Do not know how to spend a free evening, and even to have fun and usefully? Soaps and popcorn are fed up, and beer with crayfish is not your option? Try to visit the theater! Yes, you didn’t hear, it was the theater. You can’t even imagine, we are addressing those who have never been to the theater before, how much the performance can be exciting, fascinating and interesting. And in order to help you make your choice, we have prepared for you a selection of the most popular, unfading, classical performances in the world of all times and peoples. You will see the most popular performances around the world.
Foreign masters of drama ...
1
"Romeo and Juliet". William Shakespeare
Kirsty Bushell and Edward Hogg in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ © Robert Workman
Not to put this world masterpiece from the genius of the English drama William Shakespeare on the list would be real blasphemy. The novel is familiar to each of us since the school program of foreign literature, but to read the play and see it on the stage are two big differences.
Each self-respecting theater director is simply obliged to stage this play and everyone sees it in their own way. Do you know that there is a production of this novel with a happy ending, but the English playwright James Howard has brought to life a new interpretation? And it was - this is in London in 1662.
2
"Crazy day or the marriage of Figaro." Beaumarchais
Florida Grand Opera [CC BY]
The best comedy in theatrical circles, which can be watched again and again. It is filled with sparkling humor, serious passions and piquant moments. “The Marriage of Figaro” will not make even the most inveterate cynic bored. For the first time, the world saw a production of the play back in 1874, at the Comedy Frances Theater in Paris.
The romantic story of the love triangle, and the plot of the play is that - the servant of the treacherous Count Almaviva, the merry fellow and joker Figaro decides to marry the beautiful maid of the strict Countess Rosina - Suzanne. But the count does not want this union and wants to upset the wedding, and turn Susanne into his beloved. And what of all this will come out, you will find out when you come to the performance, and in which theater it doesn’t matter.
3
"Dog in the manger". Lope de Vega
Shot from the play directed by Pavel Safronov.
The touching and at the same time comedic story of the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, entitled “Dog in the Hay,” has been gathering full halls for theater lovers for centuries. It was written back in 1618 and here again appears the love triangle.
The mature, but still full of strength and flowering Countess Diana Belflor sympathizes with the Secretary of Theodoro, but he seems to be in love with the servant of the widow Marcel. The play was first seen in Russia in 1891 at the Alexandrinsky Theater and since then this performance has been included in the program of almost all theaters in Russia.
4
"Tram" Desire "." Tennessee williams
Scene from the play "Tram" Desire "by the Saratov Drama Theater. Photo by: Zimin Vasily Gennadievich
An interesting and rather tragic play by the American playwright Tennessee Williams will not leave anyone indifferent, because the plot is unpredictable from beginning to end. The author finished his most famous work back in 1947, and she saw the light in December 3 of the same year at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in New York.
Exactly what is needed in the post-war years of devastation and decline, to get a bit away from reality and take a break from difficult everyday life. The first film adaptation caused a real sensation and was nominated for an Oscar in 1952. Well, if only the real pros were played by real pros Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh.
Tennessee Williams himself received the Pulitzer Prize for the play in 1948! Well, are you intrigued? Then we will not talk about the plot, see for yourself and enjoy.
5
"Pygmalion". Bernard Show
This story was written in the year of the collapse of the Titanic back in 1912 by one of the greatest poets in England, Bernard Shaw himself. And not going to this performance will be simply unforgivable, because the plot of the play is very easy to read, ironic and retains social significance today.
Here the theme of wealth and poverty is brightly and beautifully highlighted, and the neglect and inconsistency of some to others and vice versa is also shown. The plot is quite interesting: two friends made a bet saying that one of them, namely phonetics professor Henry Higgins, in six months will teach a simple girl from a poor family named Eliza a beautiful and correct pronunciation and present her in high society as a real duchess. But what comes out of all this, you will find out if you go to this play.
P.S. It is safe to say that all films with plots where the ugly girl turns into a princess are taken from this play, written in 1912.
6
"The servant of two masters." Carlo Goldoni
Fotograf im Auftrag der United States Information Agency (Pictorial Section der Information Services Branch (ISB)) [Public domain]
Remember the Soviet musical film, where the merry fellow and joker Truffaldino from Bergamo (played by Konstantin Raikin) sang his funny songs? This is the interpretation of a comedy play called “The Servant of Two Masters” by the Venetian poet and playwright Karl Goldoni.
A play was written specifically for the Medebak troupe, which first presented the play in 1749 in Milan. The plot is very interesting and ambiguous, although a little predictable, but let’s say one thing will not be boring and, as it should be at the end, a happy ending will come.
Russian masters of drama ...
7
"Three sisters". Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
Photo by: Epiphany [CC BY]
Classics of the genre - yes, classics of the genre. You can’t argue with that! And the plays of this ingenious poet are part of the golden collection of Russian drama. The play “Three Sisters” itself was already written by order of the Moscow Art Drama Theater and was played there on January 31, 1901, where it was a stunning success.
What is most interesting is that this play by Anton Chekhov has not left the stage of both Russian and foreign theaters for more than a hundred years, and every director who respects himself must take it to his repertoire.
8
“At the bottom” (Maxim Gorky)
Maxim Gorky’s social drama “At the Bottom” was written at the beginning of 1902 and raised questions of an impoverished and wretched society that were very unpleasant and objectionable to the tsarist government, which was why the play was banned on the imperial theater stage in St. Petersburg. But from this she did not become less popular among the common people.
Today, its significance and popularity have also not lost their meaning, and a variety of productions and interpretations of the play with the ironic name “At the Bottom” can be seen in any theater in the country. So go for it and watch ageless masterpieces from your native classics. TheBiggest.ru recommends!
9
"Woe from Wit." Alexander Griboedov
The poetic tragicomedy of Alexander Griboedov firmly entered the Russian drama and took its place of honor there, and the fans long ago made out the poetic text into famous quotes. The play was written in 1822 and combines the elements of classicism, romanticism and realism, touches on the eternal problems of secular society as such.
Here ironic humor and satire are closely intertwined, showing the viewer all the shortcomings of the Moscow aristocracy. The plot includes a love triangle, which already promises to be quite interesting.
10
The Examiner. Nikolay Gogol
In the photo: I. I. Sosnitsky - the first performer of the role of the mayor in the comedy of N.V. Gogol "The Examiner".
“The examiner is coming to us!” It seems that even a small child knows this phrase, but why? Because Gogol’s novel “The Examiner” is so famous that it’s simply impossible not to know about it.
Comedy came out great! It is absolutely necessary to watch this performance at least once in your life, and the pleasure of watching is guaranteed. The author wrote a comedy in five acts in 1835 and they say that the idea of a deceiver to the auditor was suggested to him by none other than Alexander Pushkin himself. The premiere of the performance took place on April 19, 1836 at the Alexandrinsky Theater and from that day on, the Inspector General did not leave the stage.
11
"Master and Margarita". Michael Bulgakov
Photo by: Schekinov Alexey Victorovich [CC BY-SA]
Bulgakov’s mystical and unfinished novel causes interest and admiration in someone, and genuine fear and apprehension in someone. This production always gathers full halls of the audience and is no wonder, because it is difficult to come up with a more complicated and mysterious plot.
Not all actors agree to play in this play, believing in its magical power, and those who have already played all their troubles attribute it to participation in this performance. But is it really so, it’s impossible to find out.
The author himself began several times and quit writing his novel, never having finished it, what his wife did for him. In order not to read the novel, but still find out how the love story of the witch and her teacher ends, you can simply go to this popular performance.
12
"War and Peace". Lev Tolstoy
© 1956 Paramount / wikipedia.org
Leo Tolstoy began to write his famous work in 1856 and conceived the plot completely different from what it turned out in the end. Lev Nikolaevich wanted to write about the Decembrist, who returns home from exile, but something went wrong ... This legendary epic novel is simply impossible not to remember, because the thickness of the volumes of this work has always scared schoolchildren from all over the Union, as it was part of the compulsory reading program .
But what a wonderful play it turned out is impossible to convey, you just need to see for yourself. The tender Natasha Rostova, the absent-minded Pierre Bezukhov and the handsome Andrei Bolkonsky drive the viewer crazy with their gallantry, intelligence, aristocracy and manners. And around the war, blood and pain, because in the courtyard of 1812 and Napoleon was attacking Russia.
13
"Crime and Punishment". Fedor Dostoevsky
In the photo: Dolly Haas and John Gilgood in the play Crime and Punishment
The author wrote this sociological and philosophical novel in 1865-1866, but the idea of creating it spun in the poet’s mind in 1863. The plot of the novel is familiar to everyone from the school bench, because he was part of the school curriculum in Russian literature, but to read and see for yourself is completely different things.
An interesting meaning lies in the play itself, because the main character Rodion Raskolnikov divided people into “those” and “not those” and committed a brutal murder, at first did not repent and did not see the negative in him, what was happening in his head? But this is psychology! It’s definitely worth a look!
Finally
It is simply impossible to tell you about all the performances and performances, because there are a huge number of them. We have selected for you the most famous, beloved and popular among theater-goers, and we recommend that you start with them. But only you decide what, where and how to watch, and we wish you a pleasant viewing!
You can also diversify your leisure time by going to a rock opera, musical, circus or ballet, but more on that in our next articles. But if we suddenly lose sight of your favorite play, thebiggest.ru editorial office expects you to comment. Write what, in your opinion, popular performances we have bypassed.
Article author: Victoria Kopivskaya