Moscow Arts Theatre (МХАТ имени А.П. Чехова) (Moscow)

 

 

Kamergerskiy pereulok 3

Tel. 495) 629 8760/6748

Subway: Teatralnaya, Okhotnyy Ryad

 

 

Description of the Moscow Arts Theatre

Moscow Arts Theatre was formed in 1898 by a group of young enthusiastic actors under supervision of famous directors Konstantin Stanislavskiy and Vladimir Nemirovich- Danchenko. The Chekhov Moscow art theater was conceived as a place for naturalistic theater, in contrast to melodrama, which at that time was the dominant form of theater in Russia. The theater, the first of which regularly performed on screens implementing the Stanislavsky system, proved to be extremely influential in the acting world and in the development of modern world theater and drama.

 

The first performance at the Moscow art theater (МХАТ) took place in 1898. The theater was founded by a group of young enthusiasts led by Directors Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. The Moscow art Theater troupe was successful in staging Anton Chekhov's play "the Seagull" in its first year. In 1902, the architect Fyodor Shechtel completely restored the theater's interior, adding innovations such as a Central lighting box and a rotating stage. The audience was very small, so the audience was forced to focus on the performance. The Moscow art theater continued to flourish after the revolution, but the repertoire was restricted by state censorship. Most of the plays were written by Maxim Gorky, whose works were considered socially close to the cause of the revolution. The frustrations and compromises of this period were brilliantly satirized in the 1930s by Mikhail Bulgakov (who also worked as an assistant Director in the theater) in the novel "Theatrical romance". These problems continued, and in the 1980s part of the company moved to the Art theater. Bitter in the Tver Parkway. Today, the Moscow art theater hosts various productions, including many plays by Anton Chekhov.
 
 
History
Theater under Oleg Efremov (1987-2000)
The Moscow art theater of the USSR was created in 1987 after the signing of order No. 383 by the Minister of culture of the USSR Vasily Zakharov. According to this document, the theater was officially divided into two: the Maxim Gorky Moscow art theater on Tverskoy Boulevard under the direction of Tatyana Doronina and the Anton Chekhov Moscow art theater (two years after the division, it also bears the name of Gorky) in Kamergersky lane. The theater Director Oleg Efremov was appointed its head. In the same year, the premiere of the play "Pearl Zinaida", staged by Efremov, took place.

In 1989, the Moscow art theater was named after Chekhov. In 1996, by decree of the President of Russia, the theater was added to the list of cultural heritage sites in Russia. On June 16, 1997, the Russian Government established the theater's Charter and officially appointed Oleg Nikolayevich Efremov as the artistic Director of the Chekhov Moscow art theater.

On may 24, 2000, the theater's artistic Director Oleg Efremov died.

Oleg Tabakov theater (2000-2018)
In 2000, after Yefremov's death, actor Oleg Tabakov became the artistic Director of the Chekhov Moscow art theater. He decided to assemble a new troupe and update the repertoire with productions of classic works: "the White guard", "hamlet", "the Cherry orchard", "Messrs. Golovlevs", "King Lear", "Tartuffe", "Ivanov", "Vassa Zheleznova", "Marriage", "zoykin's apartment".

In 2001, a new stage of the theater was opened at 3 Kamergersky lane, which is intended for experimental productions. In 2004, the theater removed the word "academic" from its name and became the Moscow Art theater (MHT). In 2006-2007, on the initiative of Oleg Tabakov, a large-scale reconstruction of the main stage and hall was carried out, making the Moscow art theater one of the most technically equipped theaters in the world: in the process of work, the upper and lower stage mechanisms, sound and lighting equipment were updated.

In 2010, the Moscow art theater ordered the production of a commemorative medal for the 150th anniversary of Chekhov. The award was issued in a limited edition and was presented to outstanding cultural figures of Russia and foreign countries for their personal contribution to the development of art, preserving the memory of Chekhov's work.

Back in August 1998, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov signed an order to erect a monument to Chekhov dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Moscow art theater. Designed by people's artist of the USSR Mikhail Anikushin, the monument was installed in Kamergersky lane opposite the theater. In September 2014, at the initiative of Tabakov, a monument to the founders of the Moscow art theater Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko and Konstantin Stanislavsky, created by architect Alexey Morozov, was unveiled in front of the theater building in Kamergersky lane. The monument is a two-figure composition with a stele on a pedestal. At the bottom of the stele is a plaque with a Latin inscription: translation of the beginning of Chekhov's Nina Zarechnaya's monologue " People, lions, eagles and partridges, horned deer... "from the play"the Seagull". In 2006, the theater financed the installation of a memorial plaque on the house 5/7 in Glinishchevsky lane, where people's artist of the USSR mark Isaakovich Prudkin, who worked in the theater for 75 years, lived.

To mark the anniversary of Konstantin Stanislavsky in 2012, with the support of the Ministry of culture, the Internet project " Heritage of the Art theater. Electronic library». The books of the Moscow art theater school-Studio, as well as TV and film versions of performances, series of TV programs that were shown on the Kultura TV channel in 1990-2000, were made publicly available.

On March 12, 2018, the theater's Director and artistic Director Oleg Tabakov died.

On October 26, 2018, a bust of Oleg Tabakov was unveiled in the theater's foyer.

Sergei Zhenovach theater (since 2018)
By order of the Minister of culture of March 23, 2018, Sergey Vasilyevich Zhenovach was appointed Director and artistic Director of the theater from April 23, 2018.