Talents and Admirers

One of Alexander Ostrovsky's late plays, the comedy Talents and Admirers was written in 1881 and is dedicated to the theatre – its charm, vulgarity and everyday dramas. The story of the actress Negina, who chooses her love for the stage over the love of a sophisticate, is crucial for Ostrovsky. Russia's number one playwright was immersed in the business of theatre his entire adult life. For him theatre was not entertainment, and so in Talents and Admirers a real war is waged for people's souls. In choosing the wealthy landowner Velikatov for her companion, Negina was not mistaken: she remained faithful to her own talent.

Olga Velikanova's production is, in many respects, a tribute to old-time theatre and the people who are loyal to it, for whom nobility remains a vital necessity. Designers Sergei Ryabov and Vera Akhmedzhanova turned the stage into a continuation of the auditorium, and actors from different generations perform in the play, uniting them with a love of their profession. We witness people playing at theatre, singing old romances and wearing beautiful costumes, but everything in it is real: life, tears, and the sobering finale.