Chekhov-GALA

A composition of five one-act plays

A composition of five one-act plays by Anton Chekhov: «The Bear», «The Proposal», «A Jubilee», «The Wedding», «On the Harmful Effects of Tobacco». Russian Academic Youth Theatre Chekhov International Theatre Festival

Directed	Alexei Borodin
Set Designer	Stanislav Benediktov
Performed by	Vyacheslav Grishechkin / Alexei Maslov, Andrey Bazhin / Alexander Pakhomov, Anna Kovaliova / Dariya Semionova, Piotr Krasilov / Evgeniy Red’ko, Irina Nizina / Maria Ryshenkova, Iliya Isaev / Stepan Morozov, Oleg Zima / Vladimir Vasilenko, Alexei Vesiolkin / Alexander Ustiugov, Ramilya Iskander / Anna Taratorkina, Viktor Tsymbal / Alexei Blokhin, Oksana San’kova / Tatiana Matiukhina, Andrey Sorokin / Vyacheslav Nikolaev, Dmitry Krivoshyapov / Viktor Panchenko, Sergey Pechionkin / Prokhor Chekhovskoy, Yury Grigoriev / Alexander Khotchenkov, Elena Galibina / Uliana Urvantseva, Irina Tarannik / Maria Turova, Alexander Grishin / Roman Stepenskiy, Yulien Balmusov / Yury Lyuchenko, Alexei Myasnikov / Denis Shvedov, Yanina Sokolovskaya / Nelli Uvarova, Alexander Doronin / Mikhail Shklovskiy, Valery Kislenko / Andrey Sipin, Vladislav Pogiba / Alexander Ragulin, Alexei Mishakov / Taras Epifantsev, Viktor Potapeshkin / Vitaliy Timashkov, Denis Balandin / Alexander Devyatiyarov, Alexei Bobrov / Dmitry Burukin, Diana Morozova, Lyudmila Pivovarova, Alexandra Rozovskaya

The premiere will take place during IX Chekhov International Theatre Festival

Each story storms into the other story, interrupts it and gives start to the new one precisely in the moment the previous one has been stopped. The kaleidoscope of human passions, conflicts, absurd situations and unrealized ambitions turn into a phantasmagoria of ‘cheery’ Chekhov filled with the energy of his theatricality and a succession of the actors’ benefit performances. <…>
How did the idea to stage Chekhov’s one-act plays come about? I just thought: our life today is a mess of tribulations and ludicrousness. In one of Chekhov’s plays people just wanted to celebrate a wedding. What came out of it is all too well-known. Someone wished to make a proposal of marriage; others wanted to mark a jubilee. Nothing worked. Good intention is the mother of failures. And our entire lives are just like this. I believe this production is an apotheosis of absurdity.

Alexei Borodin

June 17, 18

Russian Academic Youth Theatre