the performance. There are in the new "Fruits ..." and deliberate borrowings and details from the predecessor performance, which are read with pleasure by the audience who remember that production. One of the first author's titles of the play - "The thread broke", in the theater. Vl. Mayakovsky's "days connecting thread" is not cut off, fort.
“The theater is not a reflecting mirror, but a magnifying glass,” said the one whose name is now the former Theater of the Revolution. This is quite true for the current premiere, in which, however, even through binoculars one cannot discern the relevance. While rehearsing the play, which is based on a satire on spiritualism and other supernatural amusements, the director, I am sure, did not set out to say that “telepaths, Buddhists, spiritualists, drugs, Freudians, neurologists, psychopaths” took over. Without the supernatural, however, it could not do. This is how the actors play in this performance, every one of them. They play "over", i.e. not natural. They overplay, but this cannot be blamed on them. "Fruits ..." unquestioningly follow the remarks and instructions of the author, who conceived this play for a home performance and did not like it. In three and a half hours, all the author's brackets, remarks in italics, notes on the appearance of the characters are revealed to the viewer (the costumes created by Natalya Voinova according to fashion magazines of that era deserve a separate exhibition); and even a waltz by L.N. Tolstoy (arranged by Giedrius Puskuunigis), time is here. If the author Zvezdintsev Sr. is a gentle, pleasant gentleman, then there is no need to specify that the actor Igor Kostolevsky does not have to make much effort in this role - applause is provided here, and this is fair, but not new. Zvezdintsev's wife is a young, irritable lady (at the direction of the author), and the actress Tatyana Augshkap, setting a decorative dog on the servants, begins to bark instead of her, convincingly and exactly according to the text. The daughters of the Zvezdintsevs, Betsy, are provided with loose manners, imitating men's, and pince-nez, and actress Valeria Kulikova adequately embodies this image. And so on, according to the program, you can look for differences from the original source and not find it. No differences, nothing more interesting than mirroring text i.e. copying. It is impossible not to note, however, the worthy acting work of the valet performed by Yefim Baikovsky and peasant walkers (Igor Marychev, Viktor Zaporozhsky, Sergey Udovik), whom the author “calculated” for the first, second, third, and indicated their names only in the text of the play - a sign time: for the gentlemen, "people" count, by names ...
"Fruits of Enlightenment" - a skillful illustration for the play, a book - a folding bed on it, a deluxe edition with gold embossing. In the "Year of Literature" this is welcomed, and the rest of the time it is forgiven, because performances "to help the school" are rare, and "new forms" and readings often scare away teachers. "Fruits ..." are read aloud, with feeling and sense, clearly (even the peasants in the performance, on whose unthinkable speech turns the author especially worked, pronounce all their "moving" and "tapericha" according to all the canons of stage speech) and loudly, gestures and intonations - in assortment. Here, one feels, they worked out every remark, rushed about with it like a barman Yakov (Igor Yevtushenko), constantly counting spoons. The service is good, and the tablecloth is boiling white, but the diners are not visible behind the high backs of the chairs. There is something to play, and for whom, but there is neither an ensemble nor a common theme. Here, in meticulousness, they decided not to yield to the author, they were carried away by analysis and external details, wanting to make the viewer peer into the performance, react to “little things” and “strokes”. There are a lot of them, even too many, so “let’s say, there’s nowhere to let the chicken out,” and they are cute. But what these details are and for what, so far it has not been possible to discern. There is no reflection of “vigilance” in the performance, but the audience, insatiable for the political context, thinks it up, hearing: “The people are weak. You have to feel sorry”, or “Yes, how far we are from Europe!”, and when it sounds: “I will use my method, which I demonstrated in Odessa”, the audience even imagines something completely beyond the looking-glass.
On the stage there is a huge table-podium for a seance. The previous performance of Mindaugas Karbauskis "Kant" was also a "table", but instead of a "buffet" - a skillful three-course table-talk - "words, words, words". And the audience was fascinated, mesmerized by them. "Kant" was a real "spiritual séance", a celebration of spirit and thought. In The Fruits of Enlightenment, only the inhabitants of the stage are hypnotized, while the audience remains unyielding. However, among the twenty-two characters, it is not difficult for the public to find consonant with themselves. In the first slow act, the viewer feels like an artel worker from Bourdieu (Yuri Lobodenko), who fell asleep in the hallway, waiting for the gentlemen. In the second, when the participants in the session decide who will “lull” the medium, the viewer takes on his own account the remark: “Sit down and surrender to the feeling. But don’t think anything yourself, ”and if he doesn’t sleep, then he is awake. Surviving the slowness of the first action is worth it for the sake of the second. It is notable for the touching duet of a cook and an old cook, Svetlana Nemolyaeva and Rasmi Dzhabrailov. They “mirror”, colorize, predict the fate of another so far faded (due to their youth?) couple of the maid Tanya (Natalia Palagushkina) and the barmaid Semyon (Aleksey Sergeev). Nemolyaeva's appearance on the stage is perhaps the most spectacular in the performance. Radiant (either a costume, or light, or, most likely, the aura of the actress is the reason for this), she comes out to the sounds of O. Kremier's romance "When Love Dies" and needless to say that it overshadows everyone. This is the only "reflected" light in the performance that warms. In her remarks there is not a word about love, as befits a cook, she talks about the professional, about how the gentlemen “eat”, “drink” and “bubble” on the pianos, but the actress tells the audience much more than the text prescribed to her.
The frame of the performance turned out to be already the one that was installed on the stage. Actors step over the stage from time to time, even go out into the hall, and the performance seems to be afraid to go beyond. It is framed, shackled by the framework of the play and performance by P.N. Fomenko. All other theatrical achievements, incl. and the achievements of Mindaugas Karbauskis himself, who has always been distinguished by a special literary ear and some kind of “supersensual” perception of texts, are taken out of this framework, exiled from the stage. The director, who at times could be called a medium in his enthusiasm for a performance, here suddenly turned out to be a mediator, an intermediary between the play, its past production and the current audience. The label "medium" migrated to the performance - it turned out to be something in between. And this middle is not even gilded yet.
Mirroring is the solution and the basis of the performance. Reflections are an insidious thing full of illusions; in them everything is reversed and in the opposite direction. But, if you do not go into physics and Carroll's looking glass, then the mirror is also simply beautiful. And not so much it as its frame, as on the poster of the performance, which is dominated by a pompous gilded frame, at the base of which the mask of comedy and cupids are crouched. Yes, and "The Fruits of Enlightenment" is quite capable of decorating the repertoire. Its external decoration: the names of your favorite actors and director, scenery, songs (in the second act, a divertissement, unthinkable for the realities of the manor house of the 19th century, is inscribed - in the people's kitchen, the peasants start the song "If only I had mountains of gold ...", but the peasants are not expelled, the audience stands up for applause ), and maybe the author will attract someone. His portrait is shown on the poster (as always at the theater - talented), but his appearance resembles a bifurcated portrait of a peasant with a bushy beard in a top hat and bast shoes, with a cane and a mug for alms. The count, who had become simpler, who advocated easing the life of the peasantry and the abolition of class privileges, wrote not so much a comedy about morals as a moralizing play. There are many repetitions, lengths and instructions in it. It contains a mirror of the morals of that time and a mirror of the inevitability of the Russian revolution. Some are busy with charades and "spiritualism" on saucers, others drink tea from saucers, some are worried about the land question, others philosophize about the extraterrestrial.
The culmination of the performance - a seance - almost all takes place in the dark. “They put me in jail, put out the light, told me to sleep,” - this is how the audience thinks at other times. Shouts, noises, candles, vanity of vanities, "Grosman vibrates" - but there is neither magic nor trick on the stage. And there is a revelation. Through the looking glass in the play was the human master's house, the servants were a reflection of their masters; ruined souls like the maid Natalya, whose fate is being frightened by Tanya, who came to replace her, serve as a reflection of the criminal carelessness of the bar. Tolstoy's "ladies and gentlemen" are unlucky and idle, absurd and inactive, lackeys twirl them and, jealously, hate them ("Today I'm a lackey, but tomorrow, maybe I'll live no worse than them"), and the people, as usual, suffer but endure. “The fruits of enlightenment” today, and even in a “mirror” incarnation, could become a statement about the victorious “lackeyism” (by the way, the theater’s repertoire includes an interesting performance on this topic – “Lakey’s”), become an occasion for reflection (turning back and on himself), a reminder that those who are busy with the "revelry of time" will be confused by it. But "Fruits ..." focused on the rim of saucers, on the cute quirks of antiquity, on "Marshmallows and Cupids."
It is no wonder that in the 125 years that have passed since the date of writing, "Fruits ..." stale, the humor has faded, and the theme of class inequality has become dull. However, spiritualism today could be funny to beat: Woody Allen succeeded in this in the “Magic of Moonlight”, there was a place in it for an uncomplicated plot, and thought-provoking ideas about the illusory nature of life and illusions in life, about the gullibility of those who do not believe in anything and that the implausible, at times, is much more convincing than the truth. These thoughts are also present in Tolstoy's play. But they appear between the lines. That is why they are not in the play, which focuses exclusively on the author's text and the history of his productions.
Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vera Komissarzhevskaya, Maria Lilina, Alexander Artem, and after them many more famous names played in the performance based on this play. Everything has a prehistory, it is important to know it, respect it, remember it, but why bother with the reincarnation of the performance? The director cannot be denied irony – the resuscitation of the play about spirits (“You understand that as we live, the invisible world of spirits lives right there”), but there is something necrotic and taxidermic in this. And without a dedication on the poster, the current performance would inevitably be compared with Fomenkov's, and without the director's direct intentional quotes, parallels would be found, and even if there were no "coincidences" in the distribution of roles, reviews would write: "NN is remembered. in this role." But they would write about the director Karbauskis, and not about the student of the director Fomenko. An attempt to speak in someone else's voice, to adopt characteristic features and techniques (i.e. purely external) leads to parody, the effect in this case is undesirable. The student is a reflection of the teacher, but at some point you need to stop being someone else's reflection. Karbauskis got over his apprenticeship a long time ago, and it's not quite clear why he needed this "cover" this time. Although, perhaps, the director is practicing in a new capacity as a genre writer, writer of everyday life? Occupied with lofty spheres and themes, he plunged into the world of saucers and jerseys, took care of how to beat the name Kapchich in “apchi” and played with mirrors so that he ceased to be reflected in them. However, for young artists, work in the play is, of course, fruitful and enlightening: it is a school (completely sketches) of speech, manners, imitation, “mirror-like” existence. And for their teacher-student Mindaugas Karbauskis, as an artistic director, this is charity, as for a director, it is wasteful self-forgetfulness. Be that as it may, but the dedication on the poster is a dedication to the winner teacher from the defeated student. This time.
