Performances with the same scandals. Snuff – Mat – Lenkom. Now here’s Malaya Bronnaya. “Kept woman” on the screen. The noisy wedding in the country: the hearse, wedding, strip. The husband of a candidate ex-President of Russia. The Trustee of the mayor of Moscow and finally the two storms which he experiences to this day. With such cultural-social-secular baggage artistic Director of “Malaya Bronnaya” Konstantin Bogomolov has come to its 45th anniversary. But what the hell the results! He would have to find the time to meet the journalist, to squeeze with the questions/answers in a tight schedule destructively-creative everyday life.
Konstantin, wash on, and floors
Kostya, you’ve barely found the time to meet in a tightly painted weeks. What is so busy what is your typical day?
— Typical stay in the office of the theater, including on their own rehearsals. Here was held prandial period, “Devils”, started to quarantine. My baby seat is still meeting, and the decision of many problems, because I eat in all cases.
— At all, at all? Even in consumption or saving of toilet paper?
— the Maximum in everything. And even the toilet paper I am interested in.
— And what’s new you learned about it?
Nothing good, except that it must be soft and it should be enough. Incidentally, an important cost item, and it is just as important as light bulbs, jambs, door handles… And doing it all with pleasure: I like to walk on a construction site, decide what shade are the walls, columns, chairs, new furniture in the lobby… In the theatre there is a new people: a larger PR Department, fully updated video shop, etc.
does this Mean that you are going to combine the two posts of artistic Director and Director, what was Oleg Tabakov at the Moscow art theatre?
— No, don’t want to. I have a good relationship with the Director Konstantin Chernyshev. I think he understands what I want, and I understand the complexity of volumes of the Director’s work, especially in terms of reconstruction, plus now in a pandemic and coronavirus. So I have no desire to go to the headmaster’s office. I just get into all the details because of their nature. I also delve on the set: you can jump to the site to improve hair artist, or the artist, move the props.
If I said: “And now, Konstantin, wash on, and the floors”. Would?
— If anyone else do not come to mind, take and wash. Another thing is that while scandal, why the floors are dirty. Well, at least notice that they are not washed and will not leave it just like that. But to embrace the impossible, and some things just close my eyes: now stupid little things to waste his strength and energy. But p��incipe, I have no arrogance, like I’m sitting here and decide only the artistic issues, and everything else – not to me. No, to me.
I’m not the person who asks for too much money
— And Finance it too you? Well, not to repeat the history with statements like “the Seventh Studio”? When behind you, someone, something nefarious is plotting cash.
— I do not comment on this rather dramatic story. But my position with gosdengami not new: I and Mat delve into the budget of the play, when he was just a Director and not an assistant Tabakov. I asked how much for the set? If you consider the cost of inadequate, too much, I felt uncomfortable. Because of this awkwardness was asked to cut some things. Or, when we with my constant artist Larisa Lomakina did in the BDT performance of “Glory”, we had a budget, which we have previously spoken to the theatre, but our set went beyond that amount. The other would say: “Remove and polozhte me this amount”, and we have reduced. I’m not the person who demands too much money. They should be very strictly justified. Plus these amounts must be repaid.
— have You calculated the scenario for a possible future pandemic, tsunami, and the States have no money left for culture, the city hall, municipal theaters. Survive with the theatre?
— will Survive. Through ingenuity, minimalism, and partly due to the fact that there is a Fund of Mikhoels, which accumulates the funds of sponsors.
…And the Fund has no money, no one, as in disaster movie.
— Let not those who have no money, but we will survive. I started to work when no-th-th, except three chairs I had. Anything terrible here do not see. Now, in quarantine, I took the show “Secure communication” – only with a mobile camera and gadgets. A month and a half. The budget was ridiculous. In short, if you have a cellphone, hands and brains, and a movie you can shoot. And if there is room and a few chairs (but you can do without them, seated people on the floor), you can do theatre.
Yes, a cinema and a theatre resource arts, but in conditions when there is nothing and force majeure, for me the important point legirovanija and lack of feeling smug saying “and we have a lot of money.” I don’t like in the theater. I love when there is a feeling of “wow, this is cool!” And you’re not looking that it spent a large budget, because you capture the picture effect, as, for example, in the play of Andrei Mighty “Three fat men” in the BDT. And when you only see “wow, expensive to make!” and that’s your first thought, then there is a sense of light drama novorichna, then no. Not mine.
And I don’t like the position: I am an artist, Yeswhite money for my fantastic idea. You should always do in life: you can buy something expensive, and can be the same, but at a reasonable price.
Kostik is that you?
— As a new pandemic reality changed for you values? Here in Moscow, super Comedy, more than four months of no Prime Minister and no theater, and no one but theater workers about it, it seems, does not remember. Isn’t it strange for the city and country with such traditions?
— No, for me, to be honest, nothing has changed. Man is an animal that adapts to everything. If it is deprived of the theatre, it will survive. You can reach an infinite number of hardships. Another thing is that culture is always built on excess. When there is a surplus value (in anything) when there is too much of something (money, energy, time), he begins to do, to be interested in what has no utilitarian value. Theater, when there is a plague, like other human activities, goes by the wayside, or may even disappear. But the culture is based on excess energy and the man grows on it.
My theatre immediately entered the area of the storm, planned and associated with the reconstruction and relocation on the Yauza. A planned covered not planned storm – coronavirus. However, four of the premiere, we still managed to play, and four who planned to play at the end of the season, was moved to autumn – “the kindly ones”, “Olya + Sergei” directed by Eugene Thunder, “Bulba” Sasha Molochnikova, “Batman vs. Brezhnev” works of Sasha Denisova and my “Demons”. Plus statement of Renata Litvinova, which has made a distribution, taking the older generation of artists. Moreover, the older generation, I can see that easily flows into the great young bullying. Now agree with Eugene Marcelli about “Twelfth night”, and Cyril Vytoptov wants to do the operetta “die Fledermaus”. Mine be “the Pokrovskie gate”, and “Month in village” — they will be a diptych.
— a Strange duet of plays by Turgenev… Zorin and Moscow, However, not without fear for your “the Pokrovskie gate” – will not turn if you are the best of the Soviet lyrical Comedy in, say, trash?
No.
— Reveal the secret: all the same who will play Kostya? You?
— No, I won’t say anything about “the Pokrovskie gate”, nor about “a month in the country”.
Question about the storm room No. 1 – reconstruction of the armor? What is happening now, what’s the point?
In the yard, where there was Parking, it was a crane, with the theatre, removed the roof. Will change all the ceiling. Now in the work – up stage, the foyer and everything to do with audience part. Along the way, of course, revealed many problems: but the efforts of the city, the builders of the theater, they are resolved.
— How many places will remain in the hall last�� reconstruction?
— Almost laughing – 500 with a small. Structurally, we hall not change, only added the portal, which will be hung the lights. Revealed beautiful moldings that have been hidden behind the columns – we are rebuilding. The last rows of the balcony give the workshops, there will be a video, which today in Moscow the best – thanks to the city and the Fund, we had two powerful projector. Completely updated sound equipment. In the hall two of the audience will restore passage on the sides instead of one Central, which is why it was planned before my arrival. And for the Hells the color of the walls (don’t even know what to call it – the color of diluted blood or something) that looks crazy on the contrast with white plastered columns, preserved the true historical color – grayish-bluish like this, and it will be restored. Butt with that are doing the foyer, but several different shade than in the hall, the wooden chairs, as in the Theatre of Nations, but also of a different color. In the process, it became clear that the stairs were marble and not limestone. Remove this terrible visor on the front, will make a transparent glass roof with illumination. Will be very stylish and beautiful.
Bourgeois for me is the lack of radicalism
— I can’t shake the feeling that I’m talking to a foreman, and not with the artist. But I want to ask you don’t refuse the idea that was voiced a year ago, namely, the “armor” is bourgeois theatre?
the Idea remains. After all, the bourgeois is independent people who do their job, are responsible for themselves and have a query as on smart sophisticated art spectacle, and the spectacle is simultaneously entertaining, but of high quality. Bourgeois for me is the lack of radicalism.
— And you say you are the leader of the radical trends in contemporary theatre?
— I build a company, and inside it there is a place and radicalism. But this is a radicalism that will not dislodge from the audience the audience. Here “Demons” is enough is a radical performance. But “an Ideal husband” and “Karamazovs” at the Moscow art Theater was a radical and bourgeois performances. In “an Ideal husband” departed all the bourgeoisie of Moscow.
— And how it is mounted with a noble idea of Konstantin Stanislavsky about the accessibility of theatre? As the definition of “bourgeois” will affect the pricing?
— Theatre should be available to the public. It is not only in aesthetics but also in pricing. The most expensive ticket will cost us in the range of 40-50 euros and the minimum is 10 Euro.
— That is 15 thousand rubles cash “vacant” does not sell?
— 15 thousand will not. The possible sale of very expensive tickets only for co-productions. For example, we have a performance of “Norma” — toprodukcija with Workshop Brusnikina, where pour private money, and the show needs to recapture a certain amount. But there are area public and tickets are expensive.
In what ratio?
— I Think, 50 on 50. But in General the pricing should be public, especially now when people have little money. The challenge now is to ensure that the theatre had passed through the storm. I must say, I like a challenge, because every challenge is a blessing — it hardens. It’s very cool to get out of this storm, spending through theater. Next season, if again we will not close, despite a difficult situation, we’re still doing all the premieres, which were planned by the end of that season, plus a series of new. It’s pretty good. And at the same time, I want to say, we are not straining the city – make most of the Premier at the expense of borrowed funds. Although the city supports us, as all Moscow theatres, payroll money for the duration of the quarantine. I’m not talking about the fact that he without fail makes the reconstruction of the theater, for which we are grateful.
I’m a good Manager in relation to your own life
as far As I know, some artists you fired. How did you manage to avoid the experience or those of the Taganka theatres, where artists are suing over the years with new managers?
— to Fire I started before the quarantine. These are young people under 35 years or very well played little or not at all were involved in the performances. We must understand that the entire company (60 + people) had open-ended contracts. It’s a wild situation. I called some guys and asked them to write a statement about the transition to a single, explained that they do not see their prospects in the theater. The result is 7-10 people dismiss themselves. And the young, who have worked hard, I spoke differently: “You see your employment, you will have a lot of work and you have nothing to fear. I ask you to move to fixed-term contracts”. I didn’t make. I asked. And all I asked for, I asked them to do voluntarily. It’s part of my policy to bring the whole troupe to an urgent a contract. In addition to artists of the older generation, those who have served long in the theater. Their names in my daddy “Untouchable” — they have a special position. Moreover, we agreed with them that do not artistic, and professional advice. After the premiere they sit down with me at the table, and we say – I need their professional opinion. Artistry is an improvement, and professionalism, including the acting, is the professionalism.
If your requests and authority not enough and the actors are in denial? After all, the system of indefinite contracts with one hand to protect them, and on the other gives rise to endless conflicts with the administration.
Well, listen, I can call everyone to the dance rehearsal, �� man with a stopwatch in hand from morning till evening to record the arrival/departure of dissent I can not go shooting, but I don’t want to do that. By the way, we have established the discipline. Now the actors will write statements indicating the dates they will not be in the theater, and each statement consider I — introduced a strict system. No one now calls to a repertory part, as before, does not put the fact that he went to the shooting, no one changes in the compositions at its own discretion. This situation is simply destroyed.
— Hard. What other draconian measures you introduced?
—a number of disciplinary things, and they now train to work. I love the order, when the mechanism works, I love how everything begins to transform. Like to reformat the space is essentially the same performance. And really magical feeling when you do something, and then on stage it all starts to coalesce — as Maksudova box (Maksudov — the hero of the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov’s “Theatrical novel”. — M. R.). In reforming the old mechanism starts to look through a small miracle. People have different burning eyes.
— You suggested that Kostya Bogomolov is such a cool Manager? Or is it opening for you?
Maybe it is not modest to say, but I myself knew it. Although in any case my work needs to be assessed. But what I have a taste for this work – fact. I to his performances has always been treated as Manager, not as a crazy artist. I’m a good Manager in relation to their own lives, and to their performances. It’s a shame that now these efforts are aimed at bridging the two storms and no opportunity to present to the public the results of work done.
the Most dull — not to be attacked by anyone
can Not help but ask: when scoring first in Google your name, there were news related to the premieres of your plays and scandals, often accompanying them And now you’re a hero mostly secular news as the husband of a secular diva. How you feel about it?
Cool. I have always treated any form of hype as to what can help you do another important thing. For example, if it helps to increase the venality of the hall, on health.
— That is, does it bother you that the media you are, in fact, became a shadow of hamlet’s father, that is his wife?
— I do the Fig, in which context I referred to when driving in search engines. Not interested, because – “so what?”
Answer honestly — did you come up with a hearse for the wedding?
Is jointly made-up story.
the Answer is not counted.
— Well, the first idea came to my mind, but then we developed it together.
— public��acts and events Ksenia Sobchak, I don’t know about others, but I feel the iron hand of the Director.
— there is No hand. We are discussing professional things, and she’s very much in me change, as I hope, and I in her. We affect each other, it is inevitable. Look, She is so creative man, so many ideas come to mind in seconds, and that it is naive to suspect, like I’m wedged with their notions. I don’t even have time to cut in. Programs, talk shows, round tables, documentaries — it’s all her fantastic ideas.
But it’s hard to understand how it survives in the atmosphere such a total negative attitude of the great mass of people? This is what the nervous system need to have?
— It is very sensitive, delicate, nervous man, with great vitality and vulnerability. And why do you think that it things not hurt? Hurt exactly the same as me. But she’s a strong person and knows how to keep any blow — this time, and secondly, she has a great sense of humor. I really respect that. I partly like this: getting a sufficient number of negatives, learned to process it into a positive.
I will Say this: the most sad — not to be attacked by anyone. Can you write something and you come and say, “How smart and beautiful”. No one’s going to say, “What a disgrace, when he was forbidden to do all this?” If you are in the area of universal love and acceptance, then something is wrong.
Sorry, you are not enough?
No shit. The wickedness of some kind in it, if you all love dearly. So, you’re being very slippery, since in all holes through.
Can lay out his election ballot
— the Main principle of Ksenia Sobchak: “I can say what I think”. Can you do it?
Can.
And if I ask awkward questions, answer, what do you think?
— Yes.
Quote from the EIGHTEENTH century: “In Russia, everyone wants freedom all the time talking about her. But neither to get nor to dispose of it I can’t.” Relevant for the twenty-first century?
— Is generally a separate topic, and I might, after some time, I want to speak about things related to civilization device. I have said many times that freedom is something that exists inside of you. If you’re free, you’re free from external pressure and from fear that the resistance of this external pressure may lead you to loss of position, money or anything else important. We have seen freedom as freedom from pressure. And that freedom from pressure must be accompanied by a freedom from my own fear — forget about it.
When you go on stage and say what I think is passably. And then not have to worry with what for you it can fly. If you’re not worried, you are truly free. And most importantly, what to you may come from the state and from your colleagues on Facebook. And someone, as we can see, whines that he arrives from the state, and who is suffering from their comrades on the network, just because he wrote what he thinks. And it is not even known that the rougher the measures that you can apply the state, or the persecution, which will give you midst a Facebook community. If you’re truly free, you are free from the fear of these things.
we Have freedom of speech?
— Yes, we have freedom of speech.
— we bloody regime?
— No, we have bloody regime. Moreover, I do not think that we in General mode.
Many of your colleagues and representatives of the creative intelligentsia, in my opinion, totally lost in the double standards. And sometimes it seems that they do not know what political chair more profitable for them to sit down.
— I do not judge anyone. Not nice to me, when people start to judge and attack, to condemn and moralize. The moral of read it yourself, judge yourself, think about their actions. At some point I very clearly adopted a position and can’t imagine what would come to someone in a social network and write there stuff. It makes a lot of my friends and different people. Why? Assert themselves? Why do you think that you have the same moral authority who has the right? Perhaps there are double standards and lives by them. But I don’t care about them. But if to climb me a lecture, you can be strongly and aggressively rebuffed. I can’t stand people who do it, and I think that you need to answer is tough.
You were a confidant of the mayor and with the support of Moscow authorities. This is for business use?
— I believe that in the period of the coronavirus and quarantine Moscow worked very cool. And in such fantastic events in such a complicated period, there may not be errors. But we see today that Moscow successfully passed this period, in comparison to many capitals around the world, and not only capitals. And before the others out of it. Right everyone: it’s cool. Proud!
— With a proud acceptance of the actions of the city authorities you can afford to criticize the government?
— Why not allow yourself to criticism? Stupidity easily. But since I myself is partly a Manager, really proud to have voted for Sergei Sobyanin. I can even now to lay out his election ballot, to say that I am proud of how this man carried the city through the coronavirus. How would people for which he fought, nor watered it, nor I would have danced on any admission of error, nor use them for political purposes and so on. Compare with new York, London and other cities of the world is objectively true. I don’t care that I will throw in Facebook, but I choseUst the fact that I supported him.
if you had abandoned the idea stated a year ago, to take the statement the wife, and then the bride Ksenia Sobchak?
— If there is a story in which she and her gift will be needed – of course. She starred in my “Safe relationships” and new series “Good man.” And, I invite people based on their personal energies, the internal organization to match a character. Not breaking artist, and using it to reveal character. Same thing with Ksenia Anatolievna.
— still no one understands – you’re living together or you have a guest marriage?
— What is a guest marriage? All the time together since we got married.
