Nizhny Novgorod Theater: contribution to Russian theatrical art. What did Stanislavsky do for the Russian theater? Stanislavsky's theatrical career
The 19th century in the life of the Russian theater is the “golden age”, during which they were created greatest works classical dramaturgy, Russian acting school. The 19th century began with the formation of realistic principles of drama and acting and ended with the birth of director's theater, which summarized the experience achieved during the century by domestic stage art. The principles of this art received theoretical justification in the works of K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko. Was it the first theater to become a significant phenomenon in the cultural life of Russia? half of the 19th century V. The popularity of performing arts grew. The serf theater was replaced by a “free” theater - state and private. However, state theaters appeared in capital cities back in the 18th century. In particular, in St. Petersburg in early XIX V. There were several of them - the palace theater in the Hermitage, the Bolshoi and Maly theaters. In 1827, a circus opened in the capital, where not only circus performances, but also dramatic performances. In 1832 in St. Petersburg, according to the project of K.I. Rossi built a drama theater building, equipped with the latest theatrical technology. In honor of the wife of Nicholas I, Alexandra Fedorovna, it became known as the Alexandrian Theater (now the A.S. Pushkin Theater). In 1833, the construction of the Mikhailovsky Theater (now the Maly Theater of Opera and Ballet) was completed. It received its name in honor of Nicholas I’s brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. The Maly Theater opened in Moscow in 1806, and in 1825 the construction of the Bolshoi Theater was completed.
These were performed on stage with great success dramatic works like "Woe from Wit" by A.S. Griboedova, "The Inspector General" N.V. Gogol and others. In the 20-40s, the outstanding Russian actor M.S. demonstrated his multifaceted talent in Moscow. Shchepkin, friend of A.I. Herzen and N.V. Gogol. Great success Other wonderful artists were also enjoyed by the public - V.A. Karatygin - premier of the capital's stage, P.S. Mochalov, who reigned on the stage of the Moscow Drama Theater, etc.
Significant successes in the first half of the 19th century. achieved by the ballet theater, whose history at that time was largely connected with the names of the famous French directors Didelot and Perrault. In 1815, the wonderful Russian dancer A.I. made her debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in St. Petersburg. Istomina.
In the second half of the 19th century. in the history of Russian theater comes new era- plays by the great Russian playwright A.N. appear on stage. Ostrovsky. Ostrovsky's dramaturgy is a whole theater, and in this theater a galaxy of talented actors grew up who glorified the Russian performing arts.
In addition to Ostrovsky's plays in Russian drama of the second half of the 19th century. plays by A.V. appear Sukhovo-Kobylina, M.E. Saltykova-Shchedrina, A.K. Tolstoy, L.N. Tolstoy. The theater follows the path of affirming truth and realism.
In the second half of the 19th century. Interest in Russian contemporary drama is significantly increasing. Revolutionary-democratic criticism, led by Chernyshevsky and Dobrolyubov, supports Ostrovsky’s dramaturgy, which exposes dark kingdom tyrant merchants, corruption and hypocrisy of the bureaucratic machine of the Russian autocracy.
The first performance of Ostrovsky’s play took place on January 14, 1853 on the stage of the Maly Theater, when the comedy “Don’t Get in Your Own Sleigh” was played. The Maly Theater acquired great social significance in the 50-70s of the 19th century. Its role in the cultural life of Russia is extremely great. It is not for nothing that the Maly Theater was called the second university for its high educational and educational role. It was he who established Ostrovsky’s dramaturgy on stage.
After the first production of the comedy “Don’t Get in Your Own Sleigh,” Ostrovsky gave all his plays to the stage of the Maly Theater. Having become close to many talented artists, the playwright himself takes part in the production of his works. His plays are a whole era, new stage in the development of Russian performing arts. It was in Ostrovsky's plays that the talent of the largest actor of the Maly Theater, Prov Mikhailovich Sadovsky (1818-1872), was revealed. The artist’s performance of the role of Lyubim Tortsov in the play “Poverty is not a vice” became one of the artist’s highest achievements. Sadovsky played 30 roles in Ostrovsky's repertoire. His characters seemed to come to the stage from life itself; the viewer recognized them as well-known people. Sadovsky, with his work, continued the principles of the great realist actor Shchepkin.
Together with Sadovsky, the outstanding Russian tragic actress Lyubov Pavlovna Nikulina-Kositskaya (1827-1868) played on the stage of the Maly Theater. She was the first and one of the most remarkable performers of Katerina in Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm". Her talent combined the features of romantic elation and deep realistic truth in the depiction of human feelings and experiences. Polina Antipyevna Strepetova (1850-1903), the largest provincial tragic actress, will forever remember her performance on stage. The meeting with Nikulina-Kositskaya helped Strepetova become a great actress. The traditions of Nikulina-Kositskaya’s art were also reflected in the work of the great tragic actress of the Maly Theater M.N. Ermolova.
The progressive, democratic aspirations of the most talented actors of the Maly Theater constantly provoked fierce resistance from the theater authorities and censorship. Many of Ostrovsky's plays, despite their success with audiences, were often withdrawn from performance. And yet, Ostrovsky’s plays are increasingly becoming part of the theater’s repertoire, influencing other playwrights.
Shchepkin’s creative principles continue to be improved in the performing arts. The basis of the Maly Theater troupe of the 50-70s of the 19th century. actors like P.M. become Sadovsky, L.P. Nikulina-Kositskaya, S.V. Shumsky, S.V. Vasiliev, I.V. Samarin.
In the 80-90s of the XIX century. After the assassination of Alexander II by the Narodnaya Volya, the offensive of the reaction intensified. Censorship oppression had a particularly hard impact on the theater's repertoire. The Maly Theater is going through one of the most difficult and controversial periods in its history. The basis of the work of the largest actors of the Maly Theater was the classics.
Productions of dramas by Schiller, Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, Hugo with the participation of the greatest tragic actress Maria Nikolaevna Ermolova became events in the theatrical life of Moscow. In these performances, the viewer saw the affirmation of heroic ideas, the glorification of civil feats, and a call to fight against tyranny and violence.
Troupe of the Maly Theater in late XIX V. was unusually rich in talented actors. They were wonderful successors of the glorious traditions of the Maly Theater, its art of deep life truth, guardians of the behests of Shchepkin, Mochalov, Sadovsky.
Alexandria Theater in St. Petersburg in the first decades of the second half of the 19th century. is going through the most difficult period of its history. Its proximity to the royal court has always had a great influence on the fate of the theater. The management of the imperial theaters treated the Russian drama troupe with undisguised disdain. Clear preference was given to foreign actors and ballet. The art of the actors of the Alexandria Theater develops mainly in the direction of improving external methods of expression. The greatest master transformation, who masterfully mastered the technique of acting, was Vasily Vasilyevich Samoilov (1813-1887), who created life-like, stage-effective images.
The work of the most talented actor-humanist Alexander Evstafievich Martynov (1816-1860), the creator of a number of images of “little people” who defended their right to happiness, was an exception for the Alexandria Theater of those years. He played Podkolesin in “Marriage” and Khlestakov in Gogol’s “The Inspector General,” Moshkin in Turgenev’s “The Bachelor,” and many roles from Ostrovsky’s repertoire. One of the artist’s highest achievements was the image of Tikhon in Ostrovsky’s “The Thunderstorm.” Martynov was alone in the theater, early death took him away in the prime of his creative powers.
The creativity of these actors paved the way for their solution and opened the way for the theater of the future.
Konstantin Sergeevich Stanislavsky
...I have been dancing for many years, and every year we take part in New Year's fairy tales. Famous actresses and actors play there. Our behind-the-scenes life is filled with emotions.
Before one performance, the actors discussed the book by K. S. Stanslavsky, talking about it, they argued a lot, agreed with each other on some things, but admired this brilliant man. These conversations interested me very much, and I decided to read this book too, but first I wanted to know more about this person. Having studied his biography, I learned a lot. There are a lot of interesting things in his life... That's what surprised me most. Stanislavsky studied poorly and had difficulty mastering Latin and mathematics. He was more successful in home performances.
All Alekseevs were known as big fans of the theater. On their Lyubimovka estate, even a special theater building was built, where one-act vaudevilles, small original plays or adaptations of them were performed with ardent enthusiasm.
After graduating from the institute, Stanislavsky works in his father’s company, carefully and pedantically conducting trading affairs. (Later he became one of the directors of the Vladimir Alekseev Partnership and remained in this position until 1917.) However, his passion for theater not only does not weaken, but, on the contrary, becomes stronger from year to year. Stanislavsky was literally a fan of the Maly Theater, attended all the performances and tried to imitate his favorite actors Sadovsky and Lensky in everything. Having perfectly mastered vaudeville and operetta, he moved on to new genres, immeasurably more difficult - drama and comedy.
Also, Konstantin Sergeevich made a huge contribution to the cultural development of humanity throughout the world. In 1886, Konstantin Alekseev was elected a member of the directorate and treasurer of the Moscow branch of the Russian Musical Society. Together with the singer and teacher, Alekseev is developing a project for the Moscow Society of Art and Literature (MOIiL), investing personal financial resources in it. At this time, to hide your real name, took the surname Stanislavsky for the stage.
Stanislavsky became a famous actor, his performance of a number of roles was compared with the best works of professionals on the imperial stage, often in favor of the amateur actor.
In January 1891, Stanislavsky officially took over the direction of the director's department at the Society of Art and Literature.
I admire his determination. Stanislavsky continues to set himself more and more new tasks in the acting profession. He demands from himself the creation of a system that could give the artist the opportunity for public creativity according to the laws of the “art of experience” at every moment of being on stage, an opportunity that opens up to geniuses in moments of the highest inspiration.
I am proud to live in the great country where I was born and lived great person(Russian theater director, actor and teacher, theater reformer, creator of the famous acting system), who devoted his life to art and did a lot for people all over the world.
On this page you will learn about the most famous acting teachers and great theater figures who created leading acting schools. Among them we can highlight such representatives of the performing arts as Stanislavsky, Meyerhold, Chekhov, Nemirovich-Danchenko and Berhold Brecht. All these people made significant contributions to theatrical art. And therefore, if you see yourself as an aspiring actor, this article will be useful to you.
(1863 - 1938), famous Russian actor and director, who is the founder of the most famous actor training system. Stanislavsky was born in Moscow, in a large family of a famous industrialist, related to Mamontov and the Tretyakov brothers. He began his stage activities in 1877 in the Alekseevsky circle. The aspiring actor Stanislavsky preferred characters with a bright character that gave the opportunity for transformation: among his favorite roles he named the student Megrio from the vaudeville “The Secret of a Woman” and the barber Laverger from “Love Potion”. Treating his passion for the stage with his usual thoroughness, Stanislavsky diligently studied gymnastics, as well as singing with the best teachers in Russia. In 1888, he became one of the founders of the Moscow Society of Art and Literature, and in 1898, together with Nemirovich-Danchenko, he founded the Moscow Art Theater, which exists to this day.
Stanislavsky School: “Psychotechnics”. The system named after him is used all over the world. The Stanislavsky school is a psychotechnics that allows the actor to work both on his own qualities and on the role.
Firstly, an actor must work on himself through daily training. After all, the work of an actor on stage is a psychophysical process in which external and internal artistic data are involved: imagination, attention, ability to communicate, sense of truth, emotional memory, sense of rhythm, speech technique, plasticity, etc. All these qualities need to be developed. Secondly, Stanislavsky paid great attention to the actor’s work on the role, which culminates in the organic fusion of the actor with the role, transformation into the image.
The Stanislavsky system formed the basis of the training on our website, and you can read more about it in the first lesson.
(1874-1940) - Russian and Soviet theater director, actor and teacher. He was the son of the owner of a vodka factory, a native of Germany, a Lutheran, and at the age of 21 he converted to Orthodoxy, changing his name Karl-Kazimir-Theodor Meyerhold to Vsevolod Meyerhold. Passionately interested in theater in his youth, Vsevolod Meyerhold successfully passed the exams in 1896 and was immediately admitted to the 2nd year at the Music and Drama School of the Moscow Philharmonic Society in the class of Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko. In 1898-1902, Vsevolod Meyerhold worked at the Moscow Art Theater (MAT). In 1906-1907 he was the chief director of the Komissarzhevskaya Theater on Ofitserskaya, and in 1908-1917 - at the St. Petersburg Imperial Theaters. After 1917, he led the “Theatrical October” movement, putting forward a program for a complete revaluation of aesthetic values and the political activation of the theater.
Meyerhold system: “Biomechanics”. Vsevolod Meyerhold developed the symbolic concept of “conventional theater”. He affirmed the principles of “theatrical traditionalism” and sought to return brightness and festivity to the theater as opposed to the realism of Stanislavsky. The biomechanics he developed is a system of acting training that allows you to move from external to internal transformation. The extent to which the actor will be perceived by the audience depends on the accurately found movement and correct intonation. Often this system is contrasted with the views of Stanislavsky.
Meyerhold conducted research in the field of Italian folk theater, where expressive body movements, postures and gestures play an important role in creating a performance. These studies convinced him that the intuitive approach to a role should be preceded by its preliminary coverage, consisting of three stages (this is called the “game link”):
- Intention.
- Implementation.
- Reaction.
In modern theater, biomechanics is one of the integral elements of actor training. In our lessons, biomechanics is considered as an addition to Stanislavsky’s system, and is aimed at developing the ability to reproduce the necessary emotions “here and now.”
(1891-1955) - Russian and American actor, theater teacher, director. Mikhail Chekhov was the nephew of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov on his father, who was Anton Pavlovich's older brother. In 1907, Mikhail Chekhov entered the Theater school named after A.S. Suvorin at the theater of the Literary and Artistic Society and soon began to successfully perform in school plays. In 1912, Stanislavsky himself invited Chekhov to the Moscow Art Theater. In 1928, not accepting all the revolutionary changes, Mikhail Alexandrovich left Russia and went to Germany. In 1939, he moved to the USA, where he created his own acting school, which was extremely popular. Marilyn Monroe, Clint Eastwood and many other famous people passed through it. Hollywood actors. Mikhail Chekhov occasionally acted in films, including Hitchcock's Spellbound, for which he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Chekhov's theatrical principles. In his classes, Chekhov developed his thoughts about the ideal theater, which is associated with the actors’ understanding of the best and even divine in man. Continuing to develop this concept, Mikhail Chekhov spoke about the ideology of the “ideal person”, which is embodied in the future actor. This understanding of acting puts Chekhov even closer to Meyerhold than to Stanislavsky.
In addition, Chekhov pointed to a variety of pathogens creative nature actor. And in his studio he paid great attention to the problem of atmosphere. Chekhov considered the atmosphere on the stage or set as a means of contributing to the creation of a full-fledged image of the entire performance, and as a method for creating a role. The actors who studied with Chekhov performed a large number of special exercises and sketches that made it possible to understand what the atmosphere is, according to Mikhail Alexandrovich. And the atmosphere, as Chekhov understood it, is a “bridge” from life to art, the main task of which is to create various transformations of the external plot and the necessary subtext of the events of the play.
Mikhail Chekhov put forward his own understanding of the actor’s stage image, which was not part of Stanislavsky’s system. One of the essential concepts of Chekhov's rehearsal technique was the “theory of imitation.” It consists in the fact that the actor must first create his image solely in the imagination, and then try to imitate its internal and external qualities. On this occasion, Chekhov himself wrote: “If the event is not too fresh. If it appears in consciousness as a memory, and not as directly experienced at a given moment. If it can be assessed by me objectively. Anything that is still in the sphere of egoism is unfit for work.”
(1858-1943) – Russian and Soviet theater teacher, director, writer and theater figure. Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko was born in Georgia in the city of Ozurgeti into a Ukrainian-Armenian family of a nobleman, landowner of the Chernigov province, officer Russian army, who served in the Caucasus. Vladimir Ivanovich studied at the Tiflis gymnasium, from which he graduated with a silver medal. Then he entered Moscow University, which he successfully graduated from. Already at the university, Nemirovich-Danchenko began to publish as a theater critic. In 1881, his first play “Rose Hip” was written, and a year later it was staged by the Maly Theater. And starting from 1891, Nemirovich-Danchenko already taught at the drama department of the Music and Drama School of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, which is now called GITIS.
Nemirovich-Danchenko in 1898, together with Stanislavsky, founded the Moscow Art Theater, and until the end of his life he headed this theater, being its director and artistic director. It is worth noting that Nemirovich-Danchenko worked under a contract in Hollywood for a year and a half, but then returned to the USSR, unlike some of his colleagues.
Stage and acting concepts. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko created a theater that had a huge influence on the development of Soviet and world art. The largest Soviet directors and actors were brought up in the spirit of their creative principles, which are quite similar. Among the features of Vladimir Ivanovich, one can highlight the concept he developed about the system of “three perceptions”: social, psychological and theatrical. Each type of perception must be important for the actor, and their synthesis is the basis of theatrical skill. The Nemirovich-Danchenko approach helps actors create vivid, socially rich images that correspond to the ultimate goal of the entire performance.
Berholt Brecht
(1898 -1956) - German playwright, poet, writer, theater figure. Bertholt studied at public school Franciscan monastic order, then entered the Bavarian Royal Real Gymnasium, which he successfully completed. Brecht's first literary experiments date back to 1913; from the end of 1914, his poems, and then stories, essays and theater reviews, regularly appeared in the local press. In the early 1920s in Munich, Brecht tried to master filmmaking, wrote several scripts, and based on one of them he made a short film in 1923. During the Second World War he left Germany. In the post-war years, the theory of “epic theater”, put into practice by Brecht the director, opened up new possibilities for performing arts and had an impact significant influence on the development of theater of the 20th century. Already in the 50s, Brecht's plays became firmly established in the European theatrical repertoire, and his ideas in one form or another were adopted by many contemporary playwrights.
Epic theater. The method of staging plays and performances created by Berholt Brecht is to use the following techniques:
- inclusion of the author himself in the performance;
- the alienation effect, which suggests a certain detachment of actors from the characters they play;
- combining dramatic action with epic storytelling;
- the principle of “distancing”, which allows the actor to express his attitude towards the character;
- destruction of the so-called “fourth wall” separating the stage from auditorium, and the possibility of direct communication between the actor and the audience.
Alienation Technique proves to be a particularly original take on acting, adding to our list of leading acting schools. In his writings, Brecht denied the need for the actor to get used to the role, and in other cases he even considered it harmful: identification with the image inevitably turns the actor into either a simple mouthpiece for the character or his lawyer. And sometimes in Brecht’s own plays, conflicts arose not so much between the characters, but between the author and his heroes.
He abandoned his comfortable and easy life, devoting himself to the Theater, which he defended until his last breath.
Born into a wealthy family of a manufacturer, he had everything his heart desired and could live happily. He failed to become rich, but thanks to him, not only Russia, but the whole world received priceless treasures. On August 7, 1938, the great reformer of the theater world died Konstantin Sergeevich Stanislavsky (Alekseev).
Konstantin Stanislavsky, director, actor, theater reformer. Photo: wikimedia.org
Where did the surname Stanislavsky come from?
His father was the owner of a successful gold wire factory, his mother was the daughter French actress Marie Varley, and the theater was held in high esteem at home. Children took part in home productions and made their own costumes and decorations. The father believed that, as they grew up, they would forget this hobby.
Growing up, Konstantin was obliged to join the board of directors of the factory, and in the evening he played in amateur performances. He was afraid that his father would find out about his “alienations.” To avoid scandal, Kostya Alekseev took the pseudonym of an actor who retired from the stage by his last name Stanislavsky.
Moscow Art Theater
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In 1892, Stanislavsky organized his own theatrical society together with the director Alexander Fedotov. The personal money invested quickly ran out and the circle was on the verge of closing. What saved the situation was an invitation to the Hunting Club with the opportunity to make training without paying a fee for the premises. The circle quickly gained fame.
But he dreamed of his own theater, not the kind that thundered in those years, where actors delivered percussive monologues, addressing the audience and receiving applause, like ballet primas. Stanislavsky wanted to create a theater for people, where they would play “about life.”
He found a like-minded person in the person of a teacher at the Moscow Music and Drama School Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko, who had the talents of a playwright, director, critic and many others.
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Their historic conversation in the Slavic Bazaar restaurant in June 1897 lasted 18 hours, and the next year, on October 26, the Moscow Art Theater appeared in Moscow. The words “artistic” and “public” reflected the basic principles of the new institution. This was expressed both in ticket prices and in the selection of repertoire.
The failure and rise of "The Seagull"
Two years before the opening of the Moscow Art Theater in St. Petersburg, in the famous Alexandrinsky Theater, the premiere of a play by a young playwright took place Anton Chekhov called "Seagull". It turned out to be a terrible failure: the audience could not understand why the actors on stage were drinking tea, talking about some nonsense, and in the end one of the heroes shot himself. The actors, accustomed to a different repertoire, also did not know how to play it. Anton Pavlovich hid the play out of harm's way. But Stanislavsky managed to persuade him.
At the Art Theater "The Seagull" was a resounding success. Since then, Chekhov's plays were born on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater, and then they stepped into the big world.
It was with the light hand of the leaders of the Moscow Art Theater Maksim Gorky He also began to write plays, and his “At the Lower Depths,” “Children of the Sun,” and “Bourgeois” were performed in the theater.
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Building in Kamergersky Lane
The theater played its first seasons in the Hermitage Garden, but it quickly became clear that for new purposes a completely new premises was needed. The money for construction was allocated by the famous Savva Morozov, and implemented the idea free of charge Fedor Shekhtel.
He reconstructed the old theater building on Kamergersky Lane, which has now become one of the best examples of Russian Art Nouveau. Shekhtel came up with the idea of the famous Seagull on the theater curtain.
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The system and outside it
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Stanislavsky is known throughout the world as the creator of the famous teaching on acting, which remains in history as the “Stanislavsky System”. Later they began to criticize her, but for some reason the critics themselves were unable to create anything more outstanding.
Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko had students who grew beyond the creative framework of their teachers and created their own theatrical directions. These are, in particular, outstanding Evgeny Vakhtangov And Vsevolod Meyerhold. But no matter how they try to “quarrel” with the founding fathers, they and other famous directors, actors, and theater workers are pets of the Art Theater’s nest.
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Other theaters
Thanks to the pedagogical activities of the founders of the Moscow Art Theater, several studios were opened in Moscow. Today we know one of them as the Moscow Academic Musical Theatre them. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko, and another one is called “Electrotheater Stanislavsky” and positions itself as a high-tech stage space.
Theatrical romance without love
It is always difficult for two great people to get along, not only within the same system, but even under the same roof. Over time, Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko disagreed more and more radically, and the theater was practically divided in half. The ambitions of both did not allow them to quit their favorite business, so the troupe lived as if on a powder keg.
And after the revolution, the contingent of spectators also completely changed. But this would be a minor nuisance compared to what began in the 30s, when the theater was awarded the title of “academic” and its employees were given a lot of material privileges.
Stalin was pleased with how the famous Soviet theater was received in the rest of the world, but for the Moscow Art Theater itself, the leader’s attention was a heavy burden. All the activities of the troupe were examined under a microscope.
It was then that Stanislavsky, forced to practically play the role of a clown under the “father of nations,” was unable to withstand this role he had taken on. His heart gave out. After a severe heart attack in 1928, Konstantin Sergeevich never returned to the stage, concentrating on directing.
IN last years he practically never left his house in Leontyevsky Lane. He died at only 75. An autopsy showed that all vessels were affected by atherosclerosis, with the exception of the brain.
Nizhny Novgorod Theater: contribution to Russian theatrical art
Aimaletdinova Larisa Andreevna,
Candidate of Philosophy, Associate Professor of the Department of History and Documentation, Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University named after. R.E. Alekseeva.
The history of the Nizhny Novgorod theater goes back more than two hundred years. It owes its birth to the Nizhny Novgorod prince Shakhovsky, who in 1798 opened his serf theater, which soon transformed into the Nizhny Novgorod public theater, which became one of the first public provincial theaters in Russia, which appeared after the Yaroslavl theater of “eager actors” under the direction of F.G. Volkova.
The first theater season opened with a performance by D.I. Fonvizin "Choice of a tutor". The repertoire of the Nizhny Novgorod theater was in no way inferior to the capital’s theaters. Comedies and vaudevilles, as well as operas and ballets, were staged here.
Initially, the theater was located in one of the houses of Prince Shakhovsky at the intersection of Malaya and Bolshaya Pechersky streets. During the world-famous Nizhny Novgorod Fair, which was located near Nizhny on Strelka since 1817, Prince Shakhovsky’s troupe played on the stage of the seasonal fair theater, located on Samokatskaya Square - in the very center of Nizhny Novgorod trading.
Already in the 2nd half of the 19th century, the Nizhny Novgorod theater became one of the best in the country. The following actors play here: A.P. Lensky, V.P. Dalmatov, K.A. Varlamov. On his stage they begin their creative path future primas of the Russian stage: V.V. Vysheslavtseva, N.I. Piunova, Kh.I. Strelkova, M.P. Sokolov. World-famous actors from the capital, such as M.S., often come here on tour. Shchepkin, M.N. Ermolova, V.F. Komissarzhevskaya, M.G. Savina, A. Alridge.
The Nizhny Novgorod theater became the cradle of P.A.’s talent. Strepetova, who later became the prima of the St. Petersburg Alexander Theater. This is where L.P. begins his creative journey. Nikulina-Kositskaya, later - actress of the Maly and Bolshoi Theaters Moscow, it was she who became the first performer of the main roles in many plays by A.N. Ostrovsky, including the role of Katerina in “The Thunderstorm”.
Since the end of the 19th century, F.I. has often performed on the stage of the Nizhny Novgorod stage. Chaliapin. The debut of the then unknown young talented singer F.I. Chaliapin in the opera by M.I. Glinka’s “Life for the Tsar”, the opening of a new building of the Nizhny Novgorod theater on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street, built according to the design of V.A. Shroter in 1896, on the eve of the opening of the next All-Russian Industrial Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod.
The new, post-revolutionary stage in the development of the Nizhny Novgorod theater was marked by the activities of the entrepreneur, actor N.I. Sobolshchikova-Samarina. This period was marked by the work in the theater of such brilliant artists as: N.A. Levkoev, A.N. Samarina, T.P. Rozhdestvenskaya, V.I. Razumov, P.D. Muromtsev and many others. Thanks to N.I. Sobolshchikov-Samarin, the Nizhny Novgorod theater remains faithful to the traditions of classical drama even in the troubled post-revolutionary period. Ostrovsky’s plays are staged on its stage: “The Forest”, “The Marriage of Belugin”, “Wolves and Sheep”; F. Schiller: “Cunning and Love”, “Hamlet”, “ Winter's Tale"W. Shakespeare, "Woe from Wit" by A. Griboedov; “Bourgeois”, “Children of the Sun”, “At the Depth”, “Yegor Bulychev” by M. Gorky. Under N.I. Sobolshchikov-Samarin, for the first time, the play by A.M. Gorky's "The Bourgeois", interpreted by the director as a social drama. The Nizhny Novgorod Theater staged all of A. M. Gorky's plays, and since 1932 the theater has been named after the great writer.
In the 40s of the 20th century, the life of the theater was connected with the activities of the talented director N. Pokrovsky, thanks to his efforts and the efforts of a young acting group that was newly formed under N. Pokrovsky, including promising young artists: Z.I. Antropova, G.Ya. Demina, M.Kh. Murash, E.N. Novikov, in 1949 the theater was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. Under N. Pokrovsky, All-Russian theater festivals began to be held in Gorky. At the first festival of Gorky’s performances (in 1958), N. Pokrovsky’s production of “The False Coin” was awarded a second degree diploma.
In the 1950s precisely in the production of N. Pokrovsky at the Gorky Theater drama theater three trilogy performances were staged: “Egor Bulychev”, “Dostigaev”, “Somov and others” by A.M. Gorky. At the second festival in 1967, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the writer’s birth, the play based on the play “At the Lower Depths”, directed by B. Voronova, was awarded a first degree diploma.
1960s - the heyday of the creativity of the Nizhny Novgorod actor V.V. Vikhrov, who became its director in 1991. For viewers of this period, the roles of V.V. are memorable. Vikhrova in the plays “Anna Karenina”, “Woe from Wit”, “Summer Residents”, “At the Depths”.
For the next almost 30 years, the theater was under the strict guidance of the director, Honored Artist of Russia E.D. Tabachnikov. In the late 80s - early 90s. 20th century, the master turned to the dramaturgy of F. Dostoevsky, P. Weiss, G. Kleit, W. Shakespeare, and became the artistic director of the theater.
Over the 20-year period, a new cast troupes. In the 80s and 90s of the 20th century, such wonderful actors served here as: L.S. Drozdova, G.S. Demurov, V.V. Nikitin, R.L. Bozhko, A.P. Firstov, V. Fokov, Y. Filshin, S. Kabailo, L. Shuykhitdinova, A. Khorenyak, A. Suchkov, S. Blokhin, Y. Kotov, N. Ignatiev, E. Turkova, I. Funina, T. Yagunova.
Today the theater continues to develop traditions that have developed over decades. The plays of Goldoni, Pushkin, Ostrovsky, Moliere, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Gorky, Nabokov, Simonov, Gorin, Razumovsky, Sagan, Patrick, Albee, Wilde continue to be popular at all times.
After 200 years, the theater continues to turn not only to domestic but also to foreign classics.
Literature
1. Gatsisky A.S. Nizhny Novgorod theater.(1798-1867). Nizhny Novgorod. Type I of the Nizhny Novgorod province. board. 1867 135 p.
2. Gatsisky A. Nizhny Novgorod chronicler.Series: Nizhny Novgorod were. Nizhny Novgorod Nizhny Novgorod Fair, 2001 716 pp.