Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The new play "Melpomene’s Tales" has been prepared as part of a joint project between the State Academic Russian Drama Theater of Uzbekistan and the Baltic House Theater-Festival (St. Petersburg).

On 6 July, the play was presented. The premiere, directed by Russian director Viktor Bugakov, is multifaceted and offers a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world, featuring a bouquet of Anton Chekhov’s works.

The play is unique in that it is based on the play "Swan Song" and a collection of stories by the famous writer, who truthfully and with Chekhov’s distinctive kind irony, portrays people of the theater, especially actors. It highlights their vulnerability and sensitivity, their capacity for intrigue, and their sincere remorse. The fate of actors is ambiguous, as expressed by one of the main characters, the comic Svetlovidov, who has dedicated many years to the stage. Actors are both idols of the audience and slaves to someone else’s game. People of this vocation are always special.

Chekhov’s characters are surprisingly recognizable and relevant today. This is because, according to the director, Anton Chekhov was a writer ahead of his time. His insights are more comprehensible than ever for various reasons.

"It seems to me that Chekhov anticipated the era of documentary theater, as he was a very observant person, noting life’s nuances with the precision of a doctor and truthfully conveying them in his works. Today, I feel that theater requires the same level of observation and truth," notes Viktor Bugakov.

The play is also interesting for its unusual scenography: the world is divided into the backstage with its actor’s life and relationships, and the auditorium, which is not lively and full of people, but nighttime, deserted, and magical. The hall responds to the characters’ addresses in various ways, sometimes applauding, sometimes scaring them with an unusual echo. These techniques are mesmerizing and keep the audience in suspense.

Despite rehearsing under challenging conditions due to ongoing renovations at the theater, the play turned out to be very interesting. According to the director, this was largely due to the formation of a real ensemble during the rehearsal period, where people understood each other well and connected on a subtle level.

The creators of the play succeeded in depicting a world full of events, emotions, and the mysteries of human personality. Each character brings their own life, views, and relationships to the stage. All of this centers around the theater, its values, and challenges. The choice of a theatrical theme for the premiere was deliberate, as noted by the Russian director.

"The theater wanted Chekhov, and I wrote the adaptation based on his theatrical stories. This choice is related to the upcoming anniversary season of the Russian Drama Theater of Uzbekistan, and we decided to make such a gift to the theater for its anniversary. This play is about the theater, the theatrical world, our profession, and the people immersed in this profession, their fates. Chekhov in his theatrical stories spoke about special people, about this special world that sometimes tempts a person, and sometimes makes them more beautiful and profound. The person of art is a special theme," says Bugakov.

"Melpomene’s Tales" will offer the audience a creative revelation about the theatrical world and reveal the contemporary resonance of Chekhov’s words on the stage of the Russian Drama Theater of Uzbekistan.