Previews

Tabakov’s Theatre

Tabakov’s Theatre has always been known for its top-class productions that attract full house after full house. That is why quite a few of its plays have been in the repertoire for a long time. Two good examples are the play ART by the contemporary French dramatist, Yasmina Reza, and Sublimation of Love, an Italian comedy by Aldo de Benedetti (1892-1970).

ART

ART is called by the theatre a ‘psychological sketch.’ Three major stars of the theatre - Mikhail Khomyakov, Alexander Mokhov and Sergey Belyaev - play the roles of three friends. The play begins with a simple discussion about a painting that one of the friends has purchased. However, very soon the topic of conversation goes far beyond artistic concerns and moves toward friendship, love and loyalty. The play is very dynamic; for two hours without an intermission the audience is fully immersed in watching the developing relationships among three friends. A lot of questions and issues are raised in this witty play. Yasmina Reza is rightfully considered to be “an expert of dialogue.” This play was hugely successful on Broadway some years ago.

The Sovremennik Theatre

The Sovremennik Theatre’s opening nights of the 2009-2010 season on October 17th and 24th featured a play called Dzinrikisya written by famous dramtist, Alexander Galin, who has been working with the Sovremennik Theatre for over 25 years. Several of his other plays are currently in the theatre’s repertoire.

Dzinrikisya, meaning ‘riskshaw’ in Japanese, tells a story set in present-day Moscow, in the midst of the financial crisis. Two main characters of the play are former successful specialists (one was the political PR manager and another one worked at a bank) who now have to earn their living by driving a riskshaw from Chisty Prudi to the Pushkinskaya Square.

Regardless of the “crisis” background, the play is a comedy, and in fact leaves the audience hopeful that when you are young, full of strength and you are in love, you are able to overcome any obstacle.

Young actors of the theatre – Andrey Averyanov, Alexander Khovansky, Elena Plaksina and Victorua Romanenko – play the leading roles in this performance.

Sublimation of Love

Sublimation of Love is written by Aldo de Benedetti, a very famous Italian comedy dramatist and screenplay writer. His first big success came in 1936 when he finished his comedy Two Dozen Scarlet Roses. Since then his plays have been in the repertoires of many theaters and always in high demand.

However, Sublimation of Love was not really understood in Italy when it appeared in 1963 and was not staged until 1995, almost 25 years after the death of the playwrite. In 1997 the Tabakov Theatre staged this play in Russia for the first time.

This is a 3-actor play starring the founder and the head of the theatre, Oleg Tabakov, along with his wife, actress Marina Zudina, and Vitaly Egorov, one of Tabakov’s former drama students. Oleg Tabakov plays the role of an aging politician Leone Savasta, Marina Zudina is a young and energetic writer, Paola, and Vitaly Egorov convincingly depicts an unsuccessful drama playwrite Pietro Degani. As with most situation comedies, there are a lot of unexpected events, including the conflict itself – Degani breaks into Savasta’s house searching for food and is caught. The neighbours find out, and Degani complains to Savasta that he is unable to have his plays staged. So Savasta agrees to publish them under his name in his own interest. However, this is only one thread of the play’s story line.