by Andrei Bitov
A Leningrad Odyssey in one act
The Masterskaya Theatre and the International Association Zhivaya Klassika present a show based on the eponymous short story by Andrei Bitov.
Written in the 1960s, the story is a masterpiece of 20th-century Russian prose.
Dobyshev is waiting for his paycheck to come in the afternoon. In order to pass the time, he goes for a walk through Petersburg (Leningrad in Bitov's story). In a dark gateway he meets a girl and just about falls in love with her. However, once they step into the light, he realizes that she's not at all like the girl he expected to see: she's eccentric, ugly and strangely dressed. Dobyshev feels ashamed to be seen with such an unattractive companion and tries to get rid of her. But once he takes his leave of her he realizes that he's become a victim of popular stereotypes, that he lives with others in mind.
Grigory Kozlov has staged a production that analyzes the phenomenon of contemporary man, living in an age of false values and forgery; striving for success, for glamour, depending on the opinions of others, bereft of internal freedom and incapable of making a decision or taking action.
Duration: 1 hour with no interval
Director – Grigory Kozlov
