Alla Dovlatova – about modern theater, unusual roles and a new performance

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I was very happy with this offer, having learned who my stage partners are, who is the author of the play, who is the director and, in fact, which theater took up this production, – Dovlatova says about the play “If you don’t like it, I’ll leave!”. Every person in our business has a reputation. Vitya Loginov is a great partner, a great professional, Olga Vladimirovna Volkova is a great actress and just my idol, Andrei Maksimkov, in my opinion, is one of the coolest directors, an outstanding author, my idol from my youth, with whom I always dreamed of working! And, of course, the Anton Chekhov Theater is famous for its wonderful performances. The fact that the author of the production is Semyon Teodorovich Altov, beloved by all of us, a master of the pen, a virtuoso of a humorous style, speaks for itself. In addition, this play has never been staged. In a word, everything worked out! Even before I had time to read the play, I was already internally with them, with all this team, and when I read it, I simply fell in love with my roles, and realized that with such a director as Andrey Maksimkov, you can make a real … benefit performance.

You have to play not one, but five roles at once in one production! How does it feel?

When you have the opportunity to play five different roles in one performance, create five characters and images, it is extremely interesting. The more difficult the actor’s task, the more interesting it is for the artist to realize it, and I am also delighted with this. And, of course, Andrei (Maksimkov — approx. ed.) helps me a lot to reveal the characters of my heroes and sometimes even gives “devices” for this. Olga Vladimirovna also suggests, suggests: “Try it this way!”. Happiness — rehearse with people like my colleagues in the play “Don’t Like It — I’ll leave!”

Some artists don’t like to rehearse, but I can say that I really enjoy rehearsing with these people, because it’s really a great success. — to be in such a creative team.

In your opinion, what kind of theater does the audience need today?

I think society needs good comedies the most right now. This is my feeling. Why? Yes, because it’s hard, people are stressed, they are very worried, we live in a very difficult time, and sometimes you need to be distracted. The theater has always been an outlet, and even during the Great Patriotic War, theaters were not closed. People had to come to the auditorium and let go of their thoughts a little, allow themselves other emotions, otherwise you could go crazy. Therefore, we need good good comedies, after watching which, a person can relax a little, laugh. For example, recently my youngest daughter Masha and I were at the play of the Anton Chekhov Theater “Dinner with a Fool”, and we laughed, and the whole audience laughed, and Masha later told me: “Why did you say that this is an adult performance? He’s so funny !”. And there was, by the way, not a single empty seat, which confirms: good humor — right now is exactly what the public needs.

What is the main idea, the idea that the performance will bring to the public?

The main message of our performance is that you should never despair. In any case, you have two choices, even if you were eaten. (smiling) Everything in life comes to us on time, and my heroines are waiting for that very “own” hour. Ah, a man showed up and then slipped out — no problem: another will come. One of the heroines cooks well: if there was food, and with whom to eat it together — there will always be. Another heroine — a good doctor: if there is a cure, there will always be a patient. None of the women loses hope that everything in her life will turn out well in the end, and she will meet a man with whom she will continue to have more fun. And the main character himself, even when he is completely desperate, just meets the one he has been looking for all his life. And, of course, a happy ending — this is what we need: we want a happy ending for the events of our own lives, and in the proposed life situations, and, of course, on the stage. And our performance confirms that this happy ending will certainly happen!

Do you like such an approach to life as your heroines have? If you didn’t like it — are you leaving?

My characters are completely different. They, on the contrary, sit and catch on live bait. (smiling) And the principle “do not like — I’ll leave” — this is directly about the hero Viti Loginov. And I prefer to live just like this: if you don’t like something in some relationship, you don’t have to wait and endure — gotta leave. Life is one, and it is not cool to be victims in it. (Laughs) Either you endure or you are happy. I choose happiness!