A Chronicle of the Shakespeare Year
The article presents an overview of theatrical and cultural events in Moscow aimed to honor the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birthday. The significance of the modern commemorative events is set against the historical background of a very low-key celebration in 1964. The author has reviewed three performances of the Moscow Shakespeare season, with each of them forming a certain aspect of Shakespeare's role in modern Russian theatre. ‘Measure for Measure' directed by Declan Donnellan at the Pushkin theatre is a stage version of one of Shakespeare's most complex plays. Donnellan has successfully resolved these complexities. He staged a sleek, no-nonsense performance, coldish and prim in a very British sense. Losing in depth, the performance surely wins in consistency. ‘Othello' directed by Yury Butusov at the Satiricon leaves behind the cynical and light-winged postmodern grotesque, snug and comfortable in the space devoid of sense. Instead, Butusov construes the performance as a tragedy - a rare guest on the modern stage. ‘Hamlet/Collage' directed by Robert Lepage at the Theatr Natsiy (Theatre of Nations) draws the audience into the whirlwind of fascinating metamorphoses. Sophisticated computer technologies sit side by side with something resembling a simple kaleidoscope. The performance, however, is not a cutting-edge gadget or an exhibit at a Silicon valley trade show, but rather an extremely condensed and tight space where the whole action and all the characters are cramped into.