Яков Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 2 курс

6. The audience. (What kind of people did it consist of? How did they receive the

performance?)

R e m i n d e r: if is surprising to meet a play about ordinary people caught up in ordinary

events, the author shows a remarkable talent for writing dialogue which is entertaining and witty,

the characters are pleasant (humorous, ordinary); one brief scene forms the climax of the play, the

characters act out a fantasy, the audience is made to think: until almost the final curtain; splendid

direction; it was one of the finest renderings of this part I've ever heard; I hear the scenery was

planned and designed by ...; his musical talent is quite exceptional, his playing sometimes reminds

me of...; the highlight of the evening was ...

b) Make up dialogues discussing the points above.

VIII. a) Supply articles where necessary:

Chekhov's play "... Sea-gull" was first staged in ... Alexan-drinsky Theatre in... Petersburg. It

was ... complete failure.... play was ruined by ... dull and ... clumsy production. It was staged in ...

"good old traditions" whereas ... Chekhov's plays were quite unlike any other plays written before

and demanded ... new forms and devices.... Petersburg audience did not understand "... Sea-gull."

There was ... laughter in most poetical scenes and many of... audience left long before ... end of ...

play. It was ... cruel blow to Chekhov. However, in... Moscow Art Theatre, which was not ... year old

then (it was in 1898), ... same play directed by K. S. Stanislavsky was ... tremendous success....

Stanislavsky's production of "... Sea-gull" opened ... new epoch in ... history of ... theatre and

symbolized... triumph of... new and ... progressive forms over ... old ones.

In ... memory of that event... white sea-gull spreads its wings on ... curtain of ... Moscow Art

Theatre.

b) Answer the following questions:

1. When and where was Chekhov's "Sea-gull" first staged? 2. Why did it fail? 3. Why was it

that the same play was a tremendous success in the Art Theatre? 4. Why did the Art Theatre choose

the sea-gull for its emblem?

IX. a) Give a free translation of the following passage. Make use of the English

phrases given at the end:

Обстоятельства, при которых ставилась «Чайка», были сложны и тяжелы. Дело в том,

что Антон Павлович Чехов серьезно заболел. У него произошло осложнение туберкулезного

процесса. При этом душевное состояние его было таково, что он не перенес бы вторичного

провала «Чайки», подобного тому, какой произошел при первой ее постановке в Петербурге.

Неуспех спектакля мог оказаться гибельным для самого писателя. Об этом нас предупреждала

его до слез взволнованная сестра Мария Павловна, умолявшая нас об отмене спектакля.

Между тем, он был нам до зарезу необходим, так как материальные дела театра шли плохо и

для поднятия сборов требовалась новая постановка. Предоставляю читателю судить о том

состоянии, с которым мы, артисты, выходили играть пьесу на премьере, собравшей далеко не

полный зал. Стоя на сцене, мы прислушивались к внутреннему голосу, который шептал нам:

«Играйте хорошо, великолепно, добейтесь успеха, триумфа. А если вы его не добьетесь, то

знайте, что по получении телеграммы любимый вами писатель умрет, казненный вашими

руками. Вы станете его палачами».

Как мы играли — не помню. Первый акт кончился при гробовом молчании

зрительного зала. Одна из артисток упала в обморок, я сам едва держался на ногах от

отчаяния. Но вдруг, после долгой паузы, в публике поднялся рёв, треск, бешеные

аплодисменты. Занавес пошел ... раздвинулся ... опять задвинулся, а мы стояли, как

обалделые. Потом снова рев ... и снова занавес ... Мы все стояли неподвижно, не соображая,

что нам надо раскланиваться. Наконец, мы почувствовали успех и, неимоверно

взволнованные, стали обнимать друг друга. М. А. Лялиной, которая играла Машу и своими

заключительными словами пробила лед в сердцах зрителей, мы устроили овацию. Успех рос с

каждым актом и окончился триумфом. Чехову была послана подробная телеграмма.

(Станиславский К. С. Моя жизнь в искусстве)

Use the following:

the circumstances ... were complicated and painful, his deep depression, he might have not

survived another failure, implored us to cancel the performance, we badly needed it, to raise the box

office returns, the inner voice, murdered by your own hands, the first act concluded amid death-like

silence, to faint, I was on my last legs, there was an uproar, a crash, a storm of applause, the curtain

went up ... then down again, we were standing stunned, we were supposed to take the curtain-calls,

melted the ice, to cheer, each act heightened the success.

b) What can you say about the significance of the event described above for

the history of Russian and world theatre?

X. a) Read Sir Laurence Olivier's answers given by him in a newspaper

interview:

Q u e s t i o n : How has television affected the theatre?

A n s w e r : Well, its popularity means that millions of people take drama for granted.

With hours and hours every week, the viewer can have a bellyful of drama. If you're going to attract

a man and his wife away from their TV set on a winter's night, and hold them to a play in a theatre,

you've got to grip them and keep them gripped.

Now, you do have certain advantages in the theatre. The telly is perfect for the things that

have been specially built for it. But the TV screen cannot give you the peculiar condition of the

theatre, where we are allowed to get back to life-size people in relation.

Q.: Is there any particular hobby-horse that you ride in your work as actor and director?

A.: I rely greatly on rhythm. I think that is one thing I understand — the exploitation of

rhythm, change of speed of speech, change of time, change of expression, change of pace in crossing

the stage. Keep the audience surprised, shout when they're not expecting it, keep them on their toes