A scandal almost broke out at a troupe gathering at the Mossovet Theater

Second century difficulties

The Moscow Academic Theater opened its 101st season. Mossovet. The gathering of the troupe, which took place on Sunday afternoon, showed not only the achievements that the artistic director Eugene Marchelli spoke about, but also the brewing conflict.

— Friends and colleagues, we have passed the hundred-year mark. “This has happened to our lives, to our history,” says Moscow’s artistic director Evgeniy Marcelli from the stage to a not very crowded hall, and promises, due to the large amount of information, “to scorch, as always.”

The stars did not honor the gathering with their presence: Ekaterina Guseva, Pavel Derevyanko and, naturally, Alexander Domogarov, who has long been in conflict with the new management of the theater. However, this did not stop management from talking about what they consider to be achievements, but whether they are such is the question. In any case, from a creative point of view, one of the listed premieres, “Hamlet” on the Big Stage, still somehow interests the public. But the modern reading of Arbuzov’s “Cruel Intentions” or Ostrovsky’s “Dowry” is completely off the mark. Now the bet is on the family play “The Town Musicians of Bremen,” which is about to premiere.

However, the formal event, which is the gathering of the troupe, could be considered to be proceeding normally if not for the speech of director Yuri Eremin, who, unexpectedly for those present, raised the issue of the changed logo of the theater and the renovations done in the foyer. As for the logo, it received applause, because if there is a worse example of visual rebranding in theatrical Moscow, it is the changed logo of a century-old theater. From an elegant emblem with a predominance of red, it turned into something black, gloomy, and not uplifting. According to our information, at the artistic council during the approval of the new logo, when one of the old-timers tried to object, public opinion was ignored.

The same can be said about the renovated foyer of the theater, designed in black and white. According to most viewers, such renovations refer to medical institutions, but it seems that the theater management is not at all embarrassed by this.

It must be admitted that it is a rare theater body that is not in a storm due to the arrival of a new artistic director and management. You can’t please all the stars and ordinary people. But in the case of the oldest academic theater in the Aquarium garden, the third season is not working out. The editors have obtained a fragment of internal chat correspondence, from which it follows that not all is well in the Mossovet kingdom: “Believe me, in a year there will be a new artistic director at the Mossovet Theater. The contract (with E. Marcelli – M.R.) was extended only for a year after long discussions on the sidelines. There is a short period of time to select a new candidate by the end of the season. She’s gone now. And to make a mistake again means reputational risks for officials and new shocks for the troupe. Marcelli will be assigned to another location. And most likely not in Moscow. Everything happens as it probably should have happened. Everyone in the troupe showed themselves in their true light. Such crises are also useful.

Marcelli will try very hard this year, since there are two options: either they will simply remove him or they will attach him somewhere. And the second option is his priority. And I have already written the reasons why they left it: there is no candidate of the level of such a theater. And another mistake will not be forgiven. The wisest tactic for artists now is to simply wait out this season with dignity.”

Let us recall that the Moscow Department of Culture, which democratically supported the radical policies of Marcelli and the new directorate, extended his contract for only a year instead of the expected three years. This step on the part of the cultural department should be seen as a message from Marcelli: “You only have a year. Time has gone.”