The performance of the Voronezh theater "Potudan River", reviews of which will be presented in this article, was created based on the work of A. Platonov "In a beautiful and furious world." This is a play about love. The performance is presented in the form of an intimate conversation.
About staging
"Potudan River" is a play about which they most often do not talk about: joys and sorrows, uncomplicated family life, lonely old people, about the innermost relationship between lovers, about despair that cannot be hidden. The production retains the unique text of the work.
The main character Nikita returns from war to his beloved. This is a story about how two good people just warm each other with warmth and this helps them to overcome all difficulties. They do not know how to express their feelings eloquently, and they don’t need it.
Artists show the performance at a very close distance from the audience, which makes them play the roles as reliably as possible.
Designed by the artist Yuri Cooper. He is known throughout the world for his work. Its decorations are made in a minimalist style. And the production itself does not contain anything extraordinary and any stage metaphors. Everything rests on the acting.
Plot
"Potudan River" is a story about a young man named Nikita, who returned from the war to his native village. He walked along the Potudan River. The young man comes home, where he was met by his father, who knew nothing about the fate of his son and no longer hoped to see him alive. Nikita’s mother has already died, without waiting for him.
The next day, the guy meets his childhood friend Any. She graduated from high school and is studying to be a doctor. Young people remember childhood and how they were friends. Between them a relationship is struck. They care about each other. Young people are not alone, and they have only one chance to survive - it is to be together. But they do not possess worldly wisdom at all. Nikita never knew a woman, and this becomes a serious obstacle for him, he escapes from Lyuba. Soon the hero loses the ability to talk. Lyuba tried to drown herself in Potudani from grief, but she was saved. Nikita returns to her. In the ending of the play "Potudan River" the main characters find their happiness.
The premiere of the production took place in 2009. And in 2010, this performance became the winner of the Golden Mask.
Producer
The play "Potudan River" was staged by Sergei Zhenovach. In 1979, he graduated from the Institute of Culture of Krasnodar, the directing department. And in 1988 he studied at GITIS.
Over the years of his creative activity, Sergey staged the following performances:
- "Winter's Tale";
- "Players";
- "Warm heart";
- "Notes of the deceased";
- "Fools from Mayo";
- "Iolanthe";
- "Goblin";
- "Three years";
- "Illusion";
- "Noise and Fury";
- "Little comedies";
- "Brother Ivan Fedorovich";
- "King Lear";
- The White Guard;
- "Christmas Eve";
- "The thin family";
- "Pannochka";
- "A month in the village";
- "Notebooks" and others.
Repeatedly performances of Sergey Zhenovach became the winners of the Golden Mask Prize.
Spectator reviews
Spectators have different emotions about the play "Potudan River". Reviews of the play can be found both positive and negative. Many do not like the fact that the production uses minimal scenery: a wall covered with boards that is intersected by potholes of a curved shape, symbolizing the Potudan River. Other viewers, on the contrary, believe that this is an ideal design, as it does not distract from the plot and actors.
Many write that the performance is good, but does not cause enthusiasm. And although the director claims that the author’s text has been saved in the play, in fact it is practically not there. The final is not perceived by the end of the story. This opinion is expressed mainly by those viewers who read the play.
The audience, who did not read the work, was impressed by the production of S. Zhenovach. In their opinion, the scene shows a very sincere, pure love story, which is not loaded with unnecessary details.
There are those who believe that, although the performance was not perfect, the director is admirable, since the works of A. Platonov are not easy to stage.
An interesting move, according to the public, is to create the atmosphere of the time in which the performance takes place, even in the lobby. A harmonist plays there and everyone is treated to tea, lard, potatoes and brown bread.
Reviews about the actors
The play "Potudan River" reviews of the audience about the work of the actors receives mostly positive. Zhenovach artists are very eloquent in silence, expressing the feelings and emotions of their characters only with eyes and gestures. From time to time, they slide down to “mercy,” but, as if having caught on, they again rise to a high level of acting. The performer of Lyuba Maria Shashlova admires her game. She shows her character a pure and sincere girl who is looking for her happiness.
The artists, according to the public, have a difficult task. They need to establish such contact with the audience so that they feel with skin every gesture and look of the characters, understand all their experiences.