Vladimir Mashkov opened the theater season at Sovremennik

12.00. A small red dog on short legs is walking around the theater courtyard, which has not yet been filled with cars, actors and correspondents with cameras. Almost a corgi, but not a corgi.

“This is my Gitsa,” says the artist Seryozha Girin. In the evening he will appear in Galina Volchek’s legendary play “Three Comrades”. He adopted Gitsa (Gitsa in Romanian - Georgiy) from a shelter, and he quickly settled into the artistic environment - he goes to rehearsals, filmed with artists who pamper the dog with treats.

While the bulk of the team has not yet returned from the Novodevichy cemetery (on Oleg Efremov’s birthday, the actors traditionally visit the graves of the founders of Sovremennik), Gatsa meets everyone at Chistye Prudy. The actors gather, discuss their vacation, but everyone is in suspense about what awaits them. From a quick survey of actors of the 40+ generation, they really hope for changes in connection with the arrival of Vladimir Mashkov as Galina Volchek’s successor.

“...The present, and not what was,” say the artists about the short period of the reign of Viktor Ryzhakov, who in just over two years managed to split the troupe, pit one against the other, begin to destroy the repertoire, and most importantly, the direction that has been in place for many years Sovremennik held firmly to the direction of psychological theater, no matter what forms it adopted. But, apparently, the destructive and bitter period is becoming a thing of the past.

A man in military uniform appears in the yard, and everyone rushes to him with hugs and shouts: “Zhenya, Zhenya has arrived!!!” I recognize him as the artist Zhenya Pavlov, who was mobilized in 2022 and left to serve. Short-haired and tanned, he says that he came on vacation for 20 days and therefore immediately came to the theater. Pavlov serves in the creative team of the Northern Military District and says that he will remain there until the victory.

15 minutes before start. The foyer is so packed that you can't turn around. Here everything is mixed up - artists from two theaters, students - the latter stay in a group, embarrassed. One of the guys says that they are now in their fourth year, but almost since their first year they have been acting in plays, in “Bumbarash” (in “Tabakerka”) and in “Philly Bourgeois” (in “Sovremennik”). Ugryumov, Babenko, Krylova, Tulchinsky, Neelova, Stebunov, Belousova, Gigin, Schultz, Yushkevich and many others - are they now one theater?

Let's listen to what Vladimir Mashkov will announce on this matter.

13.18. And here he is - a formal suit, officials nearby. He apologizes for being late. “Today is the birthday of the man with whom the life of this place began here and who brought us all together. Let's congratulate Oleg Nikolaevich Efremov on his birthday (stormy applause). And the sun came out today,” continued Vladimir Lvovich. - Because the theater is the only place where a miracle is still possible. They're looking out for us."

In his speech, Mashkov more than once emphasizes that there are now two troupes at Chistykh, but independent ones, and the college is an integral part.

They listen to him very carefully and with tension. The head of the Department of Culture, Alexey Fursin, who spoke first, admitted that, having attended gatherings of various capital theaters, he now felt the difference. “In the theater, which is now also formed from two theaters, the artists of one of them said that they did not see their colleagues from the other. “Not like yours—like relatives.” And he awarded the Gratitude of the Mayor of Moscow to the “contemporaries” - actress Taisiya Mikholap, head. museum Tatyana Prasolova. Pavlov, who came from the Northern Military District zone on vacation, received an ovation. The artists Gigin, Frolova and Razuvaev received certificates. Following them, the artists and employees of Tabakerka were awarded.

Then the “Tabakerk members” received awards - Dmitry Brodetsky, Igor Petrov, Maxim Bolshakov and others. We also congratulated those who received the coveted titles of “honored” - Ivanova, Miller, Vladimir Suvorov, Viktor Tulchinsky. For the last many years they have honestly served Sovremennik without any titles. But, as they say, better late than never. But Sergei Ugryumov became “people's”.

Mashkov would not have been Mashkov if he had not had a surprise in store. This time for children. Those who became parents this year were given bells made of pure crystal. Moreover, each bell had a blue or pink ribbon, depending on whether the child was born a boy or a girl. Such a sweet note only confirmed the fact of a human, and not formal, approach to work and the people doing this work. And it is obvious that cutting V.L. alive. nothing will happen. In any case, when asked by an elderly artist what the new artistic director would throw out of the repertoire, Mashkov answered sharply:

— I don’t have the task of filming performances. The task is to look at the material and understand whether it can be imbued with life.

Short and clear. He repeatedly broadcast that now it is a single organism, but there are two individualities - two theaters and a college. By the way, the Tabakerka troupe included six yesterday’s students, who were immediately introduced. The girls, I note, are spectacular.

Mashkov introduced his deputies - Marina Evsa (first deputy artistic director and director of Sovremennik), Sofia Golik (first deputy artistic director and director of TOT) and first deputy Marina Samuseva (college director), and the literary part of all institutions is headed by playwright Oleg Antonov, for communication is answered by Natalya Lindegrin.

Mashkov dispelled the rumors that had been frightening Sovremennik all summer, namely: that in connection with the renovation of the building, Tabakerka would play on the Sovremennik stage. “Where will we play?” — they panicked at Chistye Prudy. Mashkov reassured that “Tabakerka” will play not only at Chistye, but also at other venues in Moscow, and will also go on tour – Voronezh, Salekhard, and then everywhere.

He admitted that his dream had come true - to make a movie with artists from two theaters. At the moment, the dream is coming true - part of the film based on Boris Vasiliev’s story “Not on the Lists” has already been filmed in Brest, and now the group has moved to Moscow, to Kinopark.

From the premiere. “The Eldest Son,” directed by Alena Lapteva, returns to the Tabakov Theater, and “The Bourgeois” (dir. Pavel Safonov) will return to the stage of Sovremennik. Sevastyan Smyshnikov will begin rehearsals of the modern play “Call Sign “Silence” at TOT. “This is a story about our contemporary,” Mashkov emphasized. “And artists from two theaters will play in it at once.” This is our first collaboration."

In December, for Volchek’s birthday, they are also preparing something, possibly related to “The Inspector General”: “She herself played in the legendary play and was in our “Inspector General.” I won’t forget how after the performance I started talking to the artists and spectators. She liked the performance. And maybe on this day we’ll play “The Inspector General” and dedicate it to her memory. We need this connection with our heavenly leaders.”

And then he moved on to another anniversary - the 90th anniversary of his teacher Tabakov. There will be exhibitions and documentaries about him and with his participation. In the year of the anniversary they want to stage “An Ordinary Story” - it is closely related to the biography and life of Tabakov and Volchek.

The connection with heavenly teachers will continue in the anniversaries of Mikhail Kozakov, Viktor Sergachev and Valentin Gaft - next year they would also turn 90.

“I don’t like to talk about plans,” says Mashkov. - But it is necessary, it is necessary. I'm waiting for suggestions.

The plans of the Tabakov school, which now has two theaters at once, include the performances “Forgotten August”, “Elder Sister”, “Creators of History. Chaliapin."

The gathering ended with a very beautiful and correct tradition of “Keepers”, when aspiring artists pull out a ball with the name of a great artist, which they must keep as a talisman. Therefore, the school is preparing the play “The Guardians”. Well, at the end of the day, Vladimir Lvovich launched an intrigue - he will undertake the production of an epic film with the participation of artists from two theaters and a school. “We are all in the same boat,” the artistic director of the TOT Sovremennik and School holding persistently repeated.