The Mossovet Theatre recently marked a century of stage excellence with the premiere of Old-Fashioned Comedy staged by Honored Artist of Russia Vladimir Skvortsov. The production was unveiled on the Under the Roof stage, a fitting venue as the theater paused to celebrate its 100th anniversary. A summary from the theatre’s press service noted that this performance invites the audience to reconsider the classic work by Alexei Arbuzov with fresh eyes and new emotional resonance.
The director, Skvortsov, describes theatre as poetry that shows up even in the most disciplined productions. He emphasizes a search for lightness and humor alongside the craft that defines his approach. This balance anchors the show as a performance that respects tradition while inviting modern sensibilities to engage with the material.
The leading roles are inhabited by esteemed performers Irina Klimova and Vladimir Maizinger, both recognized as Honored Artists of Russia. The narrative centers on two lonely, middle-aged individuals who wrestle with personal challenges and long for connection. Through their interactions, the play charts a path from isolation to mutual understanding, offering a hopeful look at how shared vulnerability can bridge gaps between disparate lives.
The material has a storied history that midwives a long thread through Russian cinema and theatre. In 1979, the film adaptation of Old-Fashioned Comedy brought to the screen the same core relationships, led by Alisa Freindlikh and Igor Vladimirov. The stage version builds on that legacy, translating the intimate dynamics of the story into a live, intimate experience where audience perception shifts as the actors explore the range of human emotion on stage.
Earlier artistic currents also found resonance with this work when Andrei Konchalovsky moved Scenes from Married Life into a Russian context during the 1990s, with performances that featured Yulia Vysotskaya. The present production continues that tradition of recontextualizing a well known narrative to reflect contemporary sensibilities while honoring the original material. The result is a theatre piece that speaks across generations, inviting audiences to reflect on their own relationships and the quiet power of connection that emerges in the most ordinary moments.