THE LEGACY of G. Ishaki IN THE REPERTOIRE OF MODERN TATAR THEATER
Gayaz Iskhaki (Gayaz Iskhaky) (1878-1954) was a figure of the Tatar national movement, an author, essayist, publisher, and politician, who gained extraordinary popularity among his contemporaries. The readers looked forward to every published work of his, despite the critical pathos of the author. Tatar theater companies were willing to put on his plays. G. Iskhaki’s journalism excited the minds of his contemporaries. However, in 1917-1987, his name at home was hushed up and undeservedly forgotten. Nowadays, the works of the writer have been published in fifteen volumes. The article systematizes material on the history of stage interpretations of Gayaz Iskhaki’s works in Tatar theater. We have revealed the contribution made by Tatar Directors Prasata Isanbet, Aydar Zabbarov and Renata Ayupova to the promotion of his works. The article analyzes in detail the performances “Тормышмы бу?” (“Would you call this a life?”) (directed by A. Zabbarov) and “Кәҗүл читек” (“Unusual ichigis” (directed by R. Ayupov) in terms of their literary source. In the course of the comparative analysis, the productions are examined against the original text, and the role of Russian literary traditions in the thematic and figurative world of the early Iskhaki are revealed. The article focuses on the image of the writer, shown in the play “Качаклар” (“Fugitives”), directedby I. Zayniev (2016).