Russian film producer Max Gorsky and leading theatre directors have warned that Russia faces a severe oversupply of drama graduates alongside a shortage of qualified talent.
Speaking to the Moscow City News Agency, Gorsky endorsed recent proposals by acclaimed actor Oleg Menshikov to reform the country's acting education system, noting that university output far exceeds available roles on stage and screen.
Menshikov, a People's Artist of Russia who serves as artistic director of Moscow's historic Yermolova Theatre on Tverskaya Street and teaches at the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS), previously proposed reducing the number of theatre universities in Russia to six or seven. He urged authorities to eliminate paid tuition and focus on training quality, pointing out that film and theatre projects absorb only 5 to 10 percent of the thousands of actors graduating each year.
Imbalance between graduate numbers and market needs
Gorsky said that while large numbers of drama graduates from regional institutions flood into Moscow hoping to launch their careers, many spend years attending auditions without securing work. He emphasized that the crisis stems not just from high graduate numbers, but from a fundamental mismatch between market supply and industry demand.
According to Gorsky, the entertainment sector suffers from a deficit of specific character types, strong professionals, and fresh faces. He noted that producers and streaming platforms heavily favor established stars to minimize commercial risks and streamline promotion, creating a market where the same actors play main roles for years.
The producer added that while entering the film industry was once constrained by a closed professional community, modern projects now frequently cast bloggers, social media personalities, and performers from other fields. While this allows producers to leverage pre-existing fan bases, it forces professionally trained young actors to compete against public figures with established media presence.
Gorsky stressed that simply reducing student intakes will not resolve the issue. Instead, he called for measures that help talented graduates enter the industry while strengthening regional theatre systems that face chronic staffing shortages.
Proposals to ban paid courses and restore placements
Kirill Krok, director of Moscow's Vakhtangov State Academic Theatre on Arbat Street, offered concrete reform proposals, urging an immediate ban on paid acting programs at non-specialized universities to prevent crippling the career prospects of young people.
Krok also advocated returning to a mandatory three-year regional job placement system for students whose university tuition is funded by the state budget. He explained that if a student receives state funding for their education, they should be obligated to work in their specialty for three years.
According to Krok, Moscow drama schools graduate at least 150 actors every year, yet barely 10 to 12 performers from a typical class of 30 manage to obtain positions in capital venues. He warned that while Moscow theatres remain overcrowded, regional venues suffer from severe shortages of talent, adding that actors without a permanent stage rapidly lose their public performance skills and professional abilities.
Casting directors back calls for system reform
Casting director and talent agent Anna Kevorkova also confirmed the severity of the crisis, welcoming Menshikov's statements and noting that she had wanted to publicly address the oversupply of actors for 15 years.
Kevorkova agreed that Russia faces a complete surplus of acting graduates, concluding that while vast numbers of young people aspire to enter the profession, their ultimate success depends heavily on the specific career paths they pursue.
