Presented the Theater Novel Award for the best books about the theater: detective investigations

MK journalist Marina Raikina became a laureate

“Theatrical Romance” is not only a parody of the Moscow Art Theater by Mikhail Bulgakov, but also a literary award, which nine years ago was established by the editors of the magazine “Scena”, STD of Russia and the non-profit partnership “East-West Cultural Initiative”. On December 8, the State Institute of Art Studies hosted the ninth ceremony of awarding the laureates of this unique award in the field of theater literature. One of the winners was the journalist of “MK” – the editor of the department of literature and art Marina Raikina.

The hall of the old mansion in Kozitsky Lane is filled to overflowing – books about the theater have many fans. After all, “Theatrical Romance” has no analogues in world culture and supports authors who write about the theater.

Over the years, Alla Demidova and Alexander Shirvindt, directors Alexei Borodin, Kama Ginkas, Mikhail Levitin, artists Sergei Barkhin and Eduard Kochergin, theater critics Alexei Bartoshevich, Vidas Silyunas, Inna Solovieva, Dmitry Trubochkin and others received this Prize. The Chairman of the Expert Council and the founder of the award is Dmitry Rodionov, Secretary of the Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation and Editor-in-Chief of the Stsena magazine.

– The work of the Expert Council this year, as in the previous one, was very intensive, – says Dmitry Rodionov. – But what was especially pleasing was the appearance of a large number of books from the regions. National theaters will start working on their history – Tyva, Karelia. Chechnya. Yes, these are modest publications with small circulations and not the best printing, because they are made by enthusiasts who, alas, do not have local support, but they strive to combine memory, which is more relevant today than ever.

It must be admitted that for 9 years this theater and book project has become a moderator of the most important cultural processes in Russia, a center for promoting literature about the theater, a space for discussion on key issues of art, a platform for the development of social activity and education. More than 100 publications came to the start of the competition – 2022, of which 25 were on the long list, and 14 were on the short list. Among them are documents from the Meyerhold investigation case, studies on the history of the Moscow Art Theater and the Vakhtangov Theater in the post-revolutionary years. As well as a book on theater pedagogy and others.

And now the jury, chaired by Konstantin Raikin, announces its verdict. 6 out of 14 shortlisted books were recognized as laureates of Theatrical Novel – 2022. These are very serious studies – “Artistic Theatre. After the revolution. Diaries and records. Fedor Michalsky. 1920-1924. Alexey Gavrilov. 1927-1932″ and “Art Theatre. After the revolution. V.V. Luzhsky. Fleeting memories. 1928. Last diary. 1930-1931” – they were prepared by a team of authors.

Announcing the laureates, the leading actor and director of the Vakhtangov Theater Eldar Tramov, quotes Stanislavsky, who seems to have a suitable statement about the theater for all occasions: morality, internal structure, actors.

And one more collective author receives his “Theatrical novel” – for three Meyerhold collections (No. 4, 5, 6): “Case No. 537. Documents of the investigation file of Vs. E. Meyerhold”, “Sun. E. Meyerhold. Patchwork for a Harlequin costume” and “Meyerhold in different years”.

“These are terrible testimonies of time, which we, theatrical people, know about, but others do not know, young people do not know,” says Konstantin Raikin. – I would call it notes of courage, which I will read to my students so that they cry and be horrified.

Vakhtangovsky can also celebrate the victory – two books about this theater house on the Arbat became laureates at once. The first is Ella Mikhaleva’s The Vakhtangovites: Dramaturgy of the Beginning, which has become a truly detective investigation of the early period of the theatre’s work. And the book of the MK columnist Marina Raikina “End your Vakhtangov humor. To laugh. In order not to cry”, dedicated to the history of the legendary theater in an unexpected perspective – humor.

An outstanding theater teacher who raised many theater stars in St. Petersburg, Veniamin Filshtinsky did what was expected of him for a long time – he translated his many years of practical experience into theory by writing the book “Theatrical Pedagogy. days and years. Among the winners was the history of the Chechen Drama Theatre. From the origins to the present day. 1931-2021, author – Ruslan Khakishev. The special nomination “For the best play”, by the way, established this year for the first time, out of three contenders, was awarded to a young author – Alexei Kuralekh. His play “Dreams of Penelope” staged at the Theater. Moscow City Council.