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A few words about modern theater Part 1

Learned that friends daughter, a student, a future theatre artist, and thought about this beautiful and, alas, extinct profession. At the words “theater artist” I recall is that the reconstruction of Diaghilev’s productions, a contemporary theatre, it seems to me, artists have been freed. Well, sometimes it is visible, as are the costume and the glory of God. It’s not about winning reading when on stage in “Othello” appears proverbial handkerchief, and in the “Forest” it is enough that come in green wigs.

It may be primarily to blame for the poverty? For example, a lot (yay!) small municipal theatres, existing on a miserable subsidies or no subsidies, and there are often two identical chairs is not found, so the Director taking over the reins of the performances, it’s natural and in the head itself does not take at least some no the heel to stand. But this harmony came in flesh and blood, and that’s a long time ago the middle (in size and level of artistry), and large (in size, Ponte and ambitions) theatres high, with me is some lightweight structures like the temporal transitions over the repaired culvert.

These same transitions with stairs I see many years in a variety of theaters, the impression is that or stair is taught in all design faculties, or the stairs are one and the same and given the same savings, rent from Christmas.

Boy the school went to the Opera theater. Where “they gave Rossini”. It’s been a while. Suddenly and relatively recently (but not yesterday before another fire in the theater) again on the same play. And with satisfaction he saw that the scenery of fifty years ago in safe and sound. They bend at the mounting overgrown with black stripes decorators decades has been handled with dirty fingers, the lines were visible even from the last row.

Here too we were not dealing with the shadow of the great Meyerhold, and downright Japanese minimalism: the room Rosina, except for the dirty old screen, stood the same as fifty years ago, the bed and bedside table classic setting the room in a brothel. I really liked it. And it was nice that time has no power over us.

Somehow ten years ago at some theatre festival, I watched Shakespeare. I do not remember what the play set, but I remember I played a wonderful and beloved. On stage were a small office table and one chair. All. Remember that organic is always the case not connected with the “Director’s decision”. And I mention that play after the word “brothel” that’s what. The Director decided to approach Shakespeare, and in Shakespeare’s time, all female roles were given to actors men. It looked so wild together with the stationary table that only gave rise to certain associations. Of course, this master’s work.

Global absence of the artist in contemporary performance is generated not only by poverty. What to remember about the classic “Stanislavsky” productions, in the smallest details reproducing the interior. The time really passed. Today neither the audience nor the Director are unable to focus on desired images and emotions if their attention will dissipate some still images here and there, in the background, and on the sides and on the ceiling, and where you want. In psychology attention span is regarded as an indisputable sign of mental disorder. And what is the result? The whole emotional burden again falls on the actor. But if the actor is not able to keep the viewer loaded in the trappings, he will not be able to do in the center of the very brief theatrical metaphors.

Then immediately comes to the aid of the directing and the acting hyperactivity in different forms. This is the easiest and obvious method of salvation. But the hyperactivity you any psychologist will tell you is also a sign of mental illness, in any case, the flip side of it following her inevitable apathy. But then the mission participants in the process are separated: the Director takes his hyperactivity, apathy remains with the viewer.

Lately I’ve seen only two performances in which minimalist exterior form organically connected with the play. The first production of a wonderful play, “I’m afraid of love”. Energetic play instantly changing characters and conditions generally does not require any external design. And directed understand it perfectly.

And a wonderful immersed in the text, and not in his farfetched interpretation. There is really everything, except the text is superfluous. Even the costumes. And the glory of God. By the way, if the actors went on stage naked, it probably would reflect the essence of the play, but, of course, would provide additional and completely unnecessary burden on the audience’s nerves. In our case, to remove the excess just meant to be add. So everything is well dosed and it is connected. This is the exception.

A second performance of the dramatization of “old-world landowners” in the “Theatre”. This is also an exception. Then, of course, there are also stylized costumes, and very stylish items Director witty and original decided performance with minimum clearance. Not only that, there is an exception formal exception here double. Because the staging of classical works, written not for the stage the act of yielding, of course, explanations (of which another time), but absolutely meaningless and doomed to complete failure. Always. Not to recognize this may be the only people persistently say that the king is wearing, say not so, because they themselves are also completely naked. And “old world landowners” in “Lee Theatre” undoubtedly, in my opinion, good luck. Here I never would have thought that it is possible to stage “old world landowners” in principle.

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