Today you can visit many wonderful productions in the theater. The plays of famous writers deserve the attention of the audience. One of the popular performances is “Duck Hunt” in the Yermolova Theater. Reviews of the production will be considered in the article.
about the author
Alexander Valentinovich Vampilov is a Soviet writer and playwright. During his short life, he wrote many wonderful stories, several one-act plays and four multi-act ones. Vampilov was not able to see the productions of his works on stage during his lifetime. Only after the tragic death of his play were widely recognized by the public and critics, and he himself was called a brilliant playwright. Alexander Vampilov died in 1972, not living 2 days before his 35th birthday. He drowned in Lake Baikal when a motor boat rolled over, clinging to trees piled under water.
After the death of the writer during the 70s of the last century, all of his main works were first put on the stage of the theater. M. N. Ermolova. These dramatic productions, “Duck Hunt” in particular, have become an outstanding event in the life of the creative team. For the whole of Soviet culture as a whole, they have acquired enormous value.
It is no coincidence that on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Alexander Vampilov, the Duck Hunt, a performance recognized as the author’s best and most mysterious play, was staged in the Yermolova Theater.
About the protagonist
The play "Duck Hunt" in the theater. M. N. Ermolova invariably captures the viewer. All the directors who undertook the production of the presented play, note the "phenomenon of the protagonist." The term “Riddle of Zilov” arose in the theatrical environment. Being the protagonist of the play, Viktor Zilov appears before the viewer as a very atypical character, uncharacteristic of the Soviet drama.
He is young, smart, self-confident, artistic, well educated. But he does not know what he wants. The hero falls in love with his head, but then sharply cools. At the same time, he offends people and repents of it. Blames others, wants to shoot himself, but aims at friends.
About the heroes
The play “Duck Hunt” in the Yermolova Theater has been gaining the attention of the viewer from the first minutes. In addition to the main character, the following characters act in the play:
- Galina is his wife. She is twenty six. This is a fragile and sophisticated woman. Her marriage brought her only domestic and financial difficulties, destroying all the dreams that she had cherished for years.
- Irina is a young student who falls in love with Zilov. He is going to leave his wife and marry Irina.
- Kuzakov is an inconspicuous and silent person, a friend of the protagonist. He is about thirty. This person is always depressed because of his problems, but does not share them with loved ones.
- Sayapin is a former classmate and friend of Victor. They also served together.
- Vera is a former lover of Zilov. Young, beautiful and well-groomed. Seeks to always look great.
- Dima is the waiter of the “Forget-Me-Not” bar, whose regular is Zilov.
These characters reveal the essence of the play. Their fates add up to a common plot. He is interesting and dramatic at the same time.
Plot
The performance “Duck Hunt” in the Ermolova Theater, according to the opinion of the audience, has an interesting plot. The main action of the play takes place over one day in the apartment of the protagonist.
It all starts on a rainy, hungover morning, when a boy with a funeral wreath appears in Zilov’s apartment. So his friends joked. Victor unsuccessfully tries to reach at least one of them, and then plunges into memories.
As a result of the pop-up pictures, we see the main character, entangled in his love relationships. He also does not believe in the sincerity of friends. To top it off, the hero is crushed by official troubles.
In the last memory, Zilov gathers friends in a cafe. He is already drunk and makes a scandal, exposing his guests. Everyone leaves, he calls Dima a lackey. The bartender hits Victor in the face. When Sayapin and Kuzakov return to take him away, Zilov lies under the table, “like a corpse,” as Kuzakov put it. Friends decide to play it the next day.
About the director's work
The premiere of the play “Duck Hunt” in the Ermolova Theater, according to the audience, was a real event. It took place on September 21, 2017. The director of the performance Eugene Marcelli approached the interpretation of the image of the protagonist in a new way, destroying all the usual stereotypes of the previous productions of this play.
He invited the young actor Ivan Yankovsky to the role of Zilov, turning a depressed, drunken intellectual, disappointed in life and himself, into a major.
This kid in adidas converse and pants is not sorry for anyone. He fools the head of a young student, openly betraying his wife with her, is rude to his former mistress and does not make friends penniless.
This is a young and impudent bastard, who from time to time covers himself with self-reflection. There is no use to him. The performance is riddled with irony. It is amazing that the text written half a century ago sounds very modern and relevant.
Reviews
Reviews and reviews "Duck Hunt" in the theater. Ermolova gets mixed. Critics note, first of all, the wonderful game of actor Ivan Yankovsky. At the age of 27, he perfectly feels this image. His transitions from the love of hatred, from the thirst for life to the desire to shoot himself very organically fit into the structure of the image.
Ivan plays Zilov, not disappointed in himself, even when he understands that he is doing badly. His hero believes that he has the right to do so, because around there are idiots who, in his opinion, are not capable of experiencing pain.
Critics point out other acting successes. K. Asmus (wife of Zilov) and D. Melnikov (his mistress) perfectly live the female drama - love without reciprocity. S. Kempo (Victor's friend) impeccably plays arrogant cynicism and sober calculation.
Considering reviews of the director's concept, it should be noted that not everything is clear here. Critics note that the director did not really try to change the signs of the times (for example, the phone in the play is old, wired), although the story of Zilov is clearly about today.
She is narrated to the accompaniment of “Berdman's” drums, which stand directly on the stage, and video cuts on huge screens. What is the connection between these methods is not clear. It is also unclear why the women of the main character in the finale appear on the stage in the form of witches - in red dresses, with huge hair and lipstick smeared on the face.
Viewers reviews
The performance “Duck Hunt” in the Ermolova Theater, according to the audience, is an ambiguous play. She receives statements from overtly negative, to enthusiastic.
One thing is clear - the performance has become a major event in the cultural life of the capital. It is definitely worth a look to make your own opinion about the play.
Having examined the plot and features of the play “Duck Hunt” in the Ermolova Theater, the reviews of critics and spectators, we can say about the ambiguous impression of visitors about the play. To make up your mind about this work, you definitely need to see the production.