The legendary "Nesterka" and romantic premieres. The Kolas Theatre opens its season

The tour of the M. Gorky National Academic Drama Theatre became a kind of overture. The Minsk company showed two performances in Vitebsk based on plays by Italian playwrights – Pippa's "Viva Commedia!" and Goldoni's "The Innkeeper's Woman," which greatly pleased the theatergoers who missed acting during the summer holidays. Now it's the Kolas company's turn, which has prepared several premieres for its admirers.

Thus, this month the audience will see a new work by Russian director Yuri Pakhomov, known in Vitebsk as the author of several popular performances staged on the Kolas stage. The play is "Adult Children" based on the work of American playwright and screenwriter Leonard Gersh. It is aimed at young people who have recently become increasingly involved in theatrical art.

Also in the September program is the premiere of a romantic comedy based on the play by contemporary Belarusian playwright Sergey Girgel, "The Most Desired." Director Nina Obukhova invited the People's Artist of Belarus Tadeush Kokhtys to one of the main roles. This name, as well as the work of the actress, who recently received her directing education at the Academy of Arts, will undoubtedly attract the attention of the audience.

At the beginning of the theater year, there will be a benefit performance by the Honored Artist of Belarus Tatyana Likhacheva, who will play the main role in the play "The Curious Savage" on her birthday, September 24. And on the 27th, the leading stage master Yuri Tsvirko invites everyone to his 50th anniversary, where he will appear before his fans in the image of Zhivota Tsviyovich from Nušić's comedy "A Doctor of Philosophy."

September will conclude with another tour – the Minsk theater project Comedy-Art will present comedies based on the plays by Belarusian playwright Anatoly Delendik, "Woman as a Means of Communication" and "My Husband's Mistress."

And the Kolas Theater troupe will travel to the Belarusian capital for the "Fairy Tale Jam" festival with the children's play "Tryam! Greetings!". In October, the Vitebsk production "Chagall... Chagall..." will take part in the International Theater Festival in Lipetsk. In the same month, exchange tours will take place with the Belarusian Theater of Young Spectators and the Brest Academic Drama Theater.

The repertoire of the Kolas Theater will be replenished in 2017 with productions based on the plays by Shakespeare "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Gorky "The Last Ones". They will be directed by Mikhail Krasnobayev, who also intends to offer a new version of the play that was once staged at the Vitebsk theater - "Symon-Music". Moreover, this work by Yakub Kolas aspires to become the calling card of the theater named after this classic. Young audiences will have a chance to meet the fairy tale by Rodari "The Adventures of Cipollino".

From the latest news: the theater is expecting the arrival of the Minister of Culture of Belarus, Boris Svetlov, who may announce the name of the new artistic director of the troupe. For now, after Valery Anisenko left the theater, Mikhail Krasnobayev is acting as his replacement.

Tatyana Pasternak. Photos by Natalya RYAZHKOVA, from the archive of "Vitebsk News".