The Stage Space Is Filled Not by Scenery, but by the Actors’ Mastery
Yulia Panova November 8, 2021
On November 8, the Vakhtangov Theatre will host the premiere of War and Peace, directed by Rimas Tuminas. The main event of the season is timed to coincide with the theatre’s 100th anniversary.
On stage there is a huge moving gray wall and platforms on which the characters of the play sit, lie down, jump, and dance.
“Acting without scenery is easier. You can relax and think about nothing except your character. But our space, which changes every time thanks to the moving wall, can also be called scenery,” says Honored Artist of Russia Maria Volkova, who plays Sonya, the Rostovs’ niece.
Incidentally, this was not the actress’s favorite character in the novel — she found Sonya boring.
“But I managed to find what touched me in her, and as a result I came to love her,” Maria Volkova added.
On stage one can see both the younger members of the troupe and distinguished People’s and Honored Artists of Russia. The role of Prince Bolkonsky is performed in different casts by Evgeny Knyazev and Viktor Sukhorukov; Count Rostov is played by Andrey Ilyin and Sergei Makovetsky; Lyudmila Maksakova plays Marya Peronskaya, and Anna Dubrovskaya portrays Anna Scherer.
Natasha Rostova is played by Olga Lerman. Her heroine is feminine yet strong.
The production turned out to be highly spectacular. Magnificent acting, unusual stage design, and special effects create a truly impressive spectacle on the stage of the Vakhtangov Theatre.
DIRECT QUOTE
Rimas Tuminas, Artistic Director of the State Academic Vakhtangov Theatre:
“Modernity in theatre lies in the way of thinking. During rehearsals, the actors reflected not only on the text, but also on the era, its morals, and its culture. They are playing not only characters, but ideas. The production demands simplicity. In the past we burdened ourselves with props; now we no longer need them. Everything will be purer — just empty space and the actor. Perhaps the audience will feel that something is missing. But a performance must be transparent, clear, and precise.”
