the Play “Mashenka” about the friendship of his grandfather, Professor and granddaughter of a pioneer has become the main product of Soviet playwright Alexander Afinogenov’s play, and her first performance on the stage of the Mossovet Theatre — an important cultural event in the spring of 1941. “Masha” then a lot of time put in Soviet and later in Russian theaters. And not only the play got at the time, even to Broadway. However, the first statement in creation of which participated the author himself, is still considered the reference. Her story — in the material mos.ru.
March 4, 1941. The auditorium of the Theater Mossovet full of guests gathered for the premiere of “Masha” directed by the new artistic Director Yuri Zavadsky. After last year’s “bar wenches”, which became a sensation of theatrical Moscow of that time, from the Director waited for something interesting.
But “Masha” was not only due to Zavadsky. Magnet was the name of the playwright Alexander Afinogenov’s play. In 1937, the performances of his plays were filmed from the repertoire, and he lived in Peredelkino, miraculously escaped repression. In the party it was restored in 1938 and with the outbreak of war he headed the literary Department of the Soviet information Bureau.
“Masha”, written the year before his death, was one of the last plays of the playwright and his work stood apart. Hardly the first time he withdrew from the campaign playbook, and reveals the vices of the bourgeoisie, backhand hitting on the deficiencies of the Soviet of people criticizing party officials and turned to the man and his feelings. Literary criticism heard in the “Masha” Chekhov’s motives, as usual, the audience saw a good story about love arising from a harsh lonely Moscow Professor Okaemova to the granddaughter — teenager Mache, came to live with him from the distant Siberia.
breathlessly the people watched from the dark hall to the stage, where a miracle occurred: the lonely grandfather and granddaughter who never saw them gradually becoming a family. It was a miracle and the appearance of such pieces after years of domination by ideological productions. The audience was crying, not holding back. For the playwright, “Masha” was a reminder of disgraced years — his most tender piece he started to write just then.
One of the main fans of the play were each Afinogenova poet Boris Pasternak, encrypted, by the way, one of the characters. The geologist Leonid Borisovich, the other Okaemova that helps Professor to take the first step towards a granddaughter, you know, Boris Leonidovich.
the Role of an elderly academician performed Evsei Liubimov-Lanskoi, until 1940 who was the artistic Director of the theatre and 15-year-old Masha — Vera Maretskaya, which at the time of the premiere was almost 35. Notice whether the audience is this age difference? Hardly — Maretskaya was a master of disguise. �� 1927 she played the old lady Sokovnina in the play “a Simple thing”. It turned out so convincingly that nobody could even imagine that the old woman playing a young actress.
By 1941, Vera Maretskaya was already a recognized film star. Shortly before “Masha”, was released the film Alexander Zarkhi and Iosif Heifits “a member of the government,” in which she played a major role. Typical actress adored by the viewers and the Directors.
In the Theater Mossovet she came along with Zawadzki I met in the school-Studio of the Vakhtangov theatre. They were married in 1924 and for a very long time worked together — even after the dissolution of the marriage. In the Mossovet Theatre, where they served no longer as husband and wife, she secretly thought of the mistress — the main Director always listened to her opinion.
had the effect Maretskaya and playwright. In the original version of Afinogenov did his Masha is very fragile and vulnerable girl, but bright actress brought her a fraction of his character — a jaunty, stubborn. The author liked it, and soon after the premiere of the revised text was sent to the Committee on art Affairs under the Council of people’s Commissars of the USSR. Afinogenov explained that this option is final.
Later, during the war, “Masha” has leaped outside the Soviet Union. It was shown on Broadway under the title of “Professor, look!”. In the American version, the emphasis has shifted from granddaughter to grandfather. Often put the play in Russian theaters.
At this time, the Mossovet Theatre was at the Zenith of fame. Successful productions followed one after another, which was a great achievement of Yuri Zavadsky, who stood at the head of the theater in 1940. He literally breathed new life into it, making a bet on modern drama. He came there after work in the Academic drama theatre named after Gorky in Rostov-on-don, and the Central theater of the red army, which was headed.
a Disciple of Konstantin Stanislavsky and Yevgeny Vakhtangov, he paid great attention to the psychological study of the characters of heroes. As they ride back would not tolerate punches — in his opinion, in any, absolutely any play you can find something special, exceptional, new. In his work he adhered to the principles of his Studio, experimentality.
Got the fame he is also because of its brilliant teachers. In 1922, Zawadzki played Calaf in “Turandot” Vakhtangov. After the death of Konstantin Stanislavsky suggested that the actor be a member of the arts Council in the Third Studio of the Moscow art theatre.
Yuri said, before they start working on any play, he tried to see it whole, to understand their own capabilities and the capabilities of actors to highlight every nuance. Plays. fedü “Masha”, consisting of half-tones were made by this rule.
