Tonight, on February 13, 2016, the role of Katerina Ivanovna in the production of «Crime and Punishment will be performed for the first time by Xenia Teplova.

On February 23 in 26 cities of Russia will premiere new project TeatrZHIV / TheatreALIVE featuring live broadcast of the best Moscow theatre productions to the regional movie theatres. As the first submission for the broadcast was chosen one of the most successful productions of the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre, a modern English comedy «No. 13 (D)» based on the play by Ray Cooney, a new version of the famous staging of famous actor and director Vladimir Mashkov.

Igor Vernik, Distinguished artist of the Russian Federation, is playing the leading role in No. 13 (D): «I am sure that the audience who will be watching our performance in the cinema will get the same pleasure as our theatregoers. It is after all an unbelievably funny show that both the cast and the audience simply love. For many years, „No. 13D“ has been one of the most popular theatre productions. I wish I could join the audience in a movie theatre myself, but, unfortunately, can't do that. When the curtain opens, I'll be on the other side — on the stage of the Moscow Art Theatre!»

TheatreALIVE project is produced by the Russian Culture Foundation. Several  most popular in Moscow and rather diverse productions have been selected to inaugurate the project. One of the objectives of the “TheatreALIVE” is to demonstrate in the regions the diversity of contemporary theatre scene. The project combines entertainment with educational and cultural components. The program provides for the transition from simple to complex, from Russian classics to the European avant-garde productions as featured in Moscow. Such an approach would help to gradually prepare the viewing audience to perceive more complex, innovative, avant-garde theatrical productions of experimental theatres. The first year program includes productions of the Chekhov Moscow Art, The Sovremennik, Fomenko Atelier, Vakhtangov Theatre, Electrotheatre Stanislavsky, Pushkin Theatre, Gogol Center, Soundrama, Studio of Theatre Art, Russian Youth Theatre, and Meyerhold Center. The artistic quality of the productions included in the program is warranted not only by the stellar cast, but by numerous reviews and high praise of the professional community.

Anna Mikhalkova, Creative Director of the Russian Culture Foundation:"The best Moscow productions are largely not suitable for touring to the regions. Firstly, there are no appropriate venues that could accommodate big theatre companies. Secondly, touring major productions means having considerable budget that not every city could afford. Our project is an attempt to solve this problem, and to invite regional viewers to watch the best of Moscow theatre scene live.

Theatre admirers who live far away from Moscow of theatrical art living in the regions far from the rich diversity of the repertoire that Moscow playbill is offering, will become the audience of metropolitan productions. Shooting will be handled by 6 to 8 cameras with soundtrack being recorded simultaneously with the video shooting. Thanks to the satellite signal we will be able to transmit high quality TV pictures to an audience of more than 16,000 people. Full immersion into the performance, an incredible feeling of things happening “here and now”, will allow each audience member in front of a big screen to feel part of a common cultural environment. Upcoming TheatreALIVE broadcasting will be much more than just visiting to the theater. The audience in the regions will enjoy the opportunity to get closer to theatrical life, watch the intermission interviews with the actors and the director, find out what is happening backstage during the performance and what does it take to prep the show for the performance. Such movie/theater format is intended to attract new viewers, primarily young people, who in the future could become frequent visitors both to local theatres and to the broadcasting series.

Producer Stanislav Shapovalov:"Direct theatre streaming is exactly the kind of alternative content that they have been long talking about in the film industry. It is another reason for a wider audience to visit the movie theatre while at the same time expanding the theatre audience ranks. The first company to launch theatre live broadcasts was the Metropolitan Opera with its The Met: Live in HD series.  Later, thanks to Theatre HD, live broadcast came in Russia, and now all various streaming formats, like concerts, performances and even exhibitions, are available in movie theatres around the country. However, most of the broadcast is featuring foreign productions. The main objective of our project, TheatreALIVE, is promoting Russian theatre using the through modern technology.

Future plans of TheatreALIVE project include creating educational events around the broadcasts – like the exhibitions of theatre artists and photographers in the regions, meet-the-artist series, master classes and more. All these activities will help viewers better understand the productions, as well as prepare them for more complicated programming of some experimental theatres of Moscow.

Please follow TheatreALIVE on the web:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/teatrvkino/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/teatrvkino/
Vkontakte https://vk.com/teatrvkino

Today Honored Artist of Russia Nikolai Simonov is celebrating his 55th birthday. He has joined Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre in 2002, along with Kirill Serebrennikov, for the production of Terrorism.  Their creative tandem started back in 1990es in Rostov-on-Don, where for 12 years Nikolai was the Head of Design at the Youth Theatre. Terrorism, Petty Bourgeoisie, Playing a Victim, The Forest, The Golovlevs, The Last Day of the Summer, Leading Ladies, The Pillowman, Threepenny Opera, The Lark, Master and Margarita, Let's Start All Over Again, The Bass, A Streetcar Named Desire, 19.14, The Village Of Fools, The Rebels — all those productions are part of his Moscow Art portfolio. He has designed the Stanislavsky tribute, Out of the System, and Oleg Tabakov Gala performances (2005, 2010, 2015), as well as numerous poetry and musical nights on the Main Stage of the Moscow Art.  He has also designed our new official website and our production posters.

Nikolai has authored more than 100 productions at the Tabakov, Sovremennik, Malaya Bronnaya, Junior Theatre, Center of Playwriting and Directing, Pushkin Theatre, 814 Stage Partnership, The Nations Theatre, Mariinsky, Mikhailovsk, Novaya Opera, Voronezh Chamber Theater, Saratov Youth, Krasnodar Drama and Krasnodar Junior, Vologda Drama, Russian Theatre of Estonia. Long-time collaborator of Kirill Serebrennikov, Marina Brusnikina, Mikhail Bychkov, Pavel Safonov, he has also worked with Galina Volchek, Yury Butusov, Yevgeny Pisarev, Nikolai Skorik, Alla Sigalova, Sergey Golomazov, Vasily Barhatov, Janos Szasz, Vasily Sigarev, Adrian Džurdžia, Alexander Khukhlin, Gleb Cherepanov, Roman Feodori, Alexander Molochnikov, Zhenya Berkovich, Alexander Marin, and other directors. He has collaborated with Kirill Serebrennikov on several large-scale special projects within the framework of Territoriя Festival, The Cherry Orchard Festival and Vladimir Spivakov Invites series.  Among his recent productions is also Generation Mowgli produced by MTS and Konstantin Khabensky Charitable Foundation (directed by Ainur Safiullin).

Some of Nikolai Simonov projects outside the theatre include developing the renovation concept of the Venevitinov Estate Museum in Voronezh Oblast.

Nikolai Simonov is the recipient of numerous awards, including Junior Triumph (2002), Crystal Turandot (2005), The Seagull (2005), Tabakov Award (2004, 2008, 2013, 2015). In 2015 he was awarded the Government of Russia Prize in the field of culture.

We at the Moscow Art wholeheartedly congratulate Nikolai Simonov with the anniversary and wish him happiness, health, inspired creativity and success!

Moscow Art Theatre productions “Jeweler's Jubilee“ directed by Konstantin Bogomolov, and „Mephisto” directed by Adolf Shapiro are part of the shortlist of the Theatre Union Staple of the Season Award. Other productions included in the contest are The Flight, directed by Yuri Butusov at the Vakhtangov Theatre, Hero of Our Time, directed by Kirill Serebrennikov at The Bolshoi, and Nurenberg, directed by Alexey Borodin at the Junior Theatre. The winner will be announced on February 29th at the award ceremony traditionally taking place at the Na Strastnom Arts Center.