Marina Brusnikina: “The function of theater is to surprise and make you think”

A student of Oleg Efremov at the Moscow Art Theater School, Brusnikina played for a long time in the Moscow Art Theater repertoire as an actress. And later she began to stage performances, many of which became legends, among them the Moscow Art Theater’s “The Flying Goose” based on Viktor Astafiev (in 2004 he was awarded the Russian State Prize and is still performing) and “The Noble Nest” based on Ivan Turgenev (in 2011. received the “Highlight of the Season” award from the Union of Theater Workers). Her performances are united by a lyrical, almost intimate intonation, thoughtfulness and attentiveness to words, and an emphasis on acting.

In an interview with Vedomosti, Marina Brusnikina talked about why an actor needs to show his real self in the theater, what and how to talk to children about, and why it is important to stage “The Summer of the Lord” by Ivan Shmelev right now.