Announcement

A play that is always sold out!

On 16 February, the stage of the Cultural Centre "Mir" will host wonderful actors - Honored Artist of Russia Olesya Zheleznyak, People's Artist of Russia Andrey Ilyin, Yulia Menshova, Aleksandr Chernyavsky and Elena Galibina. The play "Bestoloch" that they are going to present, was first played on this stage in 2008 and the current tour of the play in Dubna will be the fourth one. And what is important - it is always sold out!

From the very beginning, the plot is very entertaining: a wealthy married couple - Jacqueline (Yulia Menshova) and Bernard (Andrey Ilyin) hired a clumsy maid Anna (Olesya Zheleznyak) to their house from a remote village. She did not interfere in the affairs of the owners at all, yet she was incredibly funny, clumsy and every day she amused the owners with her antics. And suddenly there was a moment when everyone had to leave at the same time - the owner of the house - on a business trip, his wife - to her parents, so at the same time Anna was sent to visit her relatives. But in less than a few hours, all the inhabitants of the house began to return one by one, in hope that it was empty. "There is no one in the house, but all the places are occupied," the maid shouts in despair, only managing to regulate the situation ... Anna had to show incredible miracles of ingenuity, wit and smartness so that her owners would not stumble upon each other, for Jacqueline and Bernard returned to the house not alone...

Today, we will talk about the play so much-loved by the audience to the performer of the role of Jacqueline Yulia Menshova that endowed her heroine with all the possible features of an absolute woman.

Yulia, I have repeatedly been convinced that "Bestoloch" is incredibly popular with the audience. They come to this play several times. Why is it so attractive, in your opinion?

It is never possible to predict the success of a play and it is also difficult to analyze its causes. I can only assume that a very "right" team of a director and like-minded actors has once gathered. We had nearly common understanding of "what and how" it could be funny and there was some kind of excitement with which we began to perform this play. Well, the dramaturgy is quite classical - comedic and it "holds" very firmly to various actor's improvisations.

Such expressiveness and vividness of the created images is a great and essential part of success. Or are there some other secrets known only to the actors?

General spirit, as I have already said. We have had a lot of fun with each other on stage and it's all often funny for ourselves. In general, the audience is most often receptive to "live action", when not only the audience but also the actors themselves have fun.

It is true. In the auditorium, a festive, carefree mood comes to everyone with amazing speed. The merit is, apparently, of both the play and you, wonderful performers. Another peculiarity of the play is that all the roles are leading, there are no stand-ins. You are all like an ensemble, where everyone is irreplaceable ... Is there a plus in such harmony between the actors?

A huge plus!!! It's a tremendous value when there is an ensemble. Over the course of the play's existence, alas, replacements have taken place. It's unavoidable. And it was not easy to adapt with a new cast member, each time we had to rearrange and change something. But as a result, the performance regained its "new form" and again it went easily. But any performance is like a living organism and the Soviet principle of "no one is indispensable" is of little use for creativity. A play is born of specific personalities.

And what is the most surprising thing about your heroine Jacqueline for you?

Perhaps, I don't know. I haven't tried to "scan" her like that. It's the kind of role that doesn't involve any analysis or logic at all. She is just such a funny person, such a woman-woman, with the whole set of unpredictability and capriciousness, but very charming at the same time.

Yulia, what is good about non-repertory theatre for you? Maybe because it gives complete freedom of choice, both for the actors and for the audience. And it senses and responds to the audience's need...

I believe that today the non-repertory theatre most sensitively responds to the needs of the audience and this is important, for theater without an audience has no meaning at all. And for actors, of course, this is freedom of choice. For me personally, it is extremely important. As I have said many times before, the time of "poor" scenery and costumes, or betting only on actors' names, has passed. In non-repertory theatre there are serious productions from all points of view. There will never be "art for art's sake". The non-repertory theatre does not impose a performance, and oddly enough, in this it is much more in line with the content of the theater. For, theater always presupposes two co-creators - actors and audience.

***

A variety of events takes place in everyone's life, sometimes just as confusing, unpredictable and similar to those that have happened to the heroes of the play. But how wonderful it is when a person finds time to relax, making a holiday for himself, simply by coming to a performance, especially since actors endowed with fantastic abilities are ready to give this holiday. The mood after "Bestolochi" becomes different, indescribable. It becomes easy, both for the audience and for the actors. Some kind of mutual saturation with positive emotions!

We would like to thank the founder of the Agency "Kurazh-concert" Matvey Kurazhev for organizing the tour of the performance and we invite theater-goers to the JINR Cultural Centre "Mir" on 16 February, at 7.00 PM to touch the wonderful theatre art. Believe me, you will have a wonderful evening!

Interviewed by Eleonora YAMALEEVA,
Photo by "Art-Partner XXI"