Interesting children's plays

With surprisingly “live” performances for children from 10 months “First Snow” and “Water”. Also collaborating with the project is director Marfa Horvitz, the author of the interactive play “Tales from Mom’s Bag” that participated in the Golden Mask festival. Baby Scene’s own productions are “I Make the World,” where civilization is born from a piece of paper. Also for children from 1.5 years old, the play “The Caterpillar” by graduates of the experimental course of the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (GITIS) is addressed.

Project "First Theater"

Venues: a tent in the foyer of the Russian State Children's Library, in the Mamas’ Place family clubs in the Garage CSK, Theater "Fanny Bell's House"family center “Izbushka Family”, children's center "Logos", "Vedogon-theater" and El Theater Studio.
From 1 year

The First Theater creates performances that introduce children aged 1 to 4 years to the structure of the world around them - the most popular are interactive plays about snow and water. An artist, director and actors work on the productions. The performances use water and other natural elements, as well as modern theatrical devices such as projections. Sometimes at performances it sounds live music. During the performance, kids can communicate with the actor and directly influence the course of the plot.

Theater for the little ones Baby Lab (Baby Lab)

Theater "Together with Mom"
20 branches of “Together with Mom” in different districts of Moscow
From 1 year

The oldest Moscow project, whose specialization is live concerts and chamber performances for children from 1 to 4 years old with their parents. During performances you can walk around the hall, lie on the floor, communicate and touch the characters, and actively participate in the performance. Authors of the performances – professional actors and musicians also use tactile impressions, using sand and water. The plots of the performances are kind and instructive, but just enough to be understandable to children. An unconditional hit of the repertoire is the play “How the Worms Saved Spring.” Other performances are no less good, so it is better to buy tickets in advance; the theater is always sold out. Performances are staged in 20 branches of the “Together with Mom” project.

Moscow Puppet Theater

m. Baumanskaya
From 1 year

The oldest puppet theater in the capital, the Moscow Puppet Theater, was founded in 1930. Performances are held at three venues: in the small and large halls, as well as in the games room, which is located in the foyer. It is in the foyer that performances and programs “Theater on the Palm” are held, addressed to the youngest children from 1 year old. Children are shown performances “Spring”, “Summer”, “Autumn”, “Winter”. These performances are interactive - in the spring you can splash through puddles, and in the winter you can touch the ice.

Moscow children's theater puppets

m. Begovaya
From 2 years

The Moscow Children's Puppet Theater is a theater with more than 25 years of history. The theater's repertoire includes 13 puppet shows, some of which are addressed to viewers aged 2 years and older. For example, interactive musical fairy tale“The Three Merry Little Pigs”, a musical based on “Kolobok” - “Aunt Lusha and the Kolobok Vanyusha” and others.
Performances of the Moscow Children's Puppet Theater are held on the stage of the Center for Drama and Direction on Begovaya.

Children's puppet theater "Poteshki"
m. Kurskaya
From 1 year

IN puppet theater“Rhyme Nurseries” are staged by professional directors and actors with the active participation of child psychologists. Today the repertoire of the Poteshki Theater includes four puppet shows, three of which are suitable for children: the musical fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs” (from 1 year), the play “Geese-Swans” (from 2 years), the popular folk tale “Teremok” (from 1 year), as well as New Year's programs for children from 2 years old. The performances are interactive: children not only watch the events, but also take an active part in what is happening.

Puppet theater Teatrik.com (Teatrik.com)
m. Novogoreevo, Vykhino, RIO shopping center, Vegas shopping center
From 10 months

The Theater.com repertoire includes several interactive musical performances for children from 6-12 months: “Kolobok”, “Three Merry Little Pigs”, “Naughty Kitten”. The play “Goat-dereza” will be interesting for children from 1.5 years old. During the New Year holidays, children are shown thematic performances - for example, New Year's fairy tales.

Theater "Semitsvetik"
m. Timiryazevskaya
From 6 months

The theater recently turned 4 years old; its repertoire includes three performances for the little ones. The atmosphere in the theater is intimate and cozy, the actors are young. Semitsvetik invites babies over 6 months to visit premiere performance"It's time to sleep!" and a performance created from real balls of cozy wool, “A Wool Tale.” And for children from 2 years old - puppet show By stories of the same name G. Oster “A Kitten Named Woof.”

Interactive theater " Living fairy tale»
SEC RIO (Reutov), ​​SEC "Vegas"
From 2 years

Interactive chamber theater“Living Fairy Tale” was opened for the youngest spectators. Children from 2 years old are invited to the performances: “The Three Little Pigs” based on an English folk tale, “Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka” based on Russian folk tales, musical performance"Duckling".

Interactive baby theater
m. Belorusskaya
From 8 months

Interactive baby theater is chamber mini-performances for children from 8 months to 3 years. There is no classical scene here and auditorium, because children at this age are very restless. Kids can position themselves in any way that suits them. The productions have no words or complex plot, only emotions and actions that kids can understand. The uniqueness of the performances lies in large quantities interactive inclusions.

Children's educational theater "Comics"
m. Kuznetsky Most
From 2 years

The educational and educational Theater "Comics" traces its history back to 1985. Performances and game programs theater will help parents explain to their child the world. Each performance of “Comics” is a theatrical response to the endless “why?” a growing child. Why can't you stick your fingers into a socket? Why are “matches not a toy for children”? Why “don’t talk to strangers on the street”? Many edifying parental guidelines in the performances of “Comics” turn into a fascinating guide for little ones to the big adult world.

For the first time in the history of the Golden Mask theater award, children's plays staged by four students of Sergei Zhenovach at RAMT were nominated for it. Trud believes that, despite some positive changes, it is still difficult to find good children's productions in Moscow.

Until recently, parents who wanted to send their children to the theater had little choice, even in a metropolis like Moscow. The first thing that came to the minds of mothers and fathers, as well as grandparents, were these dinosaurs children's repertoire, How " Blue bird"at the Gorky Moscow Art Theater and "The Scarlet Flower" at the Pushkin Theater, to which they themselves were taken 30, 50 and more years ago. “The Scarlet Flower” has been running for 60 years, and in January the 4000th performance of this fairy tale by Aksakov will be performed, and “The Blue Bird” based on Maeterlinck’s play celebrated its centenary in 2008. And yet, it is much more difficult for a modern child to be captivated by the adventures of Tiltil and Mytyl in a fairytale forest or Nastenka in an enchanted palace: accustomed to inventive computer games, they haven’t seen anything like this.

Parents who want to teach their child to go to the theater from an early age can sometimes become desperate. Most of the children's performances in Moscow and beyond are dull, archaic "Tyuzyatina" or simply outright hackwork. Performances that speak to children modern language, - just a few units.

Trud studied the Moscow poster and determined best performances, where parents won’t have to blush in front of their children.

1-4. Project “Young Directors for Children”

About what: The artistic director of the theater, Alexei Borodin, called four young directors who had been trained in Sergei Zhenovach’s course, and they staged modern, smart and joyful performances, which were put forward as a single “package” to “ Golden mask" These are the performances “How the Cat Walked Where He Wanted” (pictured) based on Kipling’s fairy tale (directed by Sigrid Ström Reibo), “The Fearless Master” based on a Russian folk tale (directed by Marfa Gorvitz-Nazarova), “The Magic Ring” based on the fairy tale by Boris Shergin (directed by Alexander Khukhlin), “Almost for Real” based on the fairy tale by Toon Tellegen (directed by Ekaterina Polovtseva). Adults will have as much fun as children.

For whom: For children from 7 years

5. "Alice Through the Looking Glass"

Where: “Workshop of Pyotr Fomenko”

About what: one of the most talented students of Pyotr Fomenko, director Ivan Popovski created a spectacle unprecedented beauty using the most advanced multimedia technologies. Cane puppets and glowing objects are used. Children watch with their mouths open, and when leaving the hall, they say: “This is cooler than Avatar.” There is a lot of music performed by artists of the Elena Kamburova Theater.

For whom: For children from 7 years

6. “Purely English ghost”

Where: Russian Academic Youth Theater

About what: Director Alexander Nazarov in 2005 staged the fairy tale “The Canterville Ghost” by Oscar Wilde. This is a real show for family viewing. The younger ones are captivated by the friendship between little Virginia and the sad ghost, and the parents are amused by how toys that look like people come to life.

For whom: For children from 7 years

Where: “School of Contemporary Play”

About what: folk-rock-rap-pop fantasy, staged in 2002 on the theme of the best-selling book by Grigory Oster. “If you are invited to dinner, proudly hide under the sofa” - this and a dozen other bad tips from popular poet for all occasions.

For whom: for children from 9 years old

8. R.-L. Stevenson "Treasure Island"

Where: Pushkin Theater

About what: a lot of music, fighting and dancing. This large-scale spectacle, staged in 1996 by the young director Evgeny Pisarev, is intended for those who love adventure and dream of mastering the mysterious map of treasure island.

For whom: for children from 9 years old

9. “The Incredible Adventures of T.S. and G.F.”

About what: Behind the mysterious initials in the title of the play, staged by Henrietta Yanovskaya, are Mark Twain's characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. A spectacle with a lot of humor and exciting adventures.

For whom: for children from 9 years old

10. “The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats”

Where: Moscow Theater for Young Spectators

About what: a short story that captures the carefree and cocky childhood of the main characters, the tenderness and warmth of their older relatives and the large cheerful company of their friends. And also songs by Rybnikov and Entin, which can make any performance a sell-out.

For whom: For children from 5 years old

11. "Two Trees"

Where: Shadow Theater

About what: The performances of the Shadow Theater are good for everyone, except that you need to sign up for them in advance, since they are designed for groups of five people. The Lilikan people, invented by Ilya Epelbaum and Maya Krasnopolskaya, are so small in stature that they fit into a small box. To see the performance romantic love a beautiful princess and a king of gold placers, about an evil and treacherous yellow dwarf who lived in an orange tree, and a cruel desert fairy who separated the lovers, the Lilikansky Theater must be surrounded on all sides.

For whom: for children from 6 years old with adults

12. "Pinocchio"

Where: Praktika Theater

About what: Frenchman Joël Pomerat is one of the leaders of European directing, whose performances take part in the most prestigious festivals. Pinocchio is a smart, inventive and slightly dark fantasy based on the classic fairy tale by Carlo Collodi, staged this season by Joël Pomerat at the invitation of Eduard Boyakov.

For whom: for children from 10 years old

It’s great that in our life – realistic, selfish and increasingly virtual – there is a place for romanticism. And it doesn’t matter that it’s only in the theater. Production according to one of the most best books in the genre of “cloak and sword” by the French classic Théophile Gautier is a great success. Most likely, the modern teenager in best case scenario has an idea of ​​this direction in art from the film about “The Three Musketeers”. Gautier's novel is not so popular - and it's a shame! After all, it is he who represents the pearl of the adventure-romantic style.

It has everything: intrigue, bandits, fights, disguises, kidnappings, villains and lovers. Agree that such a set can attract even a skeptical viewer in a difficult transitional age. But the main character in the Workshop’s performance is still the theater: the theater according to Shakespeare, which, as you know, is the whole world, and the people in it are actors.

Sometimes you need to not be afraid to “leave the room”, go on a journey and find yourself by trying on a different role. This is exactly what he does main character- the young, poor Baron de Sigognac, went on a journey with a troupe of traveling artists. Following his lover, a theater actress, he becomes a mask: Captain Fracasse.

I went to the performance with only one concern: I was embarrassed by its duration. “Captain Fracasse” starts at seven in the evening and ends closer to eleven. She was worried not about herself, but about the children. It turned out - in vain! They looked great and, according to their own impressions, they weren’t bored for a single minute. The performance is incredibly spectacular, in which theatricality is raised to the third degree: lush, spreading costumes, which, on the one hand, refer to the era of Louis XIII, and on the other, of course, echo the masks of the Venice Carnival - immortal comedy Del arte. The main “trick” of the scenery, which helps to catch the main motive perpetual motion, the path of a traveling theater troupe (and indeed of life), are three travelators on stage. Remember? There are moving stepless paths that allow pedestrians to move faster. The characters of the play move along them. Very succinct and accurate.

The roles are all bright and characteristic. The main villain, the baron’s rival, is especially beautiful. You will die laughing. In Gautier's novel, after being on the brink of death, he suddenly (according to all the laws of the genre) realizes his crimes and becomes noble hero. In the play, he seems to get a little crazy and does terribly funny things.

The play “Ruslan and Lyudmila” was created in an ironic, caustic style. After all, the poem itself was originally conceived with elements of parody (on Zhukovsky’s ballad “The Twelve Sleeping Virgins”). Pushkin deliberately ironically belittled the noble images of Zhukovsky and inserted humorous, grotesque details into the narrative. In the play, the image of Pushkin is humorous, hooligan, mocking, but very sensual.

Here, fearless heroes and Ruslan saddle mops and brooms instead of horses, put dented buckets on their heads and fight with toy swords. Well-fed Farlaf with a large red mustache terribly resembles either Barmaley or Gerard Depardieu in the role of Obelix. Chernomor's beard looks more like a long one New Year's garland, and the “cherished ring” for Lyudmila is kept in a kinder surprise.

The performance is performed on a small stage in the new Workshop building, which, as you know, has a secret. The audience in the hall has a perspective of the lower theater foyer with its volumetric geometric architecture: steps, balcony, columns, openings, ceilings. In addition to the architecture of the foyer, on the stage there is a tree-column with a chain - “green oak” and knots-steps, as well as a wooden inclined platform, which acts as a kind of shelter. And it's all! The rest is a game of imagination. If this is a meeting between Ruslan and old Finn, then you just need to listen, and the light echo and sound of dripping water will take you to the old man’s remote cave. If this is the domain of Chernomor with beautiful waterfalls and gardens, then these are flowing fabrics and real oranges scattered across the stage. And if this is the principality of Vladimir, then this is an ordinary long feast table, which, if desired, is divided into two halves (the promised “half of the kingdom of our great-grandfathers”).

Everything seems to be not serious here. This is a kind of comic book classic theme, which will definitely appeal to a capricious teenager: he will get acquainted with the immortal plot, and will master the school curriculum in literature, and will enjoy it.

“The Cannibal” is based on the play of the same name by contemporary Canadian playwright Suzanne Lebeau. The plot is not inferior to a thriller: there is a strange secret, and increasing tension, and an unexpected outcome. A mother and son live far from people, in the forest. He is huge at 6 years old, and responds to an unusual, homely nickname - Ogre. She is dissolved in love for only child, intimidated by an aggressive world, but a proud woman with a mysterious past.

This story contains hidden meanings addressed to today’s younger generation and their parents. Here is overprotection of a child - fears that devour adults; and the struggle with passions and desires in children who suddenly matured. The play is performed on the small stage of the theater: everything is very close (the action takes place at arm's length) and very truthful, sometimes to the point of a lump in the throat, to tears. It's almost always dark and a little scary.

The performance is based on the play “At the Ark at Eight” by the famous German playwright, director and actor Ulrich Hub. Hub wrote it in 2006 after a German publishing house invited several theaters to address the issue of religion in children's plays. Agree that the topic is very sensitive, difficult for the theater, but, it seems to me, it is certainly important and necessary for conversation with a teenager. And this is a rare case when the author was able to successfully combine the pathos that is appropriate here with the ease of narration and good irony.

The plot is simple: God is angry with people and animals for their cruelty, ingratitude, lack of faith and arranges global flood. As you know, only “creatures in pairs” can be saved in Noah’s Ark. But there are three penguins. One of them (at the behest of his friends) has to sail as a “hare” on the ark. How to learn to sacrifice yourself for the sake of another? How to see and be able to admit your mistakes? How to forgive your neighbor and not grumble at God? These “overwhelming” questions are answered simply, and most importantly, with subtle humor and love, in an hour and a half, obvious answers are born. The penguins in the play are three funny would-be musicians.

No beaks, tails or other nonsense. Penguins are people too. They quarrel, make peace, are afraid, rejoice, are sad, sing and play a lot: sometimes on a giant balalaika, sometimes on a dull accordion, sometimes on drums. By the way, for dads and moms there are “adult” greetings from the director of the play in the play: the penguins from time to time begin to speak in phrases Chekhov's characters or Brodsky's poems. Very funny and surprisingly accurate.

My children always enjoy listening to stories from my childhood. It seems to me that all children love it. The performance at the A-Ya Theater is living pictures from the past: funny to the point of tears, desperately sad, familiar to the point of aching pain in the solar plexus, and all musical without exception. This is a production that can give adults a piece of irretrievably gone, unadulterated happiness, and open the cherished door to grown-up children into the strange Soviet childhood of their parents and grandparents.

The performance is based on the memories of real people whose childhood was between the 40s and 80s of the last century. There is no chronology - everything is mixed up. Here is the war with evacuation, and stories about pioneers with hooligans, and life in a communal apartment. Music records, coveted bicycles, the first television, black bread with toothpaste instead of cakes... You listen to every sign of the times, figure out when a cake could have cost 25 rubles and quietly whisper in your son’s ear that this wonderful actor is burring on purpose: he is Volodya Ulyanov.
All the actors involved in the play easily transform into musicians: saxophone, electric guitars, drums. Music is a barometer of time: Khil, Zykina, Tsoi, Butusov.

Every memory is unique. And it is not just played, it is lived: here and now. With great love, without pathos and pseudo-nostalgia for the past. And you can’t imagine how many questions arise in a teenager’s head after watching the performance. Isn’t this the most wonderful thing: to have a heart-to-heart talk after what we saw together in the theater?

Another piece from school curriculum on literature, which for some reason is secretly accepted to be watched at the Maly Theater. Without detracting from the merits of this production, I would like to recommend “The Minor” in Chikhachevka (as theater fans affectionately call this theater.) Fonvizin’s play was successfully turned into a vaudeville opera. Wrote the music famous composer Andrey Zhurbin, author of dozens of operas and ballets and composed hundreds musical hits for the stage and cinema (just look at the songs from the movie “Squadron of Flying Hussars”).

And “Nedorosl” is no exception: not only true connoisseurs will be inspired by the music in the play musical theater, but even those who encounter this genre for the first time. However, everything here is at its best: both original costumes and beautiful voices artists. There is also a slight deviation from classic plot, which becomes the spring of the entire action: in the performance one of the main characters is Empress Catherine II herself. It was under her reign that the premiere of Fonvizin’s comedy took place at the theater. Her image creates historical context, expands the boundaries of the play, which, of course, is only good to the modern teenager. Two in one: a literature lesson and a history lesson.

The stories about Sherlock Holmes seem to be created in order to be embodied in shadow theater. Where, if not here, is a unique atmosphere of mystery created: for detective stories I can't find a more precise place.
We have already written about what the theater has in mind most interesting project: theatrical series based on famous stories Conan Doyle on Sherlock Holmes. The first two performances were based on the stories “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and “The Vampire of Sussex”. And here's the next episode! This time - one of the most popular stories about the English detective: “The Speckled Band”. We watched all the episodes and after each one the children just exhaled: “Wow!”

Each performance is a surprisingly harmonious synthesis of dramatic, puppet and shadow theatre: all techniques are combined and intertwined. Behind the screen, in complete darkness, shadows of exotic animals appear - a baboon and a cheetah, walking around the estate of the cruel Roylott; but graceful cane puppets of twin sisters appear on the stage, and glove puppets suddenly appear in the hands of the actors - funny small copies of the famous detective and his assistant.

A duet of two dramatic actors playing the roles of Holmes and Watson (and this is in fierce competition with cinema, where different time iconic images of Conan Doyle were created), of course, the success of the production. Sherlock is young, impulsive and ironic. Watson is funny, clumsy, but terribly charming. The main feature in their communication is (in language understandable to today’s teenagers) kind trolling of each other. And in general, the entire production is essentially designed in this vein. Just look at the Gypsy girl, accompanied by a live violin performed by Watson in Russian-English: one, one, and even one (remember, gypsies lived on the Roylott estate?). You definitely won't be bored.

***
Svetlana Berdichevskaya

Taaaddaaam! A real theater critic and mother of three children, Svetlana Berdichevskaya, is now writing for us! It's so cool! Svetlana, on duty, at the call of her heart and family circumstances watched a lot of different children's performances and now tells us about the most unusual, interesting and touching ones: “Who can argue with the statement that children's theater is the most necessary and wonderful thing in the world!? Right! Not worth it! But who said that a children's play cannot be equally interesting and relevant for adults?! Do you have any doubts? Not worth it again! The times when parents sat in the foyer during children's performance or snoring peacefully in a dark hall, impatiently waiting for the end of the performance, long gone! Family viewing is something many theaters are striving for these days. The 2013-2014 theater season is rapidly coming to an end. Of course, it’s too early to sum up the results, but it’s simply necessary to talk about several children’s premieres that the whole family simply needs to see before the end of the season!

1. “School of Clowns” is a new (third) stage area of ​​the Hermitage Theater, which is located instead of the Parisian Life club. Chamber hall, black walls. They are decorated with giant portraits of legendary clowns: Chaplin, Engibarov, Nikulin, the Shirman brothers, Popov, Polunin. The heroes of Zoshchenko’s stories end up in this wonderful company. New performance that's what it's called: "Lelya and Minka at the Clown School". These are five stories from famous cycle: “Christmas tree”, “Grandma’s gift”, “Galoshes and ice cream”, “Don’t lie”, “Great travelers”. No scenery, minimal props. It's too much. What is there? A sea of ​​imagination and maximum involvement in what is happening on stage. For example, spectators become guests at the festive Christmas tree and are treated to sweets; but they turn into Minka’s classmates, telling him an unlearned poem; but they throw it with pleasure Earth like a ball.

But the main thing in the performance, of course, is Zoshchenko himself: his unique, unique language and intonations: both sad and cheerful, and about each of us: about children and about so-called adults. And also an amazing acting trio: quiet, as if always surprised and a little scared, Minka (Evgeny Kulakov); loud, eccentric Lelya-Yula (Irina Bogdanova) and the Clown (Yuri Amigo), who, as befits a real Clown, tries on different masks. They Christmas tree– lush, joyful and absolutely alive. Oh, how upset this Christmas tree is when its delicious decorations are so shamelessly torn off! He is a grumpy grandmother, a terribly mischievous school teacher, and even the neighbor boy Styopa, who is in love with Lelka.

The theater recommends the production young viewers from 12 years old, but I'm quite sure that this is an overestimated limit. I boldly bestow the category on the performance 7+ . Duration - only one and a half hours. But there is an intermission and therefore there is an opportunity to get into the wonderful theater buffet, which is located exactly in the room where the main hall of “Parisian Life” used to be. The atmosphere is a pleasant city cafe: wooden tables, cozy floor lamps. The menu is modest, budget, but without formal chocolates and chips. There are four types of delicious cakes, each of which will cost you only 150 rubles.

2. "Cat Mom" The theater declared it as a performance for the whole family. Making people laugh, touching them, encouraging them to talk about something important, and most importantly, probably surprising parents and children at the same time is a difficult task. It's all about the choice of material. In fact, the author of the story “Cat Mom, or the Story of the Cat Who Taught the Seagull to Fly” - Chilean writer Luis Sepulveda - honestly explained that he wrote “for those who are young, from 8 to 88.” In the story about a black port cat, who so unexpectedly for himself and others becomes the mother of an orphaned seagull, the problems of adult and child life are closely intertwined: ecology (the seagull mother dies after getting into an oil spill), friendship, parental duty. The stage version of this story turned out to be incredibly bright and loud. The acting energy is over the top. Original cartoon design, music, which in the play is also a way of life for the characters.

Here the black cat is an obvious fan of Reggae, and the insidious rats are metalheads. Large-scale transforming scenery - the port as it is: an old barge, numerous boxes, masts and even a coastal restaurant. The audience seems to be watching what is happening through a giant porthole, which will open in the finale and turn into a sky with fluffy clouds. As for age, the theater recommends the performance for children from 6 years. I completely agree. But if suddenly you have younger children (from 4 years old), then leaving them at home is strictly prohibited! The whole family to the theater!

3. Youth Theater (RAMT)- this is the rare and Lucky case, when all the productions that the theater addresses to children are watched with pleasure by parents. But the recent premiere of “The Cannibal” is a special topic. This performance was not just invented in a family viewing format. It is, indeed, imbued with meaning for parents and their now grown-up children. "Cannibal" designed just for " difficult age» — 12+ . It is difficult to convince a teenager today to make a choice in favor of the theater. Foreign and gadgets are serious competitors. But also found in Moscow theater poster a performance that will hook you, make you think, surprise and keep you in a strong emotional stress throughout the entire action, it’s also not easy. RAMT released just such a premiere.

The performance is based on the play of the same name by contemporary Canadian playwright Suzanne Lebeau. A mother and son live far from people, in the forest. He is enormous in stature and responds to a strange home nickname - Ogre. She is lost in love for her only child, intimidated by the world, but a proud woman with a mysterious past. The boy turns six years old, and with great desire he goes to school in the nearest village. Open, kind and hardworking, he suddenly realizes unusual things about himself: the color red is new to him, and the word “father” means absolutely nothing. Then a series of strange things happen, partly terrible events which force the mother to admit to the child that he is the son of an cannibal. The brave boy wants to renounce his origins and decides to take on three tests, after which he may become human. It is in this plot that the very meanings addressed to today's teenagers and their parents are hidden. Here is overprotection of a child - fears that devour adults; and the struggle with oneself, with one’s passions and desires in suddenly grown-up children. The performance is played on the small stage of the theater: everything is close and brings tears. It's almost always dark and a little scary. Here the dead forest is long metal poles; the wolf's eyes are two red spotlights. But she is wearing a blue sweater, and he has huge blue boots. Do you know why? Because the eyes of their husband and father were blue...

4. If you haven’t heard anything about “Creative Association 9”, you can only be envious! You still have everything ahead: performances and impressions. Just at the last premiere of this theater, I overheard a conversation between two mothers: “Have you come too?” - "Yes of course! We have already watched everything from them several times, we were really looking forward to the new performance. We're hooked on them! And I'm sure the same will happen to you. Once having met these young, talented, passionate about their work creative people, you will remain their loyal fans forever. You are, of course, both adults and children. In a kind of manifesto “ Creative Association 9” on their website there are important lines that they deal exclusively with “children’s performances for adults or vice versa.” The theater's latest premiere has a romantic title: "The Ballad of the Little Tug". This is the name of Joseph Brodsky’s poem of the same name, which, by the way, became the poet’s first publication in the Soviet press in 1962:

It's me.
My name is Antey.
However, I am not an ancient hero.
I'm a tugboat.
I work in this port.
I work here.
This suits my tastes.

The lights in the hall are going out, or rather, St. Petersburg twilight is approaching. A long fence across the entire stage, on top of which there is a panorama of the northern capital - St. Isaac's Cathedral, the Admiralty... The contours of the buildings, as if in a shadow theater. Little Tug-Dreamer works honestly and hard all his life in the port, but in his thoughts he is transported to the most different corners planets. That is why behind his back, as if instead of a hiking backpack, there is a worn-out globe. "I'm floating in the clouds wonderful places..." Brodsky wrote this poem for children, but, of course, he thought in adult categories. This is pain and fear, despair and hope. Adults believe this message. Children will laugh at the funny transformations of the Tugboat into the captain; and then into a fireman, and then into a cook, into a driver, and even into sailors. But both will be stunned by the poetry of genius. Some for the first time, and some for the umpteenth time. By the way, the play also features lines from Kharms, Stevenson and Sasha Cherny. Just an incredible company, don’t you agree?! The duration is ideal - 50 minutes without intermission. Age from 7 years old.

5. New musical production " Peter and Fevronia" in “Praktika” it is also declared as a family one. But everything is in order. The Praktika Theater should definitely start not with a hanger, but with, which here is actually an independent cafe and is famous among theatergoers for its excellent cuisine and reasonable prices. Spacious and bright cafe. The interior features white brick and wood. There are even shelves with books for general use - good literature for better digestion. The menu is varied: soups, salads, main courses (150-200 rubles) and amazing pastries: carrot, apple, chocolate pies, pies with cabbage, meat, but especially good with spinach and apples (60 rubles), pies, muffins, cakes. Any dessert will cost you only 100 to 150 rubles. We highly recommend trying the “chocolate sausage”.

Despite the fact that the performance is also aimed at children ( 10+ ), it runs in the evening (starts at 19.00). This gives a trip to the theater with a child some special significance. The story of the Murom miracle workers Peter and Fevronia (patrons of marriage) is told by young actors easily and with kind irony. And this despite the fact that the text of the lives of the saints was preserved by the authors of the play almost as it was created by the 16th century Russian writer Ermolai-Erasmus. But! The setting is school. Princes Peter, Pavel, Fevronia, boyars and many others are disciples and disciples. The magic sword is a pointer, and the battle with the tempting serpent is just a school fight at recess. Such metamorphoses do not somewhat interfere with the perception of serious things that the characters in the play talk about: love and loyalty, self-interest and betrayal, faith and higher providence.”

To be continued…