Author: Yaroslava Plaksina
Interpreter: Olga Kuzmina
The MOST opens a new season with a premiere. The play “Dostoevskaya. Anna's dreams” is a brand new comprehension of the love story of the genius of world literature and Anna Grigorievna Snitkina, who was his muse and companion. Anechka's (that's the way Dostoevsky called her) calmness, judiciousness and endless sacrifice dozens of times helps the writer to get out of the most difficult life situations and move to the next creative phase.
©Yaroslava Plaksina / Journalist Online
You dive into the atmosphere before even entering the audience hall. Spectators can listen to the podcast in the theatre hall. This podcast was specially created by the Russian State Library for the 200th anniversary of the classic.
Effaced - “gradually dissolve into nothingness”, this neologism belongs to Dostoevsky and its meaning was written by the author himself for “future Dahl” to make his job easier. It was sudden for Dostoevsky that “the word doesn't confuse listeners” and settle down song writers.
However this word or Dostoevsky's world- famous novels might never have seen the light of day without unconditional support of Anna Grigorievna, Fyodor Mikhailovich's life partner. They met at work - on the advice of a friend, Dostoevsky hired a student of shorthand courses to be able to complete the printing of the novel on time and deal with part of the debts.
The role of Anna is played by 5 actresses at once. They represent the various stages of her difficult life: from 20 years old Netochka to writer's widow, author of memoirs. Dostoevskaya shares her memories with the audience during the performance, we can see the main episodes of the life of this family. Anna Grigorievna alternately recollect the memories of the funeral of her husband, the first own publication of her novel, the eternal debt pit, a trip abroad, Fyodor Mikhailovich's passion for roulette, the birth and death of their daughter, the wedding and, finally, the first meeting. These stages and trials are connected by the boundless love of two people who are ready to sacrifice everything for each other's happiness.
The mystique of Dostoevsky's life and works is recreated with the help of atypical theater scenography. The scene is a low platform passing through the center of the audience hall and the decoration is a simple bench, which turns into both an altar and an element of the gambling house setting throughout the play. The audience is located on both sides of the stage, so spectators get the opportunity to see the action from all angles. The closeness and a short distance from the actors allow them to feel like Anna Grigorievna's interlocutor, because it often seems that she addresses each of those present personally.
“The play is about the incredible connection of two very different, difficult people,” comments the producer of play Georgy Dolmazyan, “We dealt with specific dates, figures, joyful and sad episodes related to Dostoevsky and his wife. This is something that could not be ignored, so we had various restrictions that at first made it very difficult to work, but then these conventions turned out to be wonderful material. Such restrictions are a pleasant thorn for the director. Thanks to it, unusual solutions appear.”
The MOST was formed on the basis of the theater of Moscow University, and many graduates of Lomonosov Moscow State University are involved in the performance. One of them is Alexander Lisitsyn, who previously graduated from the faculty of journalism. Screenings of the play take place on October 5 and 6 and also on November 24 and 25.
