Theatrical finds: the play "The Canterville Ghost"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Since 2017, the play "The Canterville Ghost" has appeared on the poster of the St. Petersburg Theater for Young Spectators. Undoubtedly, it must be seen, especially since it is intended for viewers from twelve years old. It should also be remembered to remember the wonderful fairy tale by the Irish science fiction writer Oscar Wilde, and for someone to get to know her.

For those who remember the Soviet cartoon of the same name from childhood, this meeting will be an opportunity to compare not only a literary work and its stage incarnation, but also an animated version. And not so much in order to evaluate them, but in order to look into yourself: what feelings did I experience and how do they differ? What thoughts were born in my head under the influence of what I saw or read, was there a difference in perception, and most importantly, what conclusions and discoveries about myself and about my life did I make or did I make at all? What is the role in the play "The Canterville Ghost"Youth Theater?

From a fairy tale…

Talking about "high" without being sure that those with whom you are talking have read what is being said seems meaningless to me. So let's start with the plot.

According to O. Wilde's tale, an American mayor who moved to England chose a medieval castle bought from Lord Canterville as a residence for his family. The lord, being an honest and decent man, warned that a terrible ghost lives in the castle, which brought more than one person to the grave or a madhouse. However, this did not become an obstacle for the American to conclude a deal. So the large family of Hiram B. Otis settled in the old family castle of the Cantervilles.

Mr. Otis' family consisted of his wife, eldest son Washington, fifteen-year-old daughter Virginia, two twins, raised at Eton. And in the castle, the old housekeeper Mrs. Amney and the young Duke of Cheshire, who came to visit, joined their company.

When the new owners got to know the castle for the first time, a bloody stain was discovered in the dining room, which has long been a tourist attraction and curious citizens. Repeated attempts by Washington to destroy the spot only led to temporary success - in the morning the spot appeared again. And that's what's weird! Each time it was a different color. Even green and yellow.

The ghost of Simon Canterville, who killed his wife in this place in the 16th century and starved to death by her brothers, at the end of the 19th century, when the events of the fairy tale unfolded, still wandered restlessly around his former home. On dutyservice of a decent ghost, he frightened the inhabitants of the castle at night. But something went wrong with this family for old Simon: someone did not believe in ghosts at all, someone did not treat him with due respect and fear, and someone completely mocked him as best he could, which made the ghost suffer greatly. An attempt to find an ally in a strange ghost with a pumpkin head, of course, did not lead to success, but Simon added heavy feelings. Of all the Otis family, only kind Virginia felt sorry for the old ghost. It was she who was able to resist the evil spell and help Sir Simon retire.

To the play…

Now we can talk about Tyuz's interpretation of Wilde's tale. The director's decision to move away from the classical decision of the production is quite natural: convention and the use of symbols gives more opportunities for the viewer's imagination and reflection, does not dictate other people's thoughts to him. True, one still cannot find a grain of understanding why the Canterville castle suddenly became a place of pilgrimage for tourists, and, according to sensations, not with a very he althy psyche. And why suddenly the prim and ghost-fearing housekeeper - a neat old woman in a black silk dress, a white cap and an apron - became an ex alted and not quite normal mentally "ageless" lady, obsessed with material benefits from tours of the estate.

Understanding, according to children, something like filled bags instead of ponies, on which the young duke and Virginia jumped, dances that were not very clear and singing skills that were not very clean and attractiveactors. There is too much unjustified fuss and noise, and the events on the stage are more like a mental hospital. And why is the castle a closet?

All these questions, alas, remained unresolved. But let's consider it a fly in the ointment… or peculiarities of perception, if you like - the level of preparedness of the viewer.

Who is playing?

The play premiered at the Theater for Young Spectators in January 2017. In the newspapers about the play "The Canterville Ghost" by the Youth Theater, the reviews are very enthusiastic. Viktor Kramer's musical featured Soviet-era rock opera star Albert Asadullin as Mr. Simon.

The play features many young actors. Applicants for children's roles were selected especially carefully for the play "The Canterville Ghost": more than 150 young talents were reviewed. The only pity is that not every time there is an opportunity to attend a performance in which such amazing and bright performers as A. Asadullin, M. Sosnyakova, N. Ostrikov and others will be involved.

Music, lyrics, and dance numbers were written specifically for this version of the play "The Canterville Ghost" by the Youth Theater of St. Petersburg.

And other thoughts…

In any performance, the main thing is how the director's decisions and findings help to reveal the most fully and intelligibly the meaning, morality, moral lessons of the work, how the author can encourage the viewer to think, sympathize, empathize, draw conclusions.

The lead actor at the premiere of the play"The Canterville Ghost" People's Artist of Tatarstan, Honored Artist of the RSFSR A. Asadullin clearly defined the semantic component of the action:

This story is about mercy. This story is about how high pure feelings - love and faith - mercy - can work wonders.

No less important, according to the people of Tyuzov themselves, is how our past affects our future. How do the ghosts of our mistakes, failures, immoral acts correlate with our successful and happy being and aspirations. And then the comparison of the director of the castle-life, where ghosts live, with the life of each of us will no longer seem delusional.

Let's try to release the ghosts of the past who are tormented without our forgiveness, repentance and torment us. Let's let them go. This is one of the most important conditions that will allow us to create our present and future life with confidence and freedom.

And it will always turn out that there will be no place for mentally unstable people in the environment, and our life itself will not only be limited by the walls of the closet, but may well resemble a madhouse or a horror movie: