This is the first line from the famous poem by A.S. Pushkin "Poet". Today we will talk about poets. The poem needs to be analyzed in detail, this is a very important text when the poet speaks about the essence and source of poetic inspiration. Since I am not a humanist, then, due to my meager understanding, I will use an authoritative source and state it as best I can. So here is the first part of the poem:
Until it requires a poet
To the sacred sacrifice of Apollo,
In the cares of vain light
He is cowardly immersed;
Silent him holy lyre;
The soul tastes a cold dream,
And among the children of the insignificant world,
Perhaps he is the most insignificant
Two things must be noted here. First, Pushkin says that a poet is a priest who makes sacrifices to Apollo. And he sacrifices himself. Apollo is the leader and patron of the Muses, who, according to ancient Greek mythology brought to him by his own aunts, in addition, Apollo is a god-healer, a soothsayer, personifying the rational principle, as opposed to the sensual, emotional, Dionysian principle. Apollo and Dionysus symbolize the opposite of the heavenly and earthly principles, respectively. And Pushkin connects his poetic inspiration precisely with Apollo and the Muses:
... In those days in the mysterious valleys,
In spring, with the cries of swans,
Near the waters shining in silence
The Muse began to appear to me.
The second is that while this channel between the poet and the divine principle is in a closed state, then the poet, as it were, is not a poet, but the last among equals - "perhaps he is the most insignificant of all." Therefore, those who like to throw mud at Pushkin's life, he deceived his wife, drank and walked, lost at fortune cards, etc. and so on. I can only say one thing. Pushkin the poet is not identical to Pushkin the man. Here is a quote from Alexander Sergeevich himself on this issue:
« We know Byron enough. They saw him on the throne of glory, they saw him in the torment of a great soul, they saw him in a coffin in the middle of resurrecting Greece. - You want to see him on the ship. The crowd eagerly reads confessions, notes, etc., because in their meanness they rejoice at the humiliation of the high, the weaknesses of the mighty. At the discovery of any abomination, she is delighted. He is small like us, he is vile like us! You lie, scoundrels: he is both small and vile - not like you - otherwise.»
So the presence of this channel is a divine gift that distinguishes the poet from ordinary person. And when the channel opens, a miracle happens:
But only divine verb
Touches the sensitive ear,
The soul of the poet will tremble,
Like an awakened eagle.
He yearns in the amusements of the world,
Human is alienated by rumors,
At the feet of the national idol
Does not bow a proud head;
He runs, wild and stern,
And sounds and confusion is full,
On the shores of desert waves
In the noisy oak forests...
Roughly speaking, we can say that Pushkin's poet is such a receiver, tuned to the frequency of Apollo. And when the receiver catches the “divine verb” (what is called inspiration), he transforms it and gives out verses, that is, something expressed in human language and therefore understandable to people. And not just understandable, but causing a lively response. At these moments, the poet does not notice everything earthly or avoids it. In a certain sense, an analogy can be drawn between a poet and a prophet. Prophets also have the ability to capture the messages of the divine and broadcast it to the people:
Spiritual thirst tormented,
In the gloomy desert I dragged myself
...
Like a corpse in the desert I lay,
And God's voice called to me:
“Arise, prophet, and see, and listen,
Fulfill my will
And, bypassing the seas and lands,
Burn people's hearts with the verb"
Since we are talking about Greek mythology, we need to say a few words about the ancient Greeks themselves. So that Pushkin's lines do not look like a metaphor or an artistic image, divorced from reality. In Plato's dialogue Ion, Socrates says of poets that they are divinely inspired:
« Here, in my opinion, God showed us everything more clearly, so that we would not doubt that these beautiful creations are not human and do not belong to people, but that they are divine and belong to the gods, poets are nothing but transmitters of the gods, each possessed by the god who will take possession of him. To prove this, God deliberately sang the most beautiful song through the lips of the weakest poet. Do you think I'm wrong, Jon?»
Socrates himself, speaking in court before the Athenians, who accused him of godlessness, said that from childhood he heard a voice that gave him advice:
« It may seem strange in this case that I give advice only in private, bypassing everyone and interfering in everything, but I do not dare to speak publicly in the assembly and give advice to the city. The reason for this is what you have often and everywhere heard from me: something divine or demonic happens to me, over which Melit laughed in his denunciation. It started with me from childhood: a kind of voice arises that every time deflects me from what I intend to do, but never persuades me to anything. It is this voice that forbids me to engage in public affairs. And, in my opinion, he does well what he forbids. Rest assured, Athenians, that if I tried to engage in public affairs, I would have perished long ago and would not have benefited either myself or you..»
and further: " But why do some people like to spend a lot of time with me? You have already heard, Athenians - I told you the whole truth - that they like to hear how I test those who consider themselves wise, although in reality they are not. It's very funny indeed. And to do this, I repeat, was entrusted to me by God both in divination and in dreams, and in general in all ways that divine determination has ever been revealed and entrusted to fulfill something to a person.»
Socrates, being engaged in philosophy, thereby fulfills the divine will, in a sense, becoming like Pushkin's prophet - he burns with a verb. Not hearts, but minds, but it doesn’t matter: Socrates is the largest figure in antiquity. After passing the death sentence, Socrates says, among other things:
« With me, judges - I can justly call you judges - something amazing happened. In fact, before all the time, the prophetic voice usual for me was constantly heard by me and kept me even in unimportant cases, if I intended to do something wrong, but now, when, as you yourself see, something happened to me that everyone would recognize - and so it is considered - the worst disaster, a divine sign did not stop me, not in the morning when I left the house, nor when I entered the courthouse, nor during all my speech, whatever I was about to say. After all, before, when I said something, it often stopped me in mid-sentence, but now, while the trial was going on, it never once stopped me from a single act, not a single word. How can I understand this? I will tell you: perhaps all this happened for my good, and, apparently, the opinion of all those who think that death is evil is wrong. I now have a great proof of this: after all, it cannot be that the habitual sign would not stop me if I intended to do something bad..»
Socrates dies, and in the sentence he sees the divine will. The authority of Socrates as a philosopher, and the authority of his student Plato, who wrote down the teacher's words, is undeniable. It is unlikely that Socrates is telling a lie about the voice that accompanied him. There are many cases of similar advice received by Socrates from his voice (daimon). In some situations, having obeyed the voice, Socrates survived, unlike his comrades. Iamblichus states that Pythagoras also had the ability to hear the divine (the music of the spheres):
« This man himself organized and prepared himself for the perception not of the music that arises from playing strings or instruments, but, using some inexpressible and difficult to comprehend divine ability, he strained his hearing and fixed his mind on the highest harmonies of the world order, listening ( as it turned out, he alone possessed this ability) and perceiving the universal harmony of the spheres and the luminaries moving along them and their consonant singing (some kind of song, more sonorous and soulful than the songs of mortals!), resounding because the movement and circulation of the luminaries, which is composed from their noises, speeds, magnitudes, positions in the constellation, on the one hand, unequal and diversely different from each other, on the other hand, ordered in relation to each other by a certain musical proportion, is carried out in the most melodic way and at the same time with a remarkably beautiful variety. (66) Feeding his mind from this source, he ordered the verb inherent in the mind, and, so to speak, for the sake of exercise, he began to invent for the disciples some similarities as close as possible to all this, imitating the heavenly sound with the help of instruments or singing without musical accompaniment. For he believed that he alone of all those living on earth understood and heard cosmic sounds, and he considered himself capable of learning something from this natural universal source and root and teaching others, creating with the help of research and imitation of the likeness of celestial phenomena, since only he alone was so happily created with the divine beginning growing in him.»
It turns out that not only poets and prophets, but also philosophers have a connection with the divine. Pushkin's words about the divine verb are not exclusively an artistic image or a figure of speech. This is a tradition that comes from antiquity. In Egyptian Nights, Pushkin describes the moment of inspiration in more detail:
« But already the improviser felt the approach of God... His face turned terribly pale, he shook as if in a fever; his eyes sparkled with a wonderful fire; he lifted his black hair with his hand, wiped his high forehead, covered with drops of sweat».
And here, as if repeating the words from a letter to Vyazemsky, he narrates how an Italian improviser in ordinary earthly life is petty and greedy.
There are examples when such inspiration was observed among the generals - Publius Scipio Africanus and Joan of Arc. Leaving aside the hypotheses that these were forms of a mental disorder, we can confidently say that if it were only a disorder, it would hardly Scipio or D'Arc were able to turn history around, and they obviously turned it around.As Appian, Polybius and other ancient authors testify, Scipio was repeatedly guided by divine revelations in battles and plans of operations. Modern people, armed with scientific knowledge, such an approach may seem naive and even ridiculous, but the ancient Greeks, and even more so the Romans (who retained their piety and religiosity when fashionable atheism ruled everywhere in Greece) reverently perceived such cases of divine intervention, and the lucky ones, involved in the secret of communication with other worlds, respected and revered.
Returning to the poets, we can confidently assert that the poets (and not rhymers, coupletists and similar artisans) are in contact with Apollo, the Muses. Alexander Blok speaks about this especially clearly and in detail. He argued that poets draw inspiration from constant communication with "other worlds." Speaking of his travels through these worlds, he writes:
« The reality I have described is the only one that gives meaning to life, the world and art for me. Either those worlds exist or they don't. For those who say “no”, we will remain just “so-so decadents”, writers of unprecedented sensations ... For myself, I can say that if I ever had, then the desire to convince someone of the existence of that that is beyond and above myself; I dare to add, by the way, that I would most humbly ask you not to waste time on misunderstanding my verses, the most respected public, for my verses are only a detailed and consistent description of what I am talking about in this article.»
Blok argues that poets are mediators between other worlds and our reality: “ We do not yet have any other means than art. Artists, as messengers of ancient tragedies, come from there to us, into a measured life, with the stamp of madness and fate on their faces.»
What Pushkin speaks of allegorically, Blok describes in plain text as a reality given to him (and to poets in a broad sense) in sensations. Novella Matveeva says roughly the same thing:
Matveeva is not Ancient Greece or Russian empire where religiosity was the norm. This is the USSR with its atheism and scientific communism. Poets come from somewhere, don't they? And they bring something with them, since they can update words and objects, and most importantly, they can solve damned questions. Since we have already quoted Pythagoras with his music of the spheres, I will give one more quote from Blok:
« At the bottomless depths of the spirit, where a person ceases to be a person, at the depths inaccessible to the state and society created by civilization - sound waves are rolling, like waves of ether, embracing the universe; rhythmic fluctuations go on there, similar to the processes that form mountains, winds, sea currents, flora and fauna».
I repeat once again that it is a mistake to consider the sounds described by Blok as some kind of allegory. Blok says that a poet is not one who writes poetry. On the contrary, he writes poetry precisely because he is a poet. A poet is one who joins the sound element of the universe. And in this sense, Scipio, and Socrates, and Pythagoras were poets. The question of what kind of element this is and how to join it remains open for now...
Bobrovnikova T. A. "African Scipio" Moscow 2009 Chapter 4, "Chosen of the Gods"
Pushkin A.S. "Eugene Onegin", Chapter VIII
Pushkin A.S. Letter to P.A. Vyazemsky, second half of November 1825 From Mikhailovsky to Moscow
Pushkin A.S. "Prophet"
Plato's "Apology of Socrates"
Iamblichus "Life of Pythagoras" chapter XV
Polybius "History" X, 2, 9
Records of the indictment of Joan of Arc (
The poem "Poet" is one of the brightest examples of Pushkin's works on the theme of "poet and poetry".
The poem consists of two parts, which compositionally designate two different states of the poet: the first - before inspiration visits him, and - the second - after. In the first part, we are presented with the appearance of a completely ordinary person, "cowardly" immersed in the "cares of the vain world." His "lyre" is silent, the soul "tastes a cold sleep." Pushkin puts his hero even below other "children of the insignificant world." However, in the second part, a completely different picture appears before us. Awakened inspiration completely changes the face of the poet. His soul, like an eagle, awakens, he is no longer satisfied with the "amusements of the world", he is not interested in "human rumor", he becomes "wild and harsh", he moves away from the world, "full of sounds and confusion" to give vent to his inspiration and create poetry.
Despite the fact that the poem and the ideas embodied in it in many ways outwardly resemble the views of the romantics, Pushkin's views on the purpose of the poet and poetry are fundamentally different from them. And the main difference is that Pushkin does not consider the poetic gift as a merit of the individual, as a manifestation of the exclusivity of the individual. Individualism is alien to his philosophy. According to Pushkin, poetic talent is only a divine gift, and the poet is the conductor of the "divine verb" in our world. In this sense, the poet is a servant of God, and for him at the moment of making a "sacred sacrifice" only "a voice from above" sounds. For him, the rest of the world ceases to exist, "folk idols" have no power over him. But this is not a seal of "God's chosenness" or some kind of exclusivity. A poet is only a person who has a more sensitive ear than other people. And his freedom consists in consciously following his calling, reminding people of the divine soul contained in them, of the beauty of the world and of the good that they are called to do. And the poet pays for this freedom with the highest measure, sometimes even with his life. For Pushkin, this is one of central ideas his creativity. Ideas similar to those expressed in the poem "The Poet" are repeated almost verbatim in other works, for example, in "Egyptian Nights". Improviser - in Everyday life a person is “insignificant” (the scene of greedy recalculation of money by him) - in moments of inspiration he feels “the approach of God”. In this regard, Cleopatra (about whom the improviser composes a poem) acts as a kind of symbol of this divine inspiration, the Muse, which gives the poet divine power over the world. However, for this ability to see God, the poet pays the highest price. But he is ready for this, because only inspiration, unity with God, which the poet experiences at such moments, are real, true life for him.
To give more expressiveness to the language, Pushkin in the poem "The Poet" uses such figurative means, as metaphors (“cares of the vain world”, “cold dream”), comparisons (“the poet’s soul will start up like an awakened eagle”), epithets (“holy lyre”, “proud head”, “broad-noisy oak forests”), personifications (“ the lyre is silent", "the soul tastes a cold sleep").
So, the poem "The Poet" reflected one of the central concepts of Pushkin's work, his idea of the true purpose of the poet and poetry, of the divine, primordial goodness of the world and the beauty of life in all its manifestations - joy, suffering, short moments of supreme enlightenment and even death.
Poet! do not value the love of the people.
Enthusiastic praise will pass a moment's noise;
Hear the judgment of a fool and the laughter of the cold crowd,
But you remain firm, calm and gloomy.
You are the king: live alone. By the road of the free
Go where your free mind takes you,
Improving the fruits of your favorite thoughts,
Not demanding rewards for a noble feat.
They are in you. You are your own highest court;
You know how to appreciate your work more strictly.
Are you satisfied with it, demanding artist?
Satisfied? So let the crowd scold him
And spits on the altar where your fire burns
And in childish playfulness your tripod shakes.
Analysis of the poem "To the Poet" by Pushkin
Pushkin repeatedly referred in his work to the role of the poet in society. Early poems were characterized by recognition of the leading role of the poet, his civic vocation. The poet acted as an angry orator, scourging social vices and calling for justice. After the suppression of the Decembrist uprising, Pushkin experienced great disappointment in society. He realized that the majority is incapable of understanding high ideals. The poet is acutely aware of his loneliness. This feeling intensified after the attacks of reactionary critics, who previously gave Pushkin loud praise. The poet had a particularly sharp controversy with Bulgarin (editor of the Northern Bee). Pushkin's response to critical remarks was the poem "To the Poet" (1830).
The author refers to a fellow writer. This appeal can be considered Pushkin's conversation with himself. In it, he expresses his main views on the fate of the poet. From the very beginning, the author declares the inconstancy of people's love. Stormy delight and glory can suddenly give way to misunderstanding and ridicule. Moreover, the poet himself will not be to blame for this. The "judgment of a fool", who is respected in society, can dramatically affect the changeable human opinion. By calling the crowd "cold," Pushkin means that it cannot have any firm convictions. The mass of people is not characterized by an independent judgment, it obeys the call of its leaders, who are most often guided by their own interests. The poet is given a free character by nature. He should be indifferent to negative statements and follow only his convictions (“stay firm, calm”).
Pushkin compares the poet to a tsar who controls the whole world. All paths and roads are open before him. The poet should not expect a worthy reward for his work. His reward is his own creativity, which can only be appreciated by the poet himself. If he himself is satisfied with his work, then the crowd can react as they like, even "spit on the altar" of the poet.
In the poem "To the Poet" Pushkin is one of the first in Russian literature to assert the intrinsic value of creativity. A poet or writer, creating another work, spends a huge amount of energy, invests his own soul. Therefore, the result in any case has significant value. Only the creator himself knows about its magnitude, but not the reader. Any opinion will be subjective and far from the true meaning.
Until it requires a poet
To the sacred sacrifice of Apollo,
In the cares of vain light
He is cowardly immersed;
His holy lyre is silent;
The soul tastes a cold dream,
And among the children of the insignificant world,
Perhaps he is the most insignificant of them all.
But only the divine word
It touches the sensitive ear,
The soul of the poet will tremble,
Like an awakened eagle.
He yearns in the amusements of the world,
Human is alienated by rumors,
At the feet of the national idol
Does not bow a proud head;
He runs, wild and stern,
And full of sounds and confusion,
On the shores of desert waves
In broad-noisy oak forests…
Analysis of the poem "Poet" by Pushkin
A. S. Pushkin throughout his life was interested in the theme of the purpose and meaning of the poet's activity. He devoted more than one poem to this issue. In 1827, Pushkin again returns to this theme in the work "The Poet". It is traditionally believed that the immediate reason for writing was the poet's arrival in Mikhailovskoye. Pushkin replaced the noisy social life in Moscow with rural solitude, immediately feeling a powerful surge of inspiration.
The work does not contain Pushkin's traditional calls to fulfill civic duty and grandiloquent words about the poet's great mission. He simply reflects on the different states of a creative person. Accordingly, the poem is clearly divided into two parts.
The first part describes the poet in a state of peace of mind. Until he feels the divine touch of the Muse, secular laws rule over him. The poet is "cowardly immersed" in the traditional entertainments of his society: balls and masquerades. Pushkin is quite self-critical in assessing such a state. He believes that during this period the poet is "the most insignificant", since he was born completely for another. Like the empty people around him, the poet goes against his nature.
The second part is devoted to the transformation of the poet under the influence of the “divine verb” he heard, symbolizing inspiration. It completely covers the poet's soul, turning it into an "awakened eagle". Secular entertainment instantly becomes useless fuss for him. He rises above the crowd, indifferently looking at the "national idol" revered by all. Contempt for stupid society makes the poet seek solitude in wild and desert places. In the bosom of virgin nature, he can calmly pick up his "holy lyre" and express in words and sounds the creative ideas that overwhelm him.
Despite criticizing the poet's calm state, Pushkin admits that inspiration cannot be evoked artificially. The "divine verb" visits a person randomly, it can happen at any moment. The poet can only not miss this state of mind. Trying to drown out inspiration in yourself will be a real crime.
It is worth noting that the poem "Poet" very accurately conveys the peculiarity creative activity Pushkin. During periods when the poet was in a secular society, he was more interested in amusements and courtship of women. Pushkin's creative activity dropped significantly. Moving to the village (suffice it to mention the famous Boldin autumns), great poet with incredible speed he created his best works.
In the theatre, Vakhtangov said, there should be no everyday life. After all, for the viewer, every exit to the theater is a holiday. But there are special days in the theater for those who work in it. These are premieres, anniversaries of artists and performances.
When a performance reaches its 100th performance, it is usually celebrated solemnly. They issue a special poster, where the number “100” stands against the name of everyone who played all the performances without exception. The director, the author is called on the stage; they are applauded by both the audience and the actors ...
...into one of spring days The 100th performance of Dynyaev's play "Memorable Flight" was given at the Shchepkin Theater. Especially for this occasion, the author came, who spent his student years in their city.
There were many actors in the hall. The studio members of Talanova also came. When an elderly, elegantly dressed man appeared in the aisle, accompanied by Zotov, Anton guessed:
Is this Dinyaev? It seems that you can easily approach me like that ... I have long wanted to talk with a real playwright.
Come and ask if there is anything, - Galanova said calmly.
But this is arrogance!
- Insolence - unjustified courage. If you need, try to arrange a meeting. Demand, they say, is not a problem.
The guys were sure that Anton would not dare. However, during the intermission, he seized the moment when the playwright was left alone, and resolutely approached.
Alexey Savelievich, excuse me, I am a student of this theater ...
Are you going to become an actor?
No... playwright...
Really?! And what?
I wanted to consult ... to talk ...
About what?
From the clamp, Anton suddenly answered with a line from Mayakovsky: - “About our handicraft!”
And since such a bold answer was not prepared, the famous interlocutor took these words quite seriously.
Well... That's the thing... But what if you combine the pleasant with the useful? For example, tomorrow afternoon... I want to wander around the city, remember my youth. What time are you working until?
Up to two.
Me too. We'll meet at the theater at two-thirty. Is it okay?
...At the appointed hour, Anton was approaching the theatre. From the other side of the square, Dynyaev was slowly walking towards him. The conversation began somehow immediately, without an approach and on-duty questions.
“But, you know, I think so too,” the playwright spoke up, as soon as they came abreast and walked side by side. Well, of course,
“Guilty without guilt,” remember, Neznamov defiantly says to Kruchinina: “Do you consider your occupation an art or a craft?” And Pushkin - Salieri: "I put the craft at the foot of art." The dabbler thinks he's engaged pure art, and the professional knows: until you sharpen the key on a craft machine, the gates to art cannot be unlocked. Where exactly would you like to start?
Most of all I want to know what is inspiration?
Oh colleague! - Dynyaev exclaimed without any irony. - It would be better to finish with this. For the writers, there is no question more mysterious.
I still can't say that I know from experience... But I also experienced: it happens, you sit and you sit - it's okay, otherwise - once it worked out. I have looked in books about it. One says: do not get up from the table until you achieve it. And the poet - I don’t remember who - assures: stop, don’t suffer, Apollo will remember you himself ...
Poets, you see whether - people special. They have. indeed. sometimes it all depends on intuition. And then ... A real poet is always a hard worker ... And as for our brother ... However, you should not force yourself - you will not get anything except disgust for work. And at the same time, how does every professional work? Purposefully. Therefore, he is guided not only by inspiration, but also by will.
The playwright spoke in such a way that Anton felt completely liberated. He only tried to ask questions that would not chill the interlocutor.
How do you measure your daily work? Hours or pages?
Strictly speaking, our work is not measured by either. You can sit for five hours without writing a line, and this does not mean that the time has passed in vain. And it is possible during the same time to "roll" instead of the prescribed two - ten pages, but ruin the play. And at the same time, one has to measure both in hours and in pages, if we add one more criterion - quality: "Today I did not write anything, but I understood something important for myself." That's enough. Or: "I wrote one good page in a day."
And you are always objective to yourself, you know unmistakably whether it turned out well or badly?
Unfortunately no. But from an empty writer - a graphomaniac - the writer differs only in one thing: criticality towards himself. In some case, I may be mistaken, but in principle I am obliged to have a literary ear: this is a good page, and that one is junk. How can I explain this? .. You always feel more or less: cold, warm or hot.
Do you work certain hours?
- Mostly. If I'm not mistaken, the theater tries not to schedule rehearsals from three to six. From what? During these hours, the actor's body is used to resting between rehearsal and performance.
Reflex! Although the grass does not grow, and at ten in the morning I am at my desk - my creative nature adapts and even requires it. One day in the midst of work circumstances
they forced me to leave the house - such an internal storm seized me that I wanted to tear the roofs off the houses.
- What happens if it doesn't work?
Still would! It would be light bread! ..
But how - you said - not to rape yourself?
There is a difference between violence and overcoming oneself, which is not very noticeable from the outside. Let's take sports. The runner's training norm has already been exhausted, and he forces himself - and tomorrow he is out of order. Or: he is in great shape and makes it difficult for himself, trying to set a new record. Is it easy for him? Breath is exhausted. What to do? Get off the track? But then he is not an athlete. He overcomes himself, and a second wind comes - the same inspiration. The man went through "can't." This is where the professional begins.
And it was not for nothing that one of the writers said: "What is written without effort is read without interest."
And how to distinguish overcoming from violence?
Listen carefully to yourself.
And when does it not work? What dope? Smoking, coffee?
I do not smoke. I'm not into coffee. It does nothing but harm. Just like in sports. Healthy art gives rise to a healthy mind.
But work should be joyful, right?
I think that work should bring joy as a result. Makarenko noticed well: what kind of woman likes to clean, wash dishes, floors? But a good housewife wants her house to be clean. The dream of a result makes her work eagerly, because without a process, the result is unattainable. No work is a cake, no blancmange. From the root "work" came the word "difficult". And certainly at some moments he seems bleak, heavy. Why be afraid of this? On the contrary: a young person should be ready to overcome these painful moments of any work, get used to work. Then the comparison of work with a cake will seem offensive to him in the opposite sense: if you have achieved inspiration, even through exhausting labor, you will never exchange it for any pleasure. Only it is necessary to work with meaning, not monotonously, not stupidly. Inspiration is a bird, and if you want it to sing, lure it, and do not strangle it in your fist, repeating: “Sing, bird, sing!” And it's easy to scare her too.
How?
Anything. Creativity and worldly vanity are incompatible. When you sit down at the table, you need to be able to hide, as it were, an inappropriate thought, an unpleasant letter or a call, in its farthest drawer. For the one who works alone, self-discipline is the first thing!
I realized: I still don’t know how to lure a bird! - sadly admitted Anton.
- Do not be discouraged! To learn this is to become a professional. Be creative and it will come, sooner or later. Connect the side inspirations to the music, art; put in front of you an album of your favorite artist or a monograph by one of the great architects. Eat apples, the playwright suddenly advised naively and laughed. This is a wonderful Danish cartoonist. He has a study in cartoons on this subject, called "Satirist": a gloomy
a man with a bandaged head now sits down at the table, then jumps up, runs around the room, soars his legs, and in the last picture he reads to the public, and she thunders with laughter. Do you understand where I'm getting at? Our kitchen is nobody's business. Don't rush to write it down until it's in your head! Dive into books. You can't be presumptuous! Before writing "War and Peace", Tolstoy needed to master a whole library - do not forget about it! Make extracts, sketches, wander around exhibitions, communicate with nature - you see, and something will begin to emerge. If you are in Moscow, spend a day or two in the Tretyakov Gallery, in the Alexander Ivanov Hall. It clearly shows how through the sketches, each of which has the value of a painting, the artist went to his great canvas - “The Appearance of Christ to the People”. And how much did he write? From thirty to fifty. Do not forget my advice?
I won't forget!
In the end, the quantity of your work will be transformed into quality. By the way, the ratio of quantity and quality must be constantly felt. If your daily supply of energy is depleted, do not add a third medium to two good pages. Stop! Save yourself for tomorrow. Then rather the imagination will work, the bird will fly again. Inspiration from a feeling, inspiration from a thought, from an external impression... from a precisely found word...
...But only the divine verb Will touch the sensitive ear, The poet's soul will start, Like an awakened eagle... -
the writer said thoughtfully. “In essence, art is born both among geniuses and talents according to the same laws.
What about mediocrity?
Ignorance is fruitless. Strictly speaking, it is necessary to establish one thing: do you have this grain of talent that you can develop with work? And do you know who can most accurately answer a person this question? He himself! Just don’t lead yourself by the nose - persistently repeat “yes” when a distant, distant inner voice prompts: “No, nothing will come of it anyway.” And vice versa, it is rude to trample this tiny precious sprout in yourself, or to allow others to do it! A long-standing passion for art is most often fueled by hidden talent. And then - it remains to identify and grow it, paving your way into art with the stones of labor.
Alexei Savelich, I have come across this idea in books: a gifted person is talented in everything. And others say: capable in one and incapable in another. Who is right?
As far as I can see, people's gifts sometimes spread out in breadth. Griboyedov, you know, composed music, Lermontov owned a brush, Chaliapin drew and sculpted, and so on. But I think, with rare exceptions, this is all additional, private and does not define the main one. Still, I am a supporter of the view that a person truly finds himself in only one thing. That's why you can't go wrong here. It is very important to find not only your type of activity - your road, but also your personal path along it. Here at least in our literature it is found: a good novelist and no novelist. Or - he writes excellent essays, but how he takes up the story - failure.
- Are journalists and writers close professions?
I would say fundamentally different. No more in common than between river and navy. This does not mean that it is easy to be a riverman. But it's a completely different thing. Flights are not so long, and the coast is always visible. Journalism is also a great art. Another newspaper or magazine article can be safely called a work of real literature. But a journalist should not forget that he is engaged not only in creativity, but also in social activities. A journalist cannot live in the hope that recognition will come to him sometime, as a result of all his activities. His essay should intervene in everyday life immediately, today. Both the writer and the journalist serve the truth. But the journalist - the truth of the fact, the writer - the truth of the idea. Am I speaking clearly?
Not really...
What would be an example? Well, at least the most common now is protection environment. Somewhere, through the fault of a chemical plant, the adjacent collective farm fields were poisoned. I, a journalist, immediately go to the scene, find out who is to blame, and promptly create a biting essay - as punishment for the guilty and edification to the rest. You, the writer, will know the same. You also go to the place of what happened, but maybe not. Many more examples of this order come to mind in your memory, with specifically guilty and without them, with people who are unscrupulous and deeply conscientious. Your thoughts move from facts to thoughts about the earth, about the past and future, rise to generalizations - do you want to fit everything into this ... story? No, it's probably a novel. Gradually, the characters of the heroes are drawn, their destinies are intertwined, the circumstances are clarified. How to give harmony and clarity to everything, remove the optional, so that the novel does not swell, because, they say, brevity is the sister of talent? This takes time. And life continues to throw up new facts, thought and imagination are working hourly, months are flashing faster and faster ...
The sailor goes on a long voyage for six months. Writer, sometimes - for years and decades. Often he works in the name of a higher goal, not counting on an early, sometimes even lifetime recognition. Do you think it's so romantic? If only for a graphomaniac living in illusions. And for a real writer, this is not so easy, you need to gradually develop a certain type of character in yourself, psychologically prepare yourself for the rejection of life's blessings and not be afraid of deprivation, need, even misunderstanding of loved ones.
- I read about it in books. This does not frighten me, but I would like to know: why can't we do without such difficulties?
Literature gives a comfortable life to those who set themselves earnings as the first goal. But this is a completely different path - that's what you need to realize once and for all your life. One has been struggling for years over the mysteries of the shape and color of a flower, bringing out outlandish species of it, the other improves greenhouses, growing flowers for sale. There is nothing in common between literature and the literary business, except that both are woven from words ... Scriptures for the market are cooked up like food from a cookbook. And as a result? You will earn carpets, crystal, and as a writer at the end of the journey you will realize that you are a beggar, and you will secretly despise yourself along with those around you. We talked about Alexander Ivanov. Do you know that this artist, already recognized in Europe, had no means of subsistence, because he was not able to do anything specifically to earn money? On occasion, read Gogol's letter to a state dignitary about this great artist. By the way, in it Gogol expresses valuable thoughts about the laws of writing. - Dynyaev took out a notebook. - Gogol says that Ivanov’s life is a lesson for artists, here, listen: “This lesson is needed so that everyone else can see how to love art, what like Ivanov, you need to die to all the lures of life, like Ivanov, learn and consider yourself a student for a century, like Ivanov, deny yourself everything, even an extra dish on a holiday, like Ivanov, endure everything ... "
I'll read it today, I have a complete Gogol... Alexei Savelyevich, you say the writer is a sailor. Who then is the poet?
Aviator! His voyages are not as long as those of a sailor long-distance navigation, but height is required! Moreover, when we think about aviation, we imagine the risk, but do not imagine the technical challenges. But poetic technique should be ahead of the century! When I flew the first models...
Have you been a pilot?
Of course!.. How else would I write about their lives! The pilots, by the way, are partly poetic in nature ...
And actors, directors - with whom to compare them?
In my view, the actor is an anti-aircraft gunner. He needs to hit the target exactly - the viewer's heart in the last row of the balcony. And the director, perhaps, I would liken to an aircraft designer ... That's who has no rest! When I worked in the theater...
And what did you do in the theatre?
An extra! And the watchman was, and the illuminator. Without this, how could I write for the theater?
Am I holding you up already?
Let's paddle slowly towards the shore. What else interests you?
So, you have managed so much ... Did you consciously search for yourself or did it happen by itself? And one more thing: some say that a writer does not need literary education, others - necessarily ... And what is it - literary study? - Anton hurried.
No matter how trite, but for the writer the main teacher is life. We must climb into the very thick of life, and then step back and see it from the side. Always have a notebook with you, do not skip anything that seems worthy of your attention. And write down your fantasies too. Practice more often in the story - both orally and in writing. Education, I think, is necessary. Higher education is better in any profession. Moreover, whether you become a writer - only the future can tell. Sometimes it seems that a person is scattered. In fact, he is looking for himself. Only in bad books do people's destinies develop according to a given pattern.
Is dramaturgy more difficult than fiction?
In my opinion, yes. And not only on mine. Sculptural technique is considered more difficult than painting. One sculptor told me: "Sometimes you want to drop your chisel and take a brush." And I myself, in the same way, sometimes want to escape from this stuffy stage box into the forest, into the field, to be transported by fantasy to transcendental worlds. But all this is only for a minute. Becoming a playwright means learning to fit everything into a single stage action, into the collision of characters. If you have comprehended this once, you will not exchange your difficulties for anything else. If you visited the hot shops of Magnitogorsk, you would see how people love the difficulties they have overcome: every blast furnace worker will convince you that there is nothing more beautiful than a blast furnace, just like an open-hearth worker, a sheet rolling machine expresses patriotism in relation to his work ...
And you can ask another question: for a writer, what quality do you consider the most important?
The feeling of a word is like hearing for a musician. And memory - almost like a forensic scientist! Sorry - mode! I have the honor to bow!
Take care of your faces!
At one of the classes, Xana asked the question:
- Vera Evgenievna, did you participate in admission committee?
Certainly.
Why don't you tell us what it looks like?
Yes, - Stas supported, - I want to know in advance what kind of situation is there.
Please. The first round is preceded by consultations. You will see a sea of people waiting in line. In an ordinary room, like this one, one teacher sits. Usually students help him. Ten people are called. The teacher listens to everyone, advises or does not advise to participate in the competition in this educational institution. Sometimes he expresses a desire to replace something in the repertoire of the applicant. But a wish is a wish. If, for example, you are convinced that it is too late to cook something for you again or it is worse to read the same things in a different order, you have the right to remain in your opinion - the winner is not judged. Essentially, there is consultation. preliminary selection.
Yes? - Lyuba was surprised. - And they can cut off at the consultation?
As a rule, the teacher recommends or does not recommend the applicant to go to the first round. He has the right to disagree and insist that the commission listen to him. But this rarely leads to anything: only those who have practically no chance of admission are dissuaded from consultations. The first round is the same audition, already by a commission of two or three teachers, with a competitive selection. The second and third are the same with ever-increasing demands.
After the second or third round, some schools arrange additional test- etudes. You don't have to be afraid of this. What is an etude - you know. An impromptu scene played in your own words. The chairman of the commission proposes a simple situation. Well, for example, the office of the head of the station. Someone by appointment, and more often at will, takes on the role of the boss. But I emphasize once again: this is not some Ivan Ivanovich Sidorov, but you personally - Stas or Denis - in the proposed circumstances, at your age and with your own character, somehow ended up in such a job. Visitors come to you in turn, each with his own business.
And what is the main thing in this exam? - asked Lyuba.
What is the core, the fabric of performing arts? - Galanova answered the question with a question.
Action! Several voices responded confidently.
Right. Which?
The guys did not understand what Vera Evgenievna asked about.
If you act on your own behalf in the conditions of the office of the head of the station, can it happen that you have to fight or dance "Apple" in this office?
Hardly.
I think so too. After all, for this it would be necessary to transform into the image of a bully or a madman. This means that the action on its own behalf, mostly verbal. The impact of the word. What is the main thing here, you know: the truth of your behavior, purposefulness, interest in what you came for. And yet - the truth of communication, that is, you must not only accurately influence your partner, but see and hear, otherwise - experience the impact, and in accordance with this, behave further.
And besides verbal action, there should not be any other?
- A simple physical action never interfered with a verbal one. You know what! - Galanova exclaimed. - Let's do the experiment better. And then we will arrange a "guessing game" - what other qualities are tested in such an exam. Let's play this story. Who will be the head of the station?
- Can I? - Stas and Vadim said almost at the same time, and since Stas was a split second earlier, he got the role.
Is it possible to negotiate? the guys asked.
If there are preconditions. For example, the visit is not the first or you are not a visitor, but a personal acquaintance of the boss, it is necessary to agree, otherwise it will be "someone in the forest, some for firewood." But there is no need to agree on the outcome of the sketch, as well as to reveal the plot of visits that have no background.
Can you be more specific? - Stas asked. - So you said: from "I am in the circumstances offered"! don't back down. I'm not saying that the stationmaster is older than me and I don't really know how he works - all this can be fantasized for the sake of an etude. But I have other ideas, I will not brush aside a person, but the head of the station will brush aside. So it's still an image?
- No. Firstly, not every boss dismisses visitors, and secondly, you know that through “if” you can justify a lot, while remaining yourself. If hundreds of people came to you like this all day long, but could you send just a few? Would you turn into a good wizard? No, you would be forced to refuse (the question is - how?), And, probably, you would be rather tired of such an unpleasant duty, and then there’s the telephone ... That's it! Whoever needs it, discuss the conditions with Stas during the break, and - we'll try!
... Stas sat down at the table and took his head. Nadia made phone calls, Stas did not hear them. So the atmosphere of the end of the working day was successfully set. Lyuba entered first. She said that she forgot the code of the automatic locker. Stas came to his senses and began to answer the calls of two phones. Lyuba managed to use a small pause and explain what was the matter.
- This is not for me, - Stas said. - There is a duty officer, tell him what you have there, and everything will be in order.
Love is gone. Dasha showed up. She said that she needed to leave for Kyiv by evening train, because the next morning she had an exam at the theater institute.
- Show challenge.
There was no call. Dasha continued to convince.
- Understand! - Stas said. - I have no right to believe you.
You have no idea how many people have to send emergency telegrams.
They argued for a long time, finally Stas said:
You know what? Do you have someone who knows where and why you are going?
Certainly.
Give me the phone, I'll call myself.
Please! - and Dasha dictated Geli's phone number. Stas looked at her carefully and wrote something on a piece of paper.
Checkout! - he said.
Not believing her luck, Dasha thanked her and left. Denis appeared. He explained that his things had gone to Kharkov, but he stayed.
- How so? - Stas asked wearily.
And Denis began to tell in faces how a boy was capricious at a neighbor in the compartment - he wanted to drink, he volunteered to buy a bottle of lemonade, and his watch was behind him, because they had badly repaired it in the workshop ...
Enough! - Stas stopped him and began to call Kharkov. In the meantime, Inga entered. She waited until Denis left, and began to beg to increase her salary, because she has been working as a train station attendant for many years. Stas suggested that she write a statement, but warned that this was hardly possible. Inga made a scene for him, threw a folder of papers from the table onto the floor. And at that moment Vadim entered the office with a briefcase.
It is true what they say about you, - Inga did not let up: you are polite in appearance, but ... only tremble for your place!
I repeat again - get out! Stas shouted.
Well, wait! - Inga threatened at the door. - You will not reign here for long! And she slammed the door and left.
Who is this woman? - asked Vadim, sitting down.
It's none of your business, - Stas answered. - Say what you have.
Still, I would like to know who she is - the cashier, the dispatcher?
Stas was silent, looking expectantly at Vadim, who finally said:
- You see, I'm uncomfortable ... but it just so happened ... I ask you to hand over the case. I was sent to your place.
There was a terrible pause. In order not to prolong it, Vadim laid out a paper in front of Stas. Stas looked at her for a while, then said:
- Well then. Let me collect my thoughts ... - And he began to improvise the transfer of affairs to his successor. But, feeling that it was dragging on, he asked for an apology and went to medicine.
room for medicine. After that, Vadim sat down in his original position, holding his head, and thus everyone understood that after the arrival of the new boss, little would change.
Discussing, the guys and Galanova agreed that Lyuba's episode was too short. In truth, this is how it should have been, but Lyuba did not think of something. It was enough, for example, to say that the duty officer did not believe her, because she listed her things inaccurately, how dramaturgy would have appeared in the sketch and it would have taken place. Everyone praised Dasha's visit, noted only the lack of stage freedom at the beginning. Denis got for comedy. Anton emphasized that although the situation when the suitcase left without an owner is reliable, and there is a reason for a comedy sketch, but the story in the faces about the neighbor and the watchmaker was superfluous, because under such circumstances, even in a comedic decision, Denis would have to take it more seriously. Inga was also criticized for the pitiful tone in which she asked for an increase in her salary, since, acting on her own behalf), she should not have lost her human dignity, and for | hysteria, in which the performer wanted to show her temperament, but showed, as Kirill said, "cultural backwardness."
Stas was praised for the episode with Dasha, for a sincere and deep assessment of the news of the withdrawal, but noted that it would be better for him not to fall into Inga's tone, but to be above the scandal she had caused. Stas and Vadim noticed that they delayed the episode in time, but still Stas got out with the help of taking care of the medicine, after which Vadim successfully put an end to it.
“So, let’s get the moral out of the fable,” said Galanova.
If there are etudes on the exam, this will be a test of your ability to act authentically and freely on stage, to be able to communicate like a human being. In parallel, it will be an exam for your
common culture, sense of proportion, sense of time. But at the moment of entering the study, you do not burden yourself with so many problems. Remember that you should always go on stage confidently and easily, firmly clinging to the stage task.
You need to know that studies at the entrance exams are given primarily in order to see what kind of person you are. In reading, behind well-rehearsed excellent literary material, you can still hide something. Etude shows you the way you are. If you know little, think little about life, you will not connect two words in an etude. If you managed to understand something, read a lot, kept a diary, exercising in expressing your thoughts, if you had to defend your views on things, mature or immature, you will be able to confidently conduct a dialogue in your own words before the eyes of the commission. A person who has his own thoughts and his own face must have his own words.
Often we have the feeling that life is flying by with acceleration. Seems like very recently entrance exams there was about a year left, and now it already smells of spring and time can be measured in weeks ...
By the end of April, the majority had finally decided on their plans. Almost everyone had calls from institutes and schools.
By this point, Nadia had decided to give up the idea of a stage. She did it courageously and thoughtfully; therefore, not at all "complexing", she continued to participate in the studio classes and performances of "Romeo and Juliet". She planned for herself a difficult, "male" engineering and physics department. And I studied mathematics with Victor, because on Faculty of Economics State Institute theater arts (GITIS) he had to be examined in this subject. Ilya also had to combine classes in artistic disciplines, such as General history arts, theater history, with physics and mathematics. He chose for himself the production department of the Moscow Art Theater School-Studio.
Lera and Nina decided to enter the Moscow Theater and Art and Technical School (TCTU), which trains radio and electrical engineers, props, make-up artists, and costume designers. But we learned with alarm that this is an educational institution of local importance: it recruits and distributes graduates only within Moscow. Ilya found out and informed the girls that there is a similar TCTU in Odessa, and this is the only school that recruits and distributes graduates throughout the country. Soon both Lera and Nina received calls from Odessa. So did Lyuba, who still vacillated between the acting and makeup departments.
Gelya learned that in the same Odessa school there was also a faculty of costume designers. But by this time, she had already decided to take exams at the Moscow Textile Institute, at the faculty of outerwear fashion designers. She understood that she would receive less in purely theatrical terms, but practice in the theater had already given her some foundation, and she wanted to get a higher education.
Kirill was still at the crossroads of three roads: either to go to Moscow to the Surikov Art Institute for the theater and scenery department, or together with Ilya to the Moscow Art Theater Studio for the production, from where, as he knew, they leave with higher education not only chief posts, but also stage designers; or to Leningrad, to LGITMiK, where at the art and production department he was attracted by the traditions of the founder of this department, Nikolai Pavlovich Akimov. The latter prospect seemed to him all the more attractive.
Vadim learned back in the winter that this year in Moscow, GITIS would be recruiting for the acting and directing department, and this interested him most of all.
Shortly before the final exam, Lida also made a choice: - GITIS, theater history.
And only Vadim knew how hard it was for her to make this final decision.
Anton sent his essays to the Gorky Moscow Literary Institute in order to at least check whether they would send a challenge.
The rest were going to the acting faculties of Moscow universities: GITIS, the Moscow Art Theater Studio, the Shchukinsky, Shchepkinsky schools.
On Tuesday, June 28, the Target studio gathered for the last time.
Vera Evgenievna entered without any solemnity, as always, calm and cheerful.
- Do you remember the game "cold-hot"?
Remember!
Let's play!
The studios didn't mind, although no one understood why.
- Here's a pencil. I'll ask Luba to come out, and we'll hide him.
When Lyuba came out, Ksana took from the hands of Vera Evgenievna
pencil and hid under the radiator.
- Prompt only after my signal.
When Lyuba appeared, everyone was silent with a conspiratorial look. After hesitating, Lyuba began to search, but went the other way.
Help a little, - offered Galanova.
Chilly.
Very cold! Pole!
A little warmer.
More!
Hot!!
Finding a pencil under the battery, Lyuba, and with it the other guys, for some reason, were delighted.
So what was it? Galanova asked.
The simplest sketch.
Are there other opinions?
Child Game! Kirill objected.
Yes, game! What about the conclusion?
Children's games must be loved! said Boba at random.
What does it mean?
Like children, actors should be able to indulge in children's games, - Vadim specified.
Vadim put it right! - Galanova was delighted. - Precisely - indulge in games! For whom the Christmas tree is only a source of garbage in the apartment, in fact, the artist has died. Now let's think about how to transform an ordinary children's game into an etude.
Add some "if", - guessed Anton.
Well, let's try! Here, Dasha, is the proposed circumstance: you know where the pencil lies. But as a performer of the etude - no. And we don't know if Dasha will find the pencil.
As before Lyuba, Dasha went out the door, Ksana went up to Galanova, who instead of a real pencil handed her an imaginary one. Ksana took nothing as if it were a pencil, and the guys with the same sincerity began to suggest where to hide it.
Like Lyuba, Dasha began to search for a pencil for real, without depicting anything. As before, having received permission, the guys began to prompt a little: “cold-hot”. When Dasha did not find what she was looking for under the radiator, she was at a loss for a moment, but immediately hid it, victoriously took an imaginary pencil from under the radiator and gave it to Galanova, who quite seriously laid it in front of her on the table.
Now I agree that it was an etude. Further. Who's to say how to turn it into a mini-performance?
Transfer everything to the stage, - Victor guessed.
Yes! Who should be on stage?
Dasha.
No one else?
And those who prompts "cold-hot".
So, our play: Dasha is looking for a pencil. Inga, Nina, Tim, Xana, Lida, Lera help. I ask everyone to the stage.
And can I be - a pencil? Denis suddenly blurted out.
You and so we have a clown Pencil! - said Gelya, but Galanova seized on this idea.
It's a joke! - Denis began to refuse.
The word is not a sparrow. Denis - on stage! You will be a pencil, only with a small letter.
How to play a pencil? Lera asked.
How - I do not know. But you can even play a punctuation mark, and an ink blot, and a day of the week. There are often such characters in tyuzes and artists create serious works.
Denis went on stage. He straightened up and stood aside, silent and faceless.
- Dasha, go away for a while, - asked Lida. - Tim, please hide the pencil under the battery.
The viewers laughed, but no one on the stage seemed to notice this.
Timothy went up to Denis, put his hand on his shoulder, and he obediently trotted off to the opposite stage. With a strong-willed movement, Tim sat Denis on the floor, and he hid his head behind the scenes, as the kids do in the game, saying: "I'm gone!" The search began, hints. And when the pencil was found, Dasha took Denis by the shoulder and led her to Lida, she opened the bag, put an imaginary pencil in there, and Denis the pencil instantly turned into just Denis and returned to its place.
- Let's repeat the scene. I'll ask another band to take the stage. Now I ask you to hide the pencil in the pocket of one of the participants and guess by the eyes in whose pocket it is. In the role of a pencil - Stas. Vadim will search, but I will add a circumstance: he did not sleep all night.
Vadim relaxed, believed that his whole body was lethargic, but, overcoming himself, began to carefully look into the eyes of everyone. Meanwhile, Star, not hiding, stood behind Geli. The condition about a sleepless night forced not only Vadim, but also everyone who was on stage, to check for themselves if there was excess tension in the muscles. Vadim stopped in front of Gelya and looked at her intently. Gelya "with a blue eye" shook her head. Vadim didn't give up. He patted his pocket suggestively and froze. Gelya hesitated, but after Vadim smiled and even winked, Gelya had no choice but to touch her jacket pocket with her hand, after which Stas openly stepped out from behind her chair.
So let's check ourselves. What elements of acting school and stage language did we use in these exercises? We identified the first quality in the game: human spontaneity. Keep it in you! Who will continue?
Belief in the magical "if only," Xana immediately responded.
That's right: a stage miracle is created not by pyrotechnics, but by the artists' belief in fiction, even the most naive one. More?
Our attention, - Ilya entered. - The guys were attentive both to real objects and to imaginary ones.
Right. Don't forget this too. On the stage, on the stage or in front of the selection committee, the pass will always help out trained attention. As in life - composure.
Grade! - Inga continued. - Those who were looking for a pencil, each time sincerely appreciated the find.
Well done. More?
- Muscle freedom. No one was pinched or loose, - Nadia noticed.
Yes. This is also a lifesaver. And speaking in front of an audience, and in life, always relieve unnecessary stress! But don't relax too much. Let your muscles learn to find the norm themselves.
More action! - reminded Vadim.
This, as you know, is the most important element of the school. Remember firmly: as soon as the action stops, the theater ceases to exist.
Communication! Nina added.
Yes. You did not act alone, but interacting with each other. Remember the moment when Vadim tried to guess by the eyes who had the pencil. What other element was connected during his communication with Gels?
Fixture! Viktor guessed.
Favorite Vitin element! - Denis did not fail to quip.
Remember, - Galanova smiled, - that the devices are not fixed. They are always new. You were convinced of this by the examples of the best actors of our theater when you played Romeo and Juliet with them...
Seventy-two performances! - noted Timofey, and there was a sad pause, which Galanova quickly removed;
No one has yet remembered the rhythm, the magical power of which you felt last years both on stage and in life. There is one more basic element, no longer of the school, but of the theater, which has come in handy for us now. What do you think would happen if, in the eighth grade, on the first day of classes in etude, I suggested to one of you to play a pencil, and to the other - to hide it in your pocket?
There would be laughter, and that's it, - said Anton.
Here you see! And now you have solved such a problem not only competently, but even artistically. Well, sir?
Not wanting to further test the students with questions, Galanova answered herself:
- All three years we took care of the scenic truth. And this is really the most important component art - "half an apple". The other half of all aesthetics is convention. A sense of truth and the ability to trace the logic of conventionality constitute an understanding of the language of art as a whole. Trust one another. Keep a sense of truth and develop a taste for conventionality - the ability to distinguish empty, fictional forms from a witty symbol on the stage.
... After a break, which was a little quieter than usual, Vera Evgenievna turned to the guys:
- Well well, start her, - since we practically worked out, I would like to say something.
First of all, congratulations on your complete secondary education. For three years of our studies, you have not lost time. I am calm that you now know how to work - together and independently. You have tested yourself for maturity in a team of adults, and such a difficult one as the theater. Set your life goals. It's not that small. But not too much either.
Perhaps some of you are destined to do a lot in life. In any case, do not forget the testament of Academician Pavlov: always have the courage to say about yourself: "I am an ignoramus." This is a guarantee of maintaining modesty, a guarantee of your spiritual growth.
You are entering the adult world. How will he meet you?
- If you hear that no one can be trusted, know that this is not so. But don't be a fool. The ability to understand people is your next goal.
Where does it begin?
With a close look at the faces. The face is not only a screen of our momentary experiences, but also a book of past years. What envious person would like to have “envious” written on his face? What would a rogue give so that his appearance did not betray him? But neither one nor the other is hidden from the penetrating gaze of a physiognomist.
As much as I could, I tried to draw your attention to the meaning of the words, their roots. Face, personality.
The art of human science consists in the ability to discern a person behind a face.
But the word mask came from the same root. This is not a transparent mask of a good-natured person on an evil person, but a special gift of some people to inspire others that they are not at all what they really are. That is probably why the proverb was born that you can truly know a person only by eating a pound of salt with him.
Let's turn now to ourselves.
I am satisfied with the friendly atmosphere that has been established in our studio. I do not remember now a single unworthy act on anyone's part that would poison the memories of the three years we spent together. But this is not a guarantee for each of you for the future. You must develop a formula for decency for yourself - the sooner the better. And always, as a compass, be guided by it.
I never understood people for whom, first of all, their own peace, especially in their younger years. Much richer is the one who, on the way to his goal, goes through life's storms, through trials.
And the last. Do not grumble at life if it does not give you something right away. For those who know how to wait, everything comes on time!
Tests
A week passed, and the first group left for Moscow: Ksana, Inga, Lyuba, Dasha, Bob, Tim, Stas and Denis, who christened everyone together the magnificent eight.
We will return not salty slurping - here you will be "magnificent"! Timothy grumbled.
Fuck me, fuck me! - Denis exclaimed with shamanic movements.
There was no way to accuse the eight travelers of being in a tourist mood. Perhaps the opposite. Only Denis and Boba joked out of habit. To some extent, this relieved internal tension, but for the most part, their jokes hung in the air. Especially sought the solitude of Tim. As luck would have it, a reckless company was traveling with him, now and then deafeningly laughing. The guys strongly suggested that Tim change places, but he did not agree. Then Boba and Denis "in the order of preparatory practice" played out a sketch, assuring the cheerful neighbors that their friend was nervous, with seizures and was going to Moscow for treatment. They began to laugh more quietly, looking warily at the top shelf.
...The situation in the dormitories where the children were settled left much to be desired. The tone among the applicants was set by those who were looking for an easy and fun life in the theater, but in fact hoped to do less than others. They had nothing to lose, and they equally vigorously celebrated the passage of each to the next round, and failure, and departure. Galanovites were not shocked by this, as they knew in advance what awaited them. Tim, however, immediately fled from such a bedlam to an apartment with some grandmother, who, as he said, was "albeit bad, but quiet." The rest firmly decided not to pay attention to anything, to sleep at night, no matter what these, in Stas's words, "accidental companions of life" say about them. They went for exams as they had to - together, three of them, but more one at a time, in order to prepare and concentrate on the way.
No matter how Vera Evgenievna warned them, everyone was at first stunned by the number of applicants. It was harder than others for those who could not pass quickly. Dasha, for example, who appeared at the first round at ten in the morning, appeared before the commission only at about nine in the evening.
I didn’t understand anything from fatigue,” she told her roommate.
And the teachers?
It seems to me, and they were like in a fog.
Nevertheless, all eight passed the first round.
- To pass the first and second round does not mean anything, - Inga instructed her neighbors in the hostel.
From the second round, Ksana in Shchepkinsky and Lyuba in Shchukinsky flew off on the same day. Both proudly denied any sympathy.
Whatever is done, everything is for the better! - Lyuba cheered up. - The girls are already waiting for me in Odessa! Why should I become an actress? All my life I would suffer that they don’t give roles. And so - I will become a good make-up artist, everyone will need me. Scarcity! Right, right?
And I just wanted to try it too. I will be a teacher! - Xana echoed her. - Of course, all this must still be ill ...
The girls did not want to be seen off, but the guys assured that without their help they would not leave. As Denis suggested, they were to "play sketches in the office of the head of the station." Indeed, with considerable difficulty, Boba and Denis managed to send Lyuba to Odessa, and Ksana - home.
- I did such a thing there, - Denis boasted, - and rolled his eyes, and fainted ...
The next day, Inga in Shchukinskoye lost her studies and disappeared from the hostel without saying a word to anyone. The second round did not pass, also Boba and Denis.
- Eh! I’ll go to Pitsunda for a week - lick my wounds! -
said Boba, counting the money. “Enough for a common carriage.
My bro is there. You won't die of hunger!
Tim, seeing off Denis, assured:
In a year, you will! Just think again what to read.
I already thought Ushinsky. Today I bought it in a second-hand bookstore. - Denis showed the book.
Timothy looked at him in surprise.
For pedagogical purposes. Together with Xanka!
What are you! After all, you and Kuliska are the friendliest of all!
Do you want a secret? He gave me this idea.
Jokes?
Jokes are over, Tim. Gone is adulthood. OK! With Ksanka, we will spin such a teacher's theater there - collapse! Well, go ahead, Timothy! ..
... And then he came - the third round. Approximately fifty people remained in each university for twenty-five places out of two thousand applicants. Now the applicant was expected to fight with only one opponent. Tim and Stas were in the top ten. They treated each other not as competitors, on the contrary, they sincerely cheered for each other. Tim was sure that Stas read best of all, and Stas had no doubt that Timofey took the palm: listening to him, the members of the commission did not hide their pleasure ...
And indeed, three of the magnificent eight: Stas, Tima and Dasha triumphantly passed the third round. But unexpectedly, Tim was cut off at the essay, even though he had fives in his certificate in Russian and literature. It can be seen that all his strength went to the competition.
Stas and Dasha caught the head of the course in the corridor, he immediately remembered Timofey Blokhin:
- I may be even more annoying than you! - and divorced
hands.
The rest of the guys had exams in August, and they continued to work hard. Victor was preparing for a colloquium at the GITIS Faculty of Economics, where, as he knew, there could be all sorts of questions on the history of the theater, and on its practice and economics, and on mathematics.
Ilya and Kirill studied together: they had to enter different institutes and with an eye to different specialties, but at the same production department. However, the programs of the Moscow Art Theater Studio and the Leningrad Institute did not coincide in many respects, complementing each other in an interesting way, and the guys decided to prepare, taking into account the requirements of both institutions.
Vadim and Lida had a lot in common in the theoretical part of the program, and since they had already read a lot, they also made their task more difficult: Lida studied books on directing, Vadim often looked at the list of literature for applicants for theater studies. Still, they did not have time for something and, in order not to overexert themselves, turned to the Theater Encyclopedia, receiving concise information from it.
Denis really applied to the pedagogical department, where, as he assured, there was a shortage of men, especially the plan of comedians. Boba made a sharp turn into engineering and asked Nadia to take over his patronage.
Inga, apparently, was very hurt and completely disappeared from sight. The guys were sure that in a year she would go to acting again.
The days flew by with incredible speed. And now Kirill flew to Leningrad, and after him Lida, Gelya, Ilya, Anton, Viktor, Vadim went to Moscow. The day before their departure, a joyful telegram arrived from Odessa: all three girls - Nina, Lyuba and Lera entered the Theater Art and Technical School.
The six who arrived in Moscow also settled in different dormitories and almost never met. Vadim had to fix a good relationship with the attendants at Lida's hostel, so that she would be called to the phone as an exception. Both of them still had a few days left before the exams, and, meeting in the morning, they went around the theater museums one after another: Stanislavsky, Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky, Nemirovich-Danchenko, Yermolova, the Creativity of Serfs in Ostankino, and most importantly, the Bakhrushin Theater Museum and the Museum Moscow Art Theater. Evenings were spent in the Central Theater Library. We have been to theaters twice.
These were disturbing and joyful days. The future was intriguing. But Vera Evgenievna's parting words inspired confidence that in the end everyone will achieve their goal in life ...
...Tests for the acting and directing department began with an interview.
At the table sat the head of the course, two teachers, in the second row - several students. They called one by one. When Vadim entered, it seemed that he was being X-rayed. "Nothing," he decided. he is the main do not get lost and do not become in a pose. Everyone is doing their own thing."
The chairman of the commission, having finished reading Vadim's autobiography, fixed his eyes on him.
Do you want to become a director... and an actor too?
Actor for directing.
- And the director, in your opinion, should play on the stage?
Yes, but not in their productions.
Why?
Because... it's impossible to be here and there at the same time.
It's clear. But what about Stanislavsky?
For me it's a mystery.
So. Thank you. Invite the next one.
Vadim left with a feeling of terrible dissatisfaction, as if he, like Khoja Nasreddin, had only been allowed to inhale the smell of food. “Is it possible to decide the fate of a person in two minutes?!” Vadim had no doubt that he “did not appear” to the master of the course. And just in case, I forced myself to wait for the result.
He was admitted to further examinations.
The next day, a similar interview awaited Lida. Desperate to get through on the phone, Vadim himself went to the hostel in the evening. Finding out that Lida was not there yet, he randomly asked one of the incoming girls:
Are you not an applicant?
Student.
Theatrical?
Let's say yes. More questions?
Vadim had enough questions. He learned that the girl helps in the selection committee and remembers Lida Dedova very well. She was among the last. They asked her about everything: about the poetics of Aristotle and Schiller, and about the views on the art of Zola, and about the aesthetics of Brecht, about the history of Meyerhold's productions, about Jouvet, Mei-Lanfant and Tovstonogov. Lida answered most of the questions and made a very good impression. Having found Lida's article in the local newspaper in the documents, she was asked why she wrote specifically about Romeo and Juliet. Lida spoke briefly, without undue enthusiasm, about electives and practice in the theater. Naturally, questions began about the history of the productions of Romeo and Juliet, which gave Lida one more reason to shine. When Lida was released, the professor who was gaining a course remarked to someone:
- Here. And you say - a weak stream!
Vadim wanted to warmly thank the student, but at that moment Lida appeared from around the corner. Vadim rushed to meet her, the girl proudly looked at them and disappeared.
Linda was extremely exhausted. Vadim, however, convinced her that it was better to go for a walk after all.
Young people went to Lenin's mountains. They walked along the embankment, full of forebodings and hopes. From the other side of the Moskva River, music was heard from the stadium. Listening, Vadim and Lida stopped at the same time and looked at each other. It was a tune from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, and they saw it as a good omen.
A day later, Vadim was waiting for the next exam. It was held in two stages: in the morning - acting sketches, in the evening - directing.
At the morning exam, Vadim was given a solo fantasy study - to link three concepts on stage: “luck”, “fear”, “knock”. There was a minute to prepare. It flashed through my head: “If only I didn’t start playing with feelings - neither fear, nor joy associated with luck!” And the second thought was: "It would be better not to use the minute."
And Vadim started almost at random. He went to the closed door and stopped in doubt. He raised his hand to knock, but did not dare. “They are watching carefully,” Vadim felt and realized that he had the right to repeat his hesitant attempt once again. Finally, he knocked. Then, opening the door ajar, he turned into the corridor with a question:
- Sorry, there are no lists for some reason. May I know if I made it to the next round?
There was no answer from the corridor, but Vadim managed to imagine what would happen if he heard "Yes" and it was true. From imaginary joy, he almost staggered. Closing the door tightly behind him, he addressed the commission not only without insolence, but with sincere bewilderment:
- Luck...
There was a barely perceptible positive reaction. “It seems to be really good luck,” Vadim flashed through his head. “However, the last battle is yet to come.”
At the evening exam, the group that included Vadim got the topic "Suspicion". Each of the five (and the rest as actors) was asked to make a director's sketch on this topic. They all had an hour to prepare.
At first, Vadim experienced a feeling of panic: "I can't handle it." Then he quickly began to figure out how to overcome it.
- Choosing props! he called. Everyone went to another
a room where, apparently specially for the applicants, a wide variety of items were prepared ...
Whether the sketch turned out, Vadim could not determine. There was something in him, but he built it hastily, with unfamiliar guys who did everything far from the way he would have liked ... It remained to wait.
On the same day, Lida had written work.
At eight in the evening, as agreed, Vadim approached the hostel. Lida spotted him through the window, and they went to wander through the alleys of old Moscow.
Linda told about the exam. Written work in the specialty went at the same time as an essay. Lida was attracted by a free topic, which, as she understood, was given to test human maturity and awareness of her life goal: “The place of a theater critic in theatrical art". Lida wrote about all the types of theatrical work known to her: theater historian, journalist-reviewer, editor of radio and television, head of the literary part of the theater. Lida wrote about the last specialty with particular enthusiasm, proving how much the state of its literary part means in the fate of each theater. Practice in the theater gave her the opportunity to describe the work of the zavlita specifically, to bring interesting examples.
As it turned out the next day, Lida got a B for her essay. On the one hand, it was a high rating. On the other hand, a five wouldn't hurt. But Lida knew literature and history well, and Vadim's task was to prevent her from getting upset or too worried.
Finally, the exams entered their last stage. And Vadim understood for himself why they are called trials: indeed, it was difficult to withstand such tension. Encouraged, however, good news from the guys. Through Gel, it became known that Kirill had already been enrolled in the Leningrad Theater Institute. And soon she herself found herself in the lists accepted by the Moscow Textile. For Ilya and Viktor, the results were still unknown, but both scored the maximum number of points.
The colloquium was another test for Vadim. Unlike the first interview, they did not let him go for about twenty minutes, asking the most unexpected, sometimes tricky questions, starting with why the theater needs a director and ending with the aesthetic principles and technological techniques of almost all outstanding directors of the past and present.
After the colloquium, eighteen people remained from the original eight hundred applicants for five directorial positions, including Vadim.
As in the theater department, work in the specialty was at the same time an essay.
It was expected that the next morning, along with the grade for the essay, a list of accepted ones would be reported. But there was a rumor that the results would become known late in the evening - after the final meeting of the commissions. Some, including Vadim, were left to wait until the victory in the front garden near the institute.
At the beginning of the first night, tired teachers began to leave one after another. Glancing enigmatically at the applicants, they passed by. Someone wanted to rush after, but then a student came out with a sheet of paper. Those who waited silently crowded around him. Vadim was the fourth to hear his last name.
... Vadim could not fall asleep for a long time. His thoughts were red-hot, his imagination hovered under the clouds...
Meanwhile, at the Yaroslavl station, Lida was crying inconsolably. Her nerves were strained to the limit. And when someone touched her hand, she recoiled sharply, almost screaming. It was Anton, who also did not find himself on the list of those admitted to the Literary Institute.
Linda felt a little better. At least she was not alone in this difficult situation. And together they began to make efforts to leave home as soon as possible.
...Meanwhile, Vadim still could not descend from the clouds. From a distance, like a lullaby, came the well-known, old song:
My childhood, wait
Don't rush, wait;
Give me a simple answer:
What's up ahead?
A blessed dream began to overcome Vadim little by little. He fell asleep with the thought: “I wonder why they don’t gather us on the first of September, but on the eve of the thirty-first? ..”
He dreamed of a giant double door. He knocked on it for a long time, but in vain. And when he had already lost hope and decided to leave, the doors opened abruptly, so that Vadim almost fell there. He struggled to keep his balance and saw in front of him a small, vaguely outlined, smoky-gray figure. She shook her finger at him cheerfully. And then suddenly, making a theatrical gesture, she exclaimed:
- Enter boldly! ..
At the same time, the mysterious "someone" did not give way. And as if through a pillar of dust in a sunbeam, Vadim passed through this strange creature.
Ahead was an infinitely long corridor with a similar door in the distance. He, Kuliska, peered out from behind it, and with the same mysteriously mischievous look pointed with his paw at the next door. And from everywhere a repeated echo repeated after him:
- Be bolder! Bolder! Courage-eeee!!!
Epilogue
Memorable dates, deeply personal for us, by themselves enliven and bring the past closer. On the tenth day of graduation, Lida and Vadim had something to remember. But in the morning, Vadim had a rehearsal, Lida had the usual things for a zavlit in the theater.
In the evening, Vadim watched the introduction of a new performer to the performance. Linda was at home alone. She also had to work. Of course, it is easier to write in the morning, but for anyone who serves in the theater, he takes the best part of the day. Lida remembered Galanova's testament: creative work does not know the weekend.
Now she was finishing an article about the premiere at the Youth Theater - a performance for preschoolers "The Scarlet Flower". Lida didn't want it to be just a review. Through the evaluation of one production, she decided to go to the problems of the theater for the smallest. Gathering her thoughts, Lida leafed through the wonderful illustrations of the artist Bilibin to the Russian folk tales. That evening, it was harder for her to tune in than usual. Every now and then Lida was distracted by memories...
... Was she lucky in life? Today she could answer this question definitely: yes! Although much was given not immediately, through overcoming difficult circumstances, and most importantly - myself.
Not having entered the institute then, Lida made an attempt to break with the theater. But she couldn't. Working in the library, she prepared again and a year later she again failed the competition. After consulting with Vera Evgenievna, Lida got a job as a props at the theater and continued to prepare. And a year later I became a student correspondence department theatrical faculty. And when Vadim's fate was decided, he called Lida to him, and they became husband and wife, as if it had long been decided between them. They were a good couple, they were united by many things, and above all - a common life goal. From the first days family life Lida realized that such a difficult job as Vadim had could only be successful when the home environment is subordinated to the main thing: creativity. And that she herself should not only help Vadim, but also not lose herself, also grow creatively ...
...Lida finally managed to concentrate. She wrote that the feeling of the theater is laid in a person from the first performances that he sees in life; therefore, the theater for preschool children should be real - modern, wise and simple as the truth. And yet - unexpected ... Fortunately, in the new performance there were moments that Lida could cite in support of her thought.
Three hours later, Lida finished the article. Now she belonged to herself and could reminisce. In front of her were letters and telegrams from former studio members.
They were well aware of each other, but they received every news with great interest.
None of the destinies was lost, no one got lost in life.
They saw Kirill often: he came from Leningrad to arrange performances and soon had to move to their city, take on the position of chief artist of the theater. Sometimes, at the invitation of Vadim, Gelya also flew in to make costumes for classical productions.
Over time, Vadim hoped to strengthen the leadership of the theater with two more strong specialists: Ilya and Viktor, who were now working in different cities, one as a deputy director of the theater, the other as a deputy director of the theater.
Stas and Dasha became actors of the first position and worked in one of the major theaters in the Urals.
Three girls who graduated from the Odessa School were enrolled in the staff of their favorite theater: Lera became the leading lighting controller; Not so long ago, Lyuba took over the dressing room from the retired Zoya Ivanovna, and even folk artists reckoned with her, as with a master. Nina worked as a props, producing small masterpieces for the stage. All three felt needed and desired in the theater.
Did the former Galanovites become celebrities?
Is this the point?
The goal of creativity is self-giving,
And not hype, not success ... - said the poet.
However, Timofey Blokhin became a popular reader, a master of artistic expression. In the city where Vadim and Lida worked, his tour was soon expected.
In a word, everyone whom art "did not let go", sooner or later found himself in it. Those who realized that the theater in their life is an accompanying hobby found themselves in other activities. No one's studio years have gone in vain.
Lida constantly corresponded with Xana. Just like Denis, she graduated pedagogical institute and they made good teachers. With ease, both coped with the most difficult classes, were always armed with humor, knew how to captivate the imagination of the children. Denis and Ksana really organized a folk teacher's theater that flourished in their city.
Of those who have chosen a business far from the theater, famous person the once quiet, inconspicuous Nadia became. She was already the deputy director of a large plant, a deputy of the city council. However, as before, she did not miss a single premiere in the theater and said that this helped a lot in her work. “Without the theater and the studio,” she confessed to Ksana when they met, “I would not have learned to work with people, to understand them.”
Boba also worked at the same factory. To Ksana's question about how he works under Nadezhda, Boba said one word: "fair." And this was the exhaustive description of the student Galanova. Boba changed, became more thoughtful, less noisy, and also remembered the studio with gratitude. He said that it was then that he learned to live in a team, to be obligatory, punctual.
Anton, who did not enter the literary institute, really graduated from the sailor and became a "sea wolf". But he never abandoned the idea of dramaturgy. He was convinced in practice that one cannot write for the theater without knowing it, and nothing new can be said about the sea if you are not a sailor. On long, sometimes six-month flights, he always had the world of his imagination and a piece of paper with him. He sent Vadim versions of his play "Evening on the Road" one by one, until Vadim finally recognized it as complete and considered it possible to include it in the theater's repertory plan.
Little did the guys know only about Inga. According to rumors, she worked as a lecturer in the Knowledge Society in some city and they were pleased with her ...
And Vera Evgenievna still played in her theater and released two more groups of studio members. All her former students continued to live under her attentive gaze.
Lida leafed through telegrams, letters... Pictures of the past, faces rose before her eyes...
Meanwhile, in the auditorium, Vadim was dictating in a whisper to his assistant remarks to the artists, technical workshops, and, above all, to the newly introduced one. The debutant worked well. His role, in essence, ended in the first act, however, there was still a small exit near the finale. Vadim was not in the habit of leaving the auditorium during the performance, but this time he allowed himself an exception. He dismissed the assistant and entered his office. There was about an hour ahead. I muted the internal broadcast and sat down at the table. In my mind's eye, I ran through the events that have passed since graduation ...
... Student years are once in a lifetime. They were intense, tense. By the third year, Vadim began to look for a theater for himself, where to carry out a graduation performance. He tirelessly wrote to the most remote corners of the country. Finally, one of the Siberian theaters became interested in the opportunity to receive young specialist.
Of course, at first it was not easy: novice directors in any theater face considerable trials. But Vadim turned out to have enough character,
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