Anatoly Shuliev: “The viewer needs catharsis”

More than a year Theater named after. Vakhtangov – by the way, one of the most successful in the country – was held without an artistic leader. At the beginning of February 2022, due to health reasons, Rimas Tuminas, who led the troupe for 15 years, left the post of artistic director. Then the main director Yuri Butusov left the theater. The formation of the repertoire policy, as well as the solution of other artistic issues, fell on the shoulders of director Kirill Krok and the newly created artistic council.

Only in April 2023 did the Vakhtangov Theater again find a chief director. This was Anatoly Shuliev, a student of Tuminas. Like the previous artistic director, in his performances he relies on the author and the artist. He knows how to infuse an action with a special spirit – at the same time foggy and light, ironic and tender, warm and sad. However, you can’t just call him a successor. The artistic style of the new chief executive has its own characteristics. In particular, this is a more “curtailed” sensuality than in Tuminas’s performances, as well as greater restraint and even coolness (precisely coolness, not cold at all).

Shuliev’s connection with the Vakhtangov Theater is not only through Tuminas. Just like the founder of the theater, Yevgeny Vakhtangov (1883–1922), he comes from Vladikavkaz. And even before his appointment he managed to work more than once within the walls of the Theater. Vakhtangov. Two of his performances are being staged here: “The Little Fool” based on the comedy by Lope de Vega and “Amadeus”, where Mozart and Salieri are played by Viktor Dobronravov and Alexey Guskov, respectively.

Shuliev also staged at the Theater. Pushkin. It was the play “Hedda Gabler” with Alexandra Ursulyak in the title role. As a full-time director of the Theater. Mayakovsky created several productions, including “Mad Money” with Svetlana Nemolyaeva, “The Eldest Son” with Igor Kostolevsky, etc. It is not difficult to notice that most often the director chose classical drama.

In an interview with Vedomosti, Shuliev spoke about his creative plans, mysticism in the theater and life, as well as what guarantees a full house.