The Ostrovsky Theater is considered one of the very first in Russia, which has survived and is fully functioning to this day. It puts foreign and domestic classical works.
The origins of
The Ostrovsky State Theater opened its doors to the public in 1808. Then Kostroma was a rich city in which merchants lived. Even today, you can find old houses that have survived from those times. They traded various utensils, and barkers actively worked near them.
At this time, was born in Kostroma, in the family of wealthy merchants Fedor Grigorievich Volkov. He later became the founder of the theater in Russia. The city has discovered a completely new art. In 1863, another theatrical Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky was born in Moscow. And in the interval between them, in 1823, Alexander Ostrovsky, a playwright who showed Russia the true life of merchants, was born.
The new type of art really liked the merchant environment. Since the merchants were not poor people, they could support the undertakings of young talented playwrights and help the actors. The performances began to be arranged even before the Ostrovsky Theater was opened. Kostroma has become a center of art. The first performances were shown during private receptions in residences and in country dachas. Serf people played in them. Over time, they were replaced by professional actors.
Early story
The Kostroma Drama Theater was first mentioned in 1808. Perhaps it existed before, but there is no official information. Scenes were played on the territory of a modern hospital - a special arena was built there. It was first shown the play "Miller - the sorcerer, matchmaker and deceiver." In this building, guests from the imperial Moscow theater were welcomed who were forced to leave their native places in 1812. Each performance they played so impressed both the audience and the local actors themselves that a new round began in the history of the Kostroma scene. Famous actors of that time were Kartsov, Anisimov, Chagin, Glebov, Sergeev, Obreskov.
New shelters for the temple of Melpomene
Soon, the small building became small, and the theater was forced to look for a suitable stage size. She was found on Lower Debra. This street became famous for the first stone theater building. Previously, the tannery of Syromyatnikov, a merchant from the second guild, was located in this place. Both the actors and the audience are so accustomed to such a thing in the merchant city that they were not at all surprised by the fine line of art with industry. From the building to the present day nothing has been preserved. Only notes from past times with a description of the room were left. Eyewitnesses mentioned that from the street it seemed that there was only a wall. It was necessary to go downstairs, then to go up to the theater premises. But his yard opened a beautiful view of the Volga.
In this building, Shchepkin gave performances, playing the role of Tortsov in the play "Poverty is not a vice." The audience was attended by Potekhin and Pisemsky. And 1863 became a significant year for the Kostroma theater. It was then that a special building was erected for him on Pavlovskaya Street. All townspeople threw off at him. It became the crown of architectural art in Kostroma of that time. The one-story theater was more like a Greek temple, with many columns, a semicircular facade and semiconductors at the porch.
Legend in action
Local residents are still convinced that this building was overtaken by a supernatural scourge. When it was just starting to be built, the bricks were taken from a former monastery of the Epiphany, which burned down a little earlier. Builders bought materials and were not particularly worried about superstitions. In 1865, the theater burned down almost to the ground. He was restored in two years.
Update
The cast was recruited with the help of professional entrepreneurs. They often updated the entire composition. Until 1917, the theater played Neverin, Zolotarev-Belsky, Ivanov, Chaleev-Kostroma. On the shoulders of the entrepreneurs was the task to select not only actors, but also to determine the repertoire. More than ten performances could be played in one theater season. Actors rarely learned the role to the end, often improvised, and always expected clues from the prompter sitting in the booth.
In 1898, actors from the Maly Theater visited the Kostroma stage, including the famous Sadovsky family. From 1899 to 1900, the new entrepreneur redesigned the auditorium, more space was allocated for the stalls by reducing the number of lodges. But in 1900, the floor in the lobby burned down.
War time
In 1914-1915, Varlamov and Davydov from St. Petersburg performed on stage. From there, the actor Mamont Dalsky came. He stayed in Kostroma from 1915 to 1917.
The theater was almost destroyed by the October Revolution of 1917 . In 1918, a performance based on Gorky's play “At the Bottom” from Moscow was brought to him. Each movement of theater-goers was recorded in the city party department. Some of the actors moved to St. Petersburg, some stayed and showed the best plays from a small list to choose from.
In 1923, the institution was given the name of a great playwright. From now on, it was the Kostroma
Drama Theater . Ostrovsky. The plays that could be shown were necessarily coordinated with party leaders.
When the Second World War began, the troupe was offered to disperse, it was planned to close the Ostrovsky theater. Kostroma at that time was experiencing a real tragedy. But the actors refused. Inspectors who arrived did not expect to see Ostrovsky’s “live” theater, in which performances were sold out by spectators. After watching the performances, they gave the Kostroma stage the go-ahead to continue their activity.
From the theater, a special team of fifteen people went to the front. They played for the soldiers the play Ostrovsky “Truth is good, but happiness is better.”
In 1944, the theater celebrated the anniversary and assigned it the status of a regional theater. The celebration, despite the wartime, was held magnificent and bright.
After the war
From 1957 to 1958, the building began to be reconstructed. He was partially returned to its former appearance, and inside it was amended by the project of architect Joseph Sheftelevich Shevelev.
In 1983, the Ostrovsky Drama Theater was awarded the honorary Order of the Red Banner.
In 1999, he acquired the status of a state institution.
Ostrovsky Theater: repertoire
The basis for the Kostroma scene was the play of his beloved playwright Ostrovsky in the city. They were put both during the life of the writer, and are played to this day. Among the classical productions, one can see dramas by William Shakespeare, Alexander Pushkin, Leo Tolstoy, Moliere, Bernard Shaw, John Patrick, Jiri Gubach, Alejandro Cason and others. Along with long-known works, author adaptations of young screenwriters are also shown.
The Ostrovsky Theater often invites troupes from other cities. Actors from the capital often bring original productions. In addition, the institution is the owner of dozens of various awards of international and national festivals.
The most popular plays in the repertoire:
- "Strange Mrs. Savage" is a comedy based on the novel by John Patrick.
- “Woe from Wit” by Griboedov.
- “While she was dying” by Natalia Ptushkina.
- "Boris Godunov" by Pushkin.
- Modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
- "Thunderstorm" Ostrovsky.