Stanislav Lyubshin ended up in an unusual “nursing home”

At the Moscow Art Theatre. Chekhov staged a hospital cabaret with the participation of actors of the older generation

On the Small Stage of the Moscow Art Theater named after A.P. Chekhov, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Stanislav Lyubshin, they staged “Third Bell, gentlemen!” based on the story “At Retirement” by Alexander Kuprin in the unusual genre of “hospital cabaret”. Where are the real actors, and where are their heroes, sometimes it is impossible to understand.

The theater foyer has a portrait of Tatiana Lavrova and a stand with her biography. On June 7, this marvelous actress would have turned 85 years old, but she died in 2007. Judging by the reaction of the public, or rather, by its absence, many no longer know anything about Lavrova, but she was a star. And this in a special way sets up for the upcoming performance about the frailty of acting glory.

It is curious that in parallel with the work on the play “The Third Bell, Gentlemen!” at the Moscow Art Theater, Anatoly Vasilyev rehearsed Koltes’ Western Quay. Back in 1973, at the dawn of his directorial career, as a trainee, under the direction of Oleg Efremov, he staged the now legendary “Solo for Chilling Clocks” with the “old men” of the Moscow Art Theater – Alexei Gribov, Viktor Stanitsyn, Mark Prudkin, Olga Androvskaya.

“Third call, gentlemen!” also about the third age, although this is a relatively recent concept that has not taken root, to which an alternative has been found – the age of survival. It seems that a person does not and cannot have any hopes and prospects, except for the payment of a pension. It turned out modern, although the basis of the performance staged by Kirill Vytoptov (this is his first production at the Moscow Art Theater) is the story of Alexander Kuprin in 1902. The writer himself also worked in the theater as a prompter and an exit actor, and Chekhov even advised him to join the troupe of the Art Theater. Kuprin wrote several works, one way or another connected with the theater. Stanislav Lyubshin chose “At rest”.

The staging was done by Kirill Vytoptov with the participation of Alexander Bargman and Svetlana Savina. At Kuprin, the merchant of the 1st guild, Nil Ovsyannikov, on the anniversary of the death of his only son, who was a contemptible actor, wandered from troupe to troupe and died of consumption and drunkenness in the city hospital, founded the “Shelter for the elderly infirm artists.” During his lifetime, the father despised the offspring for choosing a useless profession, refused to help him, and then decided to atone for his sins. In this godforsaken institution, located in a remote provincial town, there are almost no tenants, with the exception of five old and homeless actors.

Production designer Nana Abdrashitova turned a hospital ward (not an almshouse) equipped with modern medical equipment into a kind of summer stage. The beds are equipped with light bulbs. Blinking, they turn the bed of the old actors into a smart wagon. A microphone is installed on the dropper, to which old men and one girl in a feather headdress (Margarita Yakimova) approach to perform like in a cabaret. Right there on the stage are young musicians. At some point, they will approach Mercury Ivanovich to take a selfie – not even with him, but with Lyubshin. Here the characters seem to be in two guises. After all, it was Lyubshin who played in The Lord of the Rings, according to young people. And the famous “ku” from the movie “Kin-dza-dza” will also sound. Lyubshin, on behalf of his tragedian Mercury of Paradise, delivers a monologue to the glory of the public, which still goes to older actors. His temperamental speech will sound very personal. Much of this performance seems to come from the actors themselves and was born as an improvisation during rehearsals.

One of the actors, identifying himself with King Lear (Viktor Kulyukhin), whom he obviously played, or maybe just dreamed of a role, constantly refers to a colleague lying on the bed (Vladimir Timofeev), with the words: “Your name, madam “. And he is not going to support the boring game, shouts out his real name, asks his brothers in the ward to finally give at least some cue so that King Lear calms down. A veteran operetta (Evgeny Kindinov) constantly repeats the same thing about the tour in Zhytomyr, where he visited a brothel. Actors live in this hell of a former life. Mercury Ivanovich utters the phrase: “We do not have a happy old age, we give everything to the crowd.” It expresses the state of almost any actor who has become a hostage to the profession and fame. Even at rest, the actor turns everyday life into a theatrical game. One of the old people is in a wheelchair, but that’s no reason to cancel Othello. In the course of the performance, which we are present at, an impromptu dialogue arises between real actors: “Well, Slav? “Othello”? – “No, Vitenka. There is no more strength.”

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29047 dated June 9, 2023

Newspaper headline:
Five old men and one girl