"Potudan river": the plot of the play, the creators, the audience reviews

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

The performance of the Voronezh theater "The 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 the production

"Potudan River" is a performance about what is most often not talked about: about joys and sorrows, unfinished family life, about lonely old people, about the innermost in relationships between lovers, about despair that cannot be hidden. The unique text of the work has been preserved in the production.

The main character Nikita returns from the war to his beloved. This is a story about how two good people simply warm each other with warmth and this helps them overcome all difficulties. They don't know how to express their feelings eloquently, and they don't need to.

The performance is shown by the artists at a very close distance from the audience, which makes them play the roles as authentically as possible.

Designed by artist Yuri Kuper. He is known throughoutthe world with their work. Its scenery is made in the style of minimalism. And the production itself does not contain anything extraordinary and any stage metaphors. It's all about acting.

Storyline

"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 had 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 their childhood and how they were friends. A relationship develops between them. They take care of each other. Young people are not alone, and they have only one chance to survive - 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 runs away from Lyuba. Soon the hero loses the ability to speak. Lyuba, out of grief, tried to drown herself in Potudan, but she was rescued. Nikita returns to her. In the finale of the performance "Potudan River" the main characters find their happiness.

The production premiered in 2009. And in 2010 this performance became the winner of the "Golden Mask".

Director

The play "Potudan River" was staged by Sergey Zhenovach. In 1979 he graduated from the Institute of Culture of Krasnodar, directing department. And in 1988 he studied atGITIS.

Over the years of his creative activity, Sergey has staged the following performances:

• Winter's Tale;
• "Players";
• "Hot Heart";
• Dead Man's Notes;
• Mayo Fools;
• "Iolanta";
• "Goblin";
• “Three years”;
• "Illusion";
• "The Sound and the Fury";
• "Little Comedies";
• "Brother Ivan Fedorovich";
• King Lear;
• White Guard;
• "The night before Christmas";
• "The seedy race";
• "Pannochka";
• "A month in the village";
• Notebooks and others.

Repeatedly performances by Sergei Zhenovach became the winners of the Golden Mask award.

Viewer feedback on the production

The performance "The Potudan River" evokes different emotions in the audience. Reviews about the performance can be found both positive and negative. Many people do not like the fact that minimal scenery is used in the production: a wall covered with boards, which is crossed by a crooked pothole, 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 delight. And although the director claims that the author's text is preserved in the performance, in fact there is practically none there. The ending is not perceived as the end of the story. This opinion is expressed mainly by those viewers who have read the play.

Public not readingwork, was strongly impressed by the production of S. Zhenovach. In their opinion, a very sincere, pure love story is shown on stage, which is not loaded with unnecessary details.

There are also those who believe that, although the performance was not perfect, the director is worthy of admiration, since the works of A. Platonov are not easy to stage.

An interesting move, according to the public, is the creation of the atmosphere of the time in which the performance takes place, even in the foyer. An accordionist plays there and everyone is treated to tea, lard, potatoes and black bread.

Reviews about actors

The performance "The Potudan River" receives mostly positive feedback from the audience about the work of the actors. The artists of Zhenovach are able to keep silent very eloquently, expressing the feelings and emotions of their characters only with their eyes and gestures. From time to time they slide down to "cuteness", but, as if recollecting themselves, rise again to a high level of acting skills. Luba's performer Maria Shashlova admires her performance. She shows her character as a pure and sincere girl who is looking for her happiness.

Artists, according to the public, have a difficult task. They need to establish contact with the audience so that they feel every gesture and look of the characters with their skin, understand all their experiences.