Dear friends,

We would like to offer you a recording of a TV program «Who is there ...» that aired on «Russia Culture» TV channel on May 28. Vadim Vernik talks about the actress of the Maly Theatre Daria Novoseltseva.

«We talk about people who are already popular and famous and about those who just stepped on to their creative path, but whose very first steps were bright enough. Each of them had his or her own starting point. Well-known artists are trying to recollect how it all started, and as for the young stars, we are trying to record their first steps, their first attempts at career success, hoping that you will remember these names…»

The Maly Theatre is not called the «House of Ostrovsky» for nothing. The Maly Theatre produces one or two new plays by the great Russian playwright every year that immediately become the theatre’s specialty. Every year it is a great challenge since it is rather hard to reinvigorate Ostrovksy's masterpieces with modern touches. Has Vladimir Dragunov succeeded in bringing fresh perspective on Russian everlasting classics? By Anastasia Egorova.

«Talents and Admirers» premiered on December 20, 1881, in the Maly Theatre. The new production, directed by Vladimir Dragunov is a reconsidered story of an ambitious, talented provincial actress with a focus on modern society and its problems.

«This play touches upon some really important issues, such as soul searching. In my opinion trying to find the meaning of your existence, your destiny and achieving inner harmony in a world at a crossroads with a shifted moral compass, where everything is bought and sold are especially relevant today. How do you know what path to take? » - reflects director Vladimir Dragunov.

The search for the right path begins with the platform. The first scene starts with the railway station setting. And this image accompanies the actors until the finale of the play as a symbol of revery, disorderly life and vanity. According to the director, set designer and composer, the station life becomes the standard of living.

The main character, a young actress Negina runs away with a wealthy admirer Velikatov in pursuit of fame and a better life. The director of the production is convinced that she is an utterly modern character. Negina in Dragunov’s production is performed by a young actress Daria Novoseltseva. It is her first major role.

«Our director Vladimir Dragunov kept on reminding me that Negina is a character. And he says that there are no warm and fuzzy talented people, they have to be strong willed and steel-hearted. If they don’t like something, they will speak out, defend their point of view, their own identity. And it is quite challenging not to be scared of going into such a complicated and ambiguous character, »explains Daria Novoseltseva.

The characters who described in Ostrovsky’s play as «old-style» and «middle-aged», in Dragunov’s production are played by young people, who wanted to combine people of different generations on one stage.

«When we approached this play, these characters, we studied a lot of texts, because Ostrovsky himself adored artists, he loved artists, loved the theatre and, probably, I do not want to affirm that,but it seems to me that Narokov was inspired by Ostrovsky himself», says Aleksandr Ermakov, who portrays Narokov, an assistant director.

«This is a play with a large human volume», says Dragunov about «Talents and Admirers». We produced it quickly – within two months. We wanted to share it with the audience to unburden the mind.