The history of the creation of this performance at the State Russian Drama Theater is unusual. Once the actress Sophia Stepanyants invited the director Natalia Laukert to get acquainted with the play "Sisters" by Andrey Vasiliev.
- An amazing thing, - Natalya Andreevna described. “By the way, Shakespeare in King Lear also exposed a terrifying family conflict, and the whole world took this work as a wise warning to elderly parents. Perhaps we should try to give Sisters on stage. After all, the theater should shake, stir up the soul, and the viewer comes to the temple of arts not only to have fun with the comedy story. But the ending of the play must be changed - it must be positive. I think the author would be grateful for such a turn in the fate of the sisters.
A summary of the play. Anna hates her younger sister because of a feeling of envy for the cheerful Olga, who did everything she did with ease. Envy and jealousy dried up Anna's heart. She drives her sister out of the house, leaving her homeless. She herself “does not live her own destiny” with a man taken away from Olga. It would seem that she has everything: a wonderful home, husband, children, a good profession. But she gradually “loses” herself and becomes disillusioned with life.
The conflict between the sisters escalated when Olga came many years later to claim her inheritance rights. An overly stormy showdown ended with the admission that they are the only two kindred souls in this world.
It was immediately clear that Anna would be played by Sofia Stepanyan. And who will play the role of the younger sister? Maybe Anastasia Zagorodneva? But Sophia and Anastasia are young actresses with no experience. And the play is for two roles, and the actresses must keep the audience in absolute tension for almost two hours. There was a huge risk of failure, because only folk artists could do this, and even then not everyone! But Sophia and Nastya did it.
The performance was very gratified by the pantomime, which was beautifully performed by Anastasia Balandina and Lyubov Emelyanova, staged by the choreographer Maya Pursiyanova. Both dancers wear masks of deception. Their figures rush about, expressing the inner state of the sisters. They seek to reach out to each other, but in vain. Pain, resentment, hatred are re-experienced.
Masks behave differently in the second act. They experienced the cleansing that a frank confession gave them. Now, with their plasticity, the figures express the love of two creatures, the most dear on this Earth, and as a result, they tear off the masks of deception from their faces.
And yet we wanted to ask director Natalia Laukert why she changed the author's ending.
- I think, - answered Natalya Andreevna, - that the future should remain with decent people. Any mistake and bad deed can be corrected by repentance.
