|
Dedicated to Nikolai P. Akimov
Eugeny Shwartz
The Shadow
Adult fairy tale in two acts
Director - Tatiana Kazakova
Décor – Emil Kapelyush
Costume designer – Stefania Graurogkaite
Lighting designer - Eugene Ganzburg
Eugeny Shwartz, following Andersen, created a small country, where magic characters have to lead a totally non-fairy-tale life. Ogres earn money working as valuers in pawnshops and journalists in the local newspaper. The Sleeping Beauty died not long ago, she had lived right here round the corner, near the tobacconist’s. In addition, The Princess Frog was the aunt of the present Princess.
Christian-Theodore, a scientist, arrived to that country to make his scientific theories come true and to make all people happy. However, his theories fundamentally differed from life. The insidious and malicious scientist’s shadow, which had thoughtlessly been “released”, brought him to the executioner’s block. Though, as it always happens in fairy-tales they came through all right. “I’ve lost my mind” – the Scientist summed up, “but I will not any more”.
The play by Shwartz “The Shadow” was first staged by Nikolai Akimov in 1940, it became a visiting card of the theatre, moreover, it was on practically non-stop.
In refined and grand performance staged by Tatiana Kazakova, lofty and subtle matters dissolve in this adult fairy-tale that becomes a loud and sonorous, bright and colourful show. The performance is characterized with ingenious and multilevel set design, the space grows visually wider as the play progresses, it moves the wigs, the back cloth and the grid aside as if coming outside the black box.
The play is saturated with endless change of showy grotesque garments, numerous tricks, and musical and plastic numbers.
The genuine spectacular returns onto the stage in this performance telling us an urgent story about a nobody, who has slandered an honoured man and reached the summit of power.
Cast: Mikhail Svetin, Sergei Russkin, Jury Lazarev, Natalia Andreeva, Valery Nikitenko, Denis Zaitsev, Tatiana Vorotnikova, Elena Rufanova, Ekaterina Grecheva, Nikolai Smirnov, Andrei Tolshyn, Vitalii Kuklin, Andrei Rodimov, Andrei Averkov.
Premiered on December 20, 2003.
|
