Review of Tagankin’s “The Good Man from Szechwan. The Good Man from Szechuan

Brecht Berthold

kind man from Sichuan

Bertolt Brecht

Good man from Sichuan

Parabolic play

In collaboration with R. Berlau and M. Steffin

Translation by E. Ionova and Yu. Yuzovsky

Poems translated by Boris Slutsky

CHARACTERS

Van is a water bearer.

Three gods.

Yang Song is an unemployed pilot.

Mrs. Yang is his mother.

Widow Shin.

Family of eight.

Joiner Lin To.

Homeowner Mi Ju.

Police officer.

Carpet dealer.

His wife.

Old prostitute.

Barber Shu Fu.

Waiter.

Unemployed.

Passers-by in the prologue.

Setting: the semi-Europeanized capital of Sichuan.

Sichuan Province, which summarized all the places on the globe where

man exploits man; now he does not belong to such places.

A street in the main city of Sichuan. Evening. Water Carrier Wang introduces himself to the audience.

Wang. I am a local water carrier - I sell water in the capital of Sichuan. Hard craft! If there is little water, you have to go far to get it. And if there is a lot of it, the income is small. In general, there is great poverty in our province. Everyone says that if anyone else can help us, it’s the gods. And imagine my joy when a cattle trader I knew - he travels a lot - told me that several of our most prominent gods were already on their way and could be expected in Sichuan any hour now. They say that heaven is very worried about the many complaints that it receives. It’s already the third day that I’ve been waiting here at the city gates, especially in the evening, to be the first to greet the guests. Later it is unlikely that I will be able to do this. They will be surrounded by high-ranking gentlemen, try to get through to them then. How can you recognize them? They will probably not appear together. Most likely one at a time, so as not to draw too much attention to yourself. These ones don’t look like gods, they are returning from work. (Looks carefully at the workers passing by.) Their shoulders are bent from the weights they are carrying. And this one? What a god he is - his fingers are covered in ink. At most, an employee of a cement plant. Even those two gentlemen...

Two men pass by.

And those, in my opinion, are not gods. They have a cruel expression on their faces, like people who are used to hitting, but the gods have no need for this. But there are three! It's like it's a different matter. Well-fed, not the slightest sign of any activity, shoes covered in dust, which means they came from afar. They are them! O wise ones, dispose of me! (Falls on his face.)

First God (joyfully). Are they waiting for us here?

Van (gives them something to drink). For a long time now. But I was the only one who knew about your arrival.

The first god. We need an overnight stay. Do you know where we could settle down?

Wang. Where? Everywhere! The whole city is at your disposal, O wise ones! Where would you like?

The gods look at each other meaningfully.

The first god. At least in the nearest house, my son! Let's try as soon as possible!

Wang. My only concern is that I will incur the wrath of those in power if I give special preference to one of them.

The first god. That is why we order you: start with the nearest one!

Wang. Mister Fo lives there! Wait a minute. (Runs up to the house and knocks on the door.)

The door opens, but it is clear that Van is refused.

(He timidly returns.) What a failure! Mr. Fo, as luck would have it, is not at home, and the servants do not decide on anything without his orders, the owner is very strict! Well, he’ll be furious when he finds out who wasn’t accepted into his house, won’t he?

Gods (smiling). Undoubtedly.

Wang. One more minute! The house next door belongs to Su's widow. She will be overjoyed. (Runs to the house, but, apparently, is refused again.) I’ll do better on the contrary. The widow says that she has only one small room, and it is not in order. I’ll turn to Mr. Chen now.

Second god. A small room is enough for us. Tell her we'll take her.

Wang. Even if it's not tidy, even if it's full of spiders?

Second god. Nonsense! Where there are spiders, there are few flies.

Third god (friendly, Vanu). Go to Mr. Chen or somewhere else, my son, I must admit, I don’t like spiders.

Van knocks on a door again and is let in.

Wang (returning to the gods). Mr. Chen is in despair, his house is full of relatives, and he does not dare to appear before your eyes, the wisest ones. Between us, I think there are bad people among them, and he doesn’t want you to see them. He is afraid of your anger. That's the whole point.

Third god. Are we that scary?

Wang. Only for unkind people, isn't it? It is known that the residents of Kwan province have been suffering from floods for decades - God's punishment!

Second god. How's that? And why?

Wang. Yes, because they are all atheists.

Second god. Nonsense! Simply because they didn't fix the dam.

The first god. Shh! (To Van). Do you still hope, my son?

Wang. How can you even ask such a thing? Just go one more house and I will find you a place to live. Each one licks his own fingers in anticipation that he will host you. Unfortunate coincidence, you know? I'm running! (He walks away slowly and stops hesitantly in the middle of the street.)

Second god. What did I say?

Third god. Still, I think this is a simple coincidence.

Second god. Chance in Shun, chance in Kwan and chance in Sichuan. There is no more fear of God on earth - this is the truth that you are afraid to face. Admit that our mission has failed!

The first god. We may yet come across a kind person. Any minute now. We shouldn't give up right away.

Third god. The decree stated: the world can remain as it is if there are enough people worthy of the title of man. Waterbearer himself is such a person, unless I am deceived. (Approaches Van, who is still indecisive.)

Second god. He is being deceived. When the water bearer gave us a drink from his mug, I noticed something. Here's the mug. (Shows it to the first god.)

The first god. Double bottom.

Second god. Scammer!

The first god. Okay, it's gone. So what's wrong with one with foulbrood? We will also meet those who are capable of living a life worthy of a human being. We must find! The cry has not stopped for two millennia; it cannot continue like this! No one in this world is able to be kind! We must finally point to people who can follow our commandments.

Third god (Vanu). Maybe it is very difficult to find shelter?

Wang. Not for you! Have mercy! It’s my fault that it wasn’t found right away - I’m not looking well.

Third god. This is certainly not the case. (He returns back.)

Wang. They already guess. (To a passerby.) Honored sir, excuse me for addressing you, but the three most important gods, whose impending arrival has been talked about throughout Sichuan for many years, have now actually arrived and are in need of housing. Don't go! See for yourself! One glance is enough! For God's sake, help me out! You have a lucky chance, take advantage of it! Offer refuge to the gods before someone intercepts them - they will agree.

“The Good Man from Szechwan” is the play with which Taganka began. Although many of the actors are no longer alive, you can feel that this is a production by Yuri Petrovich Lyubimov. The action of the play is permeated with Lyubimov’s atmosphere.

"The Good Man from Szechwan." Plot

The gods do not want to believe that there are no good people left on earth and almost travel around the world as pilgrims. Why almost - because they seem so natural to themselves, but in fact, an ordinary water-carrier recognizes gods in their companions. Sezuan is one of the many cities they came across along the way. Maybe someone will shelter them for the night?

I only managed to ask for a girl of easy virtue. The rest - with heavy ones - were adamant. And the one with the lungs, she can’t say “no.”

As they left, the gods thanked the girl. And then it all started...

Eternal questions

• Is it easier to be kind if you have money?
• How long can you remain kind with money?
• Is it possible to be infinitely kind? Is kindness an inexhaustible source?
• Is it true that goodness must come with fists?
• Why do your brains turn off when you love?
• What is more important - feelings or obligations?
• Is it easier to live for the good than for the evil, or is it more difficult?
• Are good people simpletons? And why do they say that simplicity is worse than theft?
• What, in the end, is stronger - good or evil? Now, if two opposite people come together, will the bad one eventually become better or the good one worse?

If you decide to go to a performance, your head will swell from such questions. And your heart will break with pity... And despite all this, you will giggle at the jokes of the characters. This is such a paradox.

How do you like this dialogue:

The first god. “The main thing is to stay kind, Shen Te! Goodbye!"

They turn to leave and nod goodbye to her.

Shen Te (frightened). “But I’m not confident in myself, wise ones! How can I be kind when everything is so expensive?”

Second god. “Here, unfortunately, we are powerless. We cannot interfere in economic issues.”

Third god. “Stop! Wait a minute! If she had some means, it would perhaps be easier for her to remain kind.”

Nothing has changed in our lives...

Author

When I previously tried to get into the work “The Good Man from Szechwan”, reading about Vysotsky, and that the role of the unemployed pilot Sun Yang was his favorite, everything seemed incomprehensible to me. AND main character one in two persons, and strange names heroes who clearly do not exist in reality, clearly invented, made in the Chinese style, but not Chinese - Shue Ta, Shen Te, and maybe even Chinese - Mrs. Shin, pilot Song, Brother Wong. In general, it seemed strange.

Then, after watching, there is a desire to “catch up” with information; you read about the author, and about his time, and about the history of the creation of the play. And you understand what Brecht is. And you get into it. This quote is revealing:

Me-ti said: my affairs are bad. Rumors are spreading everywhere that I have said the most ridiculous things. The trouble is that, absolutely between you and me, I actually said most of them.

Actors

If you are a long-time reader of ours, you may have noticed that we visit Taganka more often. And some actors are already like close people to us. We look forward to every meeting with them, and our expectations are met. Trifonov, Luchikhin, Radzig, Ryabushinskaya, Badalbeyli, Nechitailo, Gaaz, Kotov, Ushakov, Staburov, Sidorenko. They are certainly talented, and every new role they see reveals another facet of their talent.

The discovery for us this time was Maria Matveeva in the title role and - surprisingly - Marfa Koltsova. And her role is not a role, but a role play, but HOW it’s presented! Several days have passed, and her image is still before my eyes, and my ears hear her creaky voice and phrases spoken like a broken record.

Pleased. Each of the images—absolutely every one—was memorable.

Bright bitchy Margot. In another cast, the housekeeper Mi Tzi is played by Anastasia Kolpikova, so it’s very difficult to imagine her.

Enchanting extreme Timur. Just the barber darling Shu Fu!

Dmitry Vysotsky opened up on the other side. How I didn’t perceive it at all. And as a Water Bearer he is incomparable.

The same story with Mikhail Lukin. Woland, in my opinion, is so-so. A bit boring. And here he is just a musician. But attention-grabbing, memorable. I don’t know how to explain this phenomenon.
Another musician, Anatoly Vasiliev, is a theater legend. I feel reverent delight towards those people who stood on the same stage with Vysotsky. And he was still that same musician back then. Moreover, the music is his.

Music

Can you imagine a film or play with Vysotsky without music? Yes, of course, “The Career of Dima Gorin” or “The Cook”. Or the same “Meeting place...”. You can remember if you want. But the same “Masters of the Taiga” or “Intervention” are primarily remembered for their songs.

The Good Man of Szechwan is filled with songs, and in addition, music often plays in the background, creating mood and giving meaning to the scenes of the play.

Unfortunately, over time, the lyrics do not lose their acute social orientation. Half a century has passed since the play was staged in Taganka, a century has almost passed since the texts were written, and come on!

Rams walk in a row
The drums are beating
They give them skin
The sheep themselves.

We can't wait any longer.
That's why they should give us
People of hard work
Saint Never's Day -
The day when we will rest.

Staging

The production is original, Lyubimov’s.

Taganka began with “The Good Man”. And despite the fact that many of the actors of that time are no longer here, the spirit of Lyubimov is felt, carefully and reverently preserved.

Minimalism of the props and simplicity of the costumes. The emphasis is on acting. Each character has its own character.

The portrait of Bertolt Brecht and some of the decorations seem to have been preserved from those times.

Impressions

After all that has been said, talking about impressions, in my opinion, is superfluous.

“The Good Man of Szechwan” hooked me. And it is unclear why, despite all the tragedy of the problem posed and questions asked, it was easy and pleasant to watch. This is probably the MASTERY OF TAGANKA.

THE GOOD MAN FROM XEZWAN

Philosophical parable play

Translation from German by Yu. Yuzovsky and E. Ionova, poetry translated by B. Slutsky

Director - Yuri Lyubimov

“The Good Man of Sezhuana” is our first performance, the Taganka Theater began with it. He became the symbol and talisman of the Theater; he has not left the stage for more than half a century, and this is extraordinary long life the performance continues not at all because we protect it as a talisman. Yuri Lyubimov never held on to a performance if he considered it irrelevant, outdated, if the audience stopped understanding and perceiving it (although this was not the case in his work).

So, the play about kindness is dedicated to the affirmation of kindness - an innate, according to Brecht, human property.

The gods descended to earth and unsuccessfully searched for at least one good person. We must find it, if they don’t find it, then this world is not worth existing. And finally they find the prostitute Shen Te, a man who cannot say no.

Brecht believed that there are human categories that can be depicted and explained only in the form of myth, symbol, in the genre of parable plays. Such is the immanent and irresistible kindness of the heroine - Shen Te. But where will it lead her, is it even possible to embody kindness in the world around us, what does the duality of the soul mean and why does it exist, how a person is forced to defend himself - these are the questions the author of the play and the performance are trying to answer or ask.

On stage, the positions and characters are known to everyone, almost everyday, recognizable immediately. And the gods are a funny trinity in modern suits, looking for a place to stay for the night. And these are the gods who will decide the fate of the world, in which - we will see - what is destruction for man and what is salvation.

Discovering Brecht's dramaturgy, Lyubimov was looking for special moves working with artists - they learned to talk to the public, because Brecht has provisions when the author is very important to the position of the actor outside the image, his own attitude in fact, the actor at this time leaves the character, leaving him aside. These principles of Brechtian theater were to Lyubimov’s gut and should, in his opinion, broaden the horizons of both the artist and the viewer, make him think and understand something around him. Subsequently, they took a strong place in the artistic concept of the Taganka Theater, outlining its aesthetic space and way of conversation with the audience, as well as the choice of topics - the human heart, soul, relationships with the world, love... And then, in the 60s - the years of unfulfilled hopes , I was generally amazed by the very presence of this conversation, which was not accepted in other theaters. The audience gets involved in the action, they don’t just watch the performance, experience and empathize, but participate.

In this performance, no one pretends to be anyone, no one is led by the nose, no one is lectured. Everything here is conditional and everything is real. After all, the art of theater is not an approach to life and not a feigned imitation of it, but a different, meaningful, newly created, moreover, an artistic canvas created right before our eyes.

Conventionality on stage turns into absolute authenticity, perceived directly. Metaphor overrides any similarity, affects feelings, and the action is direct. Wonderful gods, a tree made of slats, a factory is depicted with clapping hands, and the soul is torn into its two irreconcilable and inseparable parts, and all this evokes the most real feelings and thoughts, and compassion, and tears, and fear.

Duration - 3 hours 10 minutes (the performance has one intermission)

Quotes on Wikiquote

« Good man from Sichuan"(a less accurate translation is widely used: " The Good Man from Szechwan", German Der gute Mensch von Sezuan is a parabolic play by Bertolt Brecht, completed in 1941 in Finland, one of the most striking embodiments of his theory of epic theater.

History of creation

The play, originally entitled "Die Ware Liebe", was conceived in 1930; the sketch to which Brecht returned early in 1939 in Denmark contained five scenes. In May of the same year, already in Swedish Liding, the first version of the play was completed; however, two months later its radical redesign began. On June 11, 1940, Brecht wrote in his diary: “Once again, together with Greta, word by word, I am reviewing the text of The Good Man from Szechuan.” Only in April 1941, already in Finland, did he state that the play finished . Originally conceived as domestic drama, a play that, by Brecht's own admission, was as difficult for him as any other, ultimately took the form of a dramatic legend. At the same time, in the spring of 1941, he sent out numerous copies of the play to different addresses in Sweden, Switzerland and the USA, but received no response from any of the recipients.

Brecht dedicated “The Good Man” to his wife, actress Elena Weigel, and it was intended for her main role; however, it was not possible to stage the play either in Finland or in the United States, where Brecht and Weigel moved in 1941. The first production of “The Good Man from Sichuan” was carried out by Leongard Steckel in Zurich - the premiere took place on February 4, 1943, without the participation of Weigel. In the playwright's homeland, Germany, the play was first staged in 1952 by Harry Bukwitz in Frankfurt am Main.

In Russian, “The Good Man from Sichuan” was first published in 1957 in the journal “Foreign Literature” (under the title “The Good Man from Szechwan”), translated by Elena Ionova and Jozef Yuzovsky, the poems were translated by Boris Slutsky.

Characters

• Van - water bearer
• Three gods
• Shen Te
• Shui Ta
• Young Sun - unemployed pilot
• Mrs. Yang is his mother
• Widow Shin
• Family of eight
• Carpenter Lin To
• Landlady Mi Ju
• Police officer
• Carpet dealer
• His wife
• Old prostitute
• Barber Shu Fu
• Bonze
• Waiter
• Unemployed
• Passersby in the prologue

Plot

The gods who descended to earth are unsuccessfully looking for a good person. In the main city of Sichuan province, with the help of the water carrier Wang, they try to find accommodation for the night, but are refused everywhere - only the prostitute Shen Te agrees to shelter them.

To make it easier for the girl to remain kind, the gods, leaving Shen Te's house, give her some money - with this money she buys a small tobacco shop.

But people unceremoniously take advantage of Shen Te’s kindness: the more good she does, the more trouble she brings upon herself. Things are going from bad to worse - in order to save her shop from ruin, Shen Te, who does not know how to say “no,” dresses in men's clothes and introduces herself as her cousin, Mr. Shui Ta, tough and unsentimental. He is not kind, he refuses everyone who turns to him for help, but, unlike Shen Te, his “brother” is doing well.

Forced callousness weighs heavily on Shen Te - having improved matters, she “returns” and meets the unemployed pilot Yang Sun, who is ready to hang himself out of despair. Shen Te saves a pilot from a noose and falls in love with him; Inspired by love, she, as before, refuses to help anyone. However, Yang Sun also uses her kindness as a weakness. He needs five hundred silver dollars to get a pilot’s position in Beijing, such money cannot be obtained even from the sale of a shop, and Shen Te, in order to accumulate the required amount, again turns into the hard-hearted Shui Ta. Yang Song, in a conversation with his “brother,” speaks contemptuously about Shen Te, whom, as it turns out, he does not intend to take with him to Beijing, and Shui Ta refuses to sell the shop, as the pilot demands.

Disappointed in her beloved, Shen Te decides to marry a wealthy city dweller Shu Fu, who is ready to do charity work to please her, but after taking off the Shui Ta costume, she loses the ability to refuse - and Yang Sun easily convinces the girl to become his wife.

However, just before the wedding, Yang Sun learns that Shen Te cannot sell the shop: it is partially mortgaged for $200, long ago given to the pilot. Yang Sun counts on Shui Ta's help, sends for him and, while waiting for his “brother,” postpones the wedding. Shui Ta does not come, and the guests invited to the wedding, having drunk all the wine, leave.

Shen Te, in order to pay off the debt, has to sell the shop that served as her home - no husband, no shop, no shelter. And Shui Ta appears again: having accepted material assistance from Shu Fu, which Shen Te refused, he forces numerous parasites to work for Shen Te and eventually opens a small tobacco factory. Young Sun eventually gets a job at this rapidly growing factory and, as an educated person, quickly makes a career.

Six months pass, Shen Te’s absence worries both the neighbors and Mr. Shu Fu; Yang Sun tries to blackmail Shui Ta in order to take over the factory, and, having failed to achieve his goal, brings the police to Shui Ta's house. After finding Shen Te's clothes in the house, the policeman accuses Shui Ta of murdering his cousin. The gods undertake to judge him. Shen Te reveals her secret to the gods and asks them to tell her how to live next, but the gods, pleased that they have found their good man, without giving an answer, fly away on a pink cloud.

Notable productions

• - Schauspielhaus, Zurich. Directed by Leonard Steckel; artist Theo Otto. Roles performed by: Shen De- Maria Becker, Yang Song- Karl Parila. The premiere took place on February 4
• - Theater Frankfurt am Main. Directed by Harry Bukwitz; artist Theo Otto. Roles performed by: Shen De- Solveig Thomas, Wang- Otto Rouwel, Yang Song- Arnaud Assmann, barber- Ernstwalter Mitulski. The premiere took place on November 16
• - "Kammerspiele", Munich. Directed by Hans Schweickart; designers Kaspar Neher and Lieselotte Erler (costumes). Roles performed by: Shen De- Ernie Wilhelmy Yang Song- Arnaud Assmann, Yang Song's mother- Teresa Riese Wang- Paul Bildt. Brecht advised on the production; premiered on June 30
• - "Berliner Ensemble". Directed by Benno Besson; artist Carl von Appen. In the role of Shen Te - Käthe Reichel. The premiere took place on September 5
• - “Piccolo Theater”, Milan. Directed by Giorgio Strehler; artist Luciano Domiani. Rodi performed by: Shen Te- Valentina Fortunata, Wang- Moretti. Premiere in February.
• - Theater named after Shota Rustaveli. Directed by Robert Sturua. Artist G. Aleksi-Meskhishvili; composer Gia Kancheli

Productions in Russia

• - Leningrad Theater named after. Pushkin. Staged by R. Suslovich, artist S. Yunovich. Roles performed by: Shen De- N. Mamaeva, Shu Fu- G. Kolosov, landlady Mi Ju- E. Karyakina, Wang- V. Tarenkov, Yang Song- A. Volgin, Mrs. Yang- E. Medvedeva, Widow Sheen- V. Kovel, gods- V. Yantsat, K. Adashevsky, G. Soloviev, carpenter Lin To- Yu. Svirin
• - Taganka Theater. Directed by Yuri Lyubimov. Artist B. Blank; music by A. Vasiliev and B. Khmelnitsky. Roles performed by: Shen Te And Shui Ta- Z. Slavina, Young Sun- A. Vasiliev, later V. Vysotsky, Ms. Young- A. Demidova, T. Makhova, Wang, the water bearer- V. Zolotukhin, Shu Fu- I. Petrov, Mi Tzi- I. Ulyanova, Mrs. Shin- M. Polizeimako, Lin To, carpenter- Ramses Dzhabrailov, Carpet dealer- B. Khmelnitsky, Unemployed- V. Pogoreltsev, Old prostitute- I. Ulyanova; musicians - A. Vasiliev and B. Khmelnitsky. The premiere took place on April 23.
• - Chelyabinsk State Theater for Young Spectators, entitled “The Good Man from Szechwan”, staged by Gennady Egorov. The performance received a diploma from the Ministry of Culture of the RSFSR.
• - Omsk State Theater of Puppets, Actors, Masks “Harlequin”, director Marina Glukhovskaya. The premiere took place on October 7
• - Theater named after Lensovet. Staged by Gennady Trostyanetsky
• - Moscow Theater named after. Pushkin, entitled “The Good Man from Szechwan”, in a new translation by E. Peregudov. Staged by Yu. Butusov; scenography by A. Shishkin; music

May 16, 2018, 10:17

I made a post from pieces, excerpts from books and articles. When you put together the puzzles of text and video, I hope that you will feel the atmosphere of the theater, or rather of one very interesting performance, this is exactly what I wanted to express in my post:

During Brecht's lifetime his relationship with Soviet theater It didn’t turn out particularly well, to put it mildly. The main reasons were the official theater’s ideological rejection of Brecht’s artistic quest, as well as the paradoxical figure of Brecht, who greatly irritated the authorities. The dislike was mutual. On the one hand, in the 1920s–1950s, domestic theaters hardly staged Brecht’s plays. On the other hand, the German playwright’s own acquaintance with Soviet theatrical practice more than once plunged him into despondency.

Brecht found himself in the Soviet chalk circle. Only at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, after his death, rare productions of his plays appeared. Among the first and most significant it should be mentioned: “The Dreams of Simone Machar” at the Moscow Theater. M. Ermolova, directed by Anatoly Efros (1959); “Mother Courage and her children” in Moskovsky academic theater them. Vl. Mayakovsky (production by Maxim Strauch) (1960); “The Good Man from Szechwan” at the Leningrad Academic Theater. Pushkin (1962, director – Rafail Suslovich); “Career of Arturo Ui” in the Leningrad Bolshoi drama theater them. Gorky (1963, director – Erwin Axer).

However, these and some other Brecht Thaw productions pale in comparison to the significance of one educational student performance. In 1963, young Vakhtangov students, third (!) year students of the B.V. Theater School. Shchukin, presented the fruit of their six-month work - the play “The Good Man from Szechwan” staged by the course teacher Yuri Lyubimov.

His success was stunning. In the last year of the thaw, in the small hall of the Shchukin school on Old Arbat (later it was played on other stage venues in Moscow), the performance was watched by I. Erenburg, K. Simonov, A. Voznesensky, E. Evtushenko, B. Okudzhava, B. Akhmadulina, V. Aksenov, Y. Trifonov, A. Galich, O. Efremov, M. Plisetskaya, R. Shchedrin... It would seem that another student production was perceived by the Moscow public not only as a theatrical breakthrough, but also as a kind of social manifesto , a banner that promised changing times. It is very symptomatic that a year later, on April 23, 1964, Lyubimov’s “The Good Man from Szechwan” will open a new theater - the Taganka Theater, where it continues to this day.
(Excerpt from an article about Brecht’s work.)

Moscow is an amazing city - everyone there knows everything by rumors. Rumors spread that some kind of interesting performance. And since everyone is bored, and diplomats too, if something is interesting, it means there will be a scandal. As my late friend Erdman said, “if there is no scandal around a theater, then it is not a theater.” So, in this sense, he was a prophet in relation to me. And so it was. Well, it’s boring, and everyone wants to come and see, and they know that if it’s interesting, it will be closed. Therefore, it took a long time for the performance to begin; the audience rushed into the hall. These diplomats sat down on the floor in the passage, a fireman ran in, a pale director, the rector of the school, said that “he won’t allow it, because the hall might collapse.” In the hall, where there are seats for two hundred and forty people, there are about four hundred sitting - in general, there was a complete scandal. I stood with a flashlight - the electrics there were very bad, and I myself stood and moved the flashlight. IN in the right places highlighted a portrait of Brecht. And I kept driving this lantern and shouting:

For God's sake, let the performance continue, what are you doing, because they will close the performance, no one will see it! Why are you stomping around, don’t you understand where you live, you idiots!

And yet I calmed them down. But, of course, everything was recorded and reported. Well, they closed it after that.
Excerpt from Yuri Lyubimov's book "Stories of an Old Talker"

"The Good Man from Sichuan" Bertolt Brecht (German: Der gute Mensch von Sezuan) · 1940
Brief summary of the play (for those who don’t know what it’s all about)))

The main city of Sichuan Province, which summarizes all the places on the globe and any time in which man exploits man, is the place and time of the play.

Prologue. For two millennia now the cry has not stopped: this cannot continue! No one in this world is able to be kind! And the concerned gods decreed: the world can remain as it is if there are enough people capable of living a life worthy of a person. And to check this, the three most prominent gods descend to earth. Perhaps the water-carrier Wang, who was the first to meet them and treat them to water (by the way, he is the only one in Sichuan who knows that they are gods), is a worthy person? But his mug, the gods noticed, had a double bottom. The good water-carrier is a swindler! The simplest test of the first virtue - hospitality - upsets them: in none of the rich houses: neither Mr. Fo, nor Mr. Chen, nor the widow Su - can Wang find lodging for them for the night. There is only one thing left: turn to the prostitute Shen De, because she cannot refuse anyone. And the gods spend the night with the only kind person, and the next morning, having said goodbye, they leave Shen De an order to remain just as kind, as well as a good payment for the night: after all, how can one be kind when everything is so expensive!

I. The gods left Shen De a thousand silver dollars, and she bought herself a small tobacco shop with them. But how many people in need of help turn out to be next to those who were lucky: the former owner of the shop and the previous owners of Shen De - husband and wife, her lame brother and pregnant daughter-in-law, nephew and niece, old grandfather and boy - and everyone needs a roof over their heads and food. “The little boat of salvation / Immediately goes to the bottom. / After all, too many drowning people / Grabbed the sides greedily.”

And then the carpenter demands one hundred silver dollars, which the previous owner did not pay him for the shelves, and the landlady needs recommendations and a guarantee for the not very respectable Shen De. “My cousin will vouch for me,” she says. “And he will pay for the shelves.”

II. And the next morning, Shoi Da, Shen De’s cousin, appears in the tobacco shop. Having decisively driven away the unlucky relatives, skillfully forcing the carpenter to take only twenty silver dollars, prudently making friends with the policeman, he settles the affairs of his too kind cousin.

III. And in the evening, in the city park, Shen De meets the unemployed pilot Sun. A pilot without a plane, a postal pilot without mail. What in the world should he do, even if he read all the books about flying in Beijing school, even if he knows how to land a plane, as if it were his own ass? He is like a crane with a broken wing and has nothing to do on earth. The rope is at the ready, and there are as many trees as you like in the park. But Shen De does not allow him to hang himself. To live without hope is to do evil. The song of the water carrier selling water during the rain is hopeless: “Thunder rumbles and rain pours, / Well, I sell water, / But the water is not sold / And it is not drunk at all. / I shout: “Buy water!” / But no one buys. / Nothing gets into my pocket for this water! / Buy some water, dogs!”

And Shen De buys a mug of water for his beloved Yang Song.

Vladimir Vysotsky and Zinaida Slavina in the play “The Good Man from Szechwan”. 1978

IV. Returning after a night spent with her beloved, Shen De sees for the first time the morning city, cheerful and giving joy. People are kind today. The old carpet merchants from the shop opposite give dear Shen De a loan of two hundred silver dollars - this will be enough to pay the landlady for six months. Nothing is difficult for a person who loves and hopes. And when Sun’s mother Mrs. Yang says that for the huge sum of five hundred silver dollars her son was promised a place, she happily gives her the money she received from the old people. But where to get another three hundred? There is only one way out - turn to Shoy Da. Yes, he is too cruel and cunning. But a pilot must fly!

Sideshows. Shen De enters, holding a mask and a Shoi Da costume in his hands, and sings “The Song about the Helplessness of Gods and Good People”: “The good ones in our country / cannot remain good. / To reach the cup with a spoon, / You need cruelty. / The good are helpless, and the gods are powerless. / Why don’t the gods declare there, in the ether, / That it’s time to give all the good and the good / The opportunity to live in a good, kind world?”

V. Smart and prudent Shoi Da, whose eyes are not blinded by love, sees deception. Yang Song is not afraid of cruelty and meanness: even if the place promised to him is someone else’s, and the pilot who will be fired from it big family, let Shen De part with the shop, besides which she has nothing, and the old people will lose their two hundred dollars and lose their housing - just to achieve her goal. This cannot be trusted, and Shoi Da seeks support in a rich barber who is ready to marry Shen De. But the mind is powerless where love operates, and Shen De leaves with Sun: “I want to leave with the one I love, / I don’t want to think about whether it’s good. / I don't want to know if he loves me. / I want to leave with the one I love.”

VI. In a small cheap restaurant in the suburbs, preparations are being made for the wedding of Yang Song and Shen De. The bride in a wedding dress, the groom in a tuxedo. But the ceremony still does not begin, and the boss looks at his watch - the groom and his mother are waiting for Shoi Da, who should bring three hundred silver dollars. Yang Song sings “The Song of Saint Never’s Day”: “On this day evil is taken by the throat, / On this day all the poor are lucky, / Both the owner and the farmhand / Walk together to the tavern / On Saint Never’s day / The skinny one drinks at the fat one’s house.” . / We can’t wait any longer. / That’s why they should give us, / People of hard work, / The Day of Saint Never, / The Day of Saint Never, / The Day when we rest.”

“He will never come again,” says Mrs. Yang. Three are sitting, and two of them are looking at the door.

VII. Shen De's meager belongings were on the cart near the tobacco shop - the shop had to be sold to repay the debt to the old people. The barber Shu Fu is ready to help: he will give his barracks to the poor people whom Shen De helps (you can’t keep goods there anyway - it’s too damp), and write a check. And Shen De is happy: she felt in herself a future son - a pilot, “a new conqueror / Of inaccessible mountains and unknown regions!” But how to protect him from the cruelty of this world? She sees little son a carpenter who is looking for food in a garbage can and swears that he will not rest until he saves his son, at least him alone. It's time to turn into a cousin again.

Mr. Shoi Da announces to those gathered that his cousin will not leave them without help in the future, but from now on the distribution of food without reciprocal services will stop, and those who agree to work for Shen De will live in the houses of Mr. Shu Fu.

VIII. The tobacco factory that Shoi Da set up in the barracks employs men, women and children. The taskmaster - and cruel - here is Yang Song: he is not at all saddened by the change in fate and shows that he is ready to do anything for the sake of the interests of the company. But where is Shen De? Where is the good man? Where is the one who many months ago, on a rainy day, in a moment of joy, bought a mug of water from the water carrier? Where is she and her unborn child, which she told the water-carrier about? Yi Sun would also like to know this: if he ex-fiancee was pregnant, then he, as the father of the child, can claim the position of owner. And here, by the way, is her dress in the knot. Didn't a cruel cousin kill the unfortunate woman? The police come to the house. Mr. Scheu Da will have to appear in court.

X. In the courtroom, Shen De's friends (water carrier Wang, the old couple, grandfather and niece) and Shoi Da's partners (Mr. Shu Fu and the landlady) are waiting for the hearing to begin. At the sight of the judges entering the hall, Shoi Da faints - these are gods. The gods are by no means omniscient: under the mask and costume of Shoi Da, they do not recognize Shen De. And only when, unable to withstand the accusations of the good and the intercession of the evil, Shoi Da takes off his mask and tears off his clothes, the gods see with horror that their mission has failed: their good man and the evil and callous Shoi Da are one person. It’s impossible in this world to be kind to others and at the same time to yourself, you can’t save others and not destroy yourself, you can’t make everyone happy and yourself together with everyone else! But the gods have no time to understand such complexities. Is it really possible to abandon the commandments? No, never! Recognize that the world needs to change? How? By whom? No, it's okay. And they reassure people: “Shen De did not die, she was only hidden. There remains a good person among you.” And to Shen De’s desperate cry: “But I need a cousin,” they hastily answer: “Just not too often!” And while Shen De desperately stretches out his hands to them, they, smiling and nodding, disappear above.

Epilogue. The actor’s final monologue before the audience: “Oh, my honorable audience! The ending is unimportant. I know this. / In our hands the most beautiful fairy tale suddenly received a bitter denouement. / The curtain is down, and we stand in confusion - the questions have not been resolved. / So what's the matter? We are not looking for benefits, / And that means there must be some sure way out? / You can’t imagine what for money! Another hero? What if the world is different? / Or maybe other gods are needed here? Or without gods at all? I am silent in alarm. / So help us! Correct the trouble - direct your thought and mind here. / Try to find good for good - good ways. / Bad ending - discarded in advance. / He must, must, must be good!”

Retold by T. A. Voznesenskaya.