THE OPEN ART FESTIVAL «CHERRY ORCHARD» AND

THE STATE ACADEMIC VAKHTANGOV THEATER  PRESENT

The “FLIGHT” play is a hallmark work in Mikhail Bulgakov’s heritage. Elena Bulgakova, the author’s wife remembered: “It was Mikhail Afanasievich’s favorite play; he loved it like a mother loves her child.”

Veniamin Kaverin has written about the play: “FLIGHT” destroys conventional boundaries of the genre; one moment it is a psychological drama, another it is a phantasmagoria almost completely discordant with realistic view of the outside world.”

The theatrical history of “FLIGHT” was not easy. After its rehearsals at MHAT (Moscow Academic Art Theatre) had been banned in 1928, the question of staging “FLIGHT” was four times brought up at the sessions of Politburo. The authorities never allowed the second presentation – after “The Days of the Turbin Family” – of White Army officers as characters on the stage. The play was never staged within the author’s lifetime, which was “almost a catastrophe” for Mikhail Bulgakov. The first performance of “FLIGHT” took place only in 1957 in Stalingrad.

“This play actually has no theatrical history to mention. Seven of more or less known productions in 87 years is almost nothing. This fact is rather surprising, with account of the play being perceived as a masterpiece of this art. As it seems to me, the matter is not about its sharply critical social nature… but about a mysterious theatrical pattern, about the impossibility to find a stage equivalent to Bulgakov’s incredible remarks, and to the text itself delivered by the characters living in this play.

For instance, such remark as: “Rising to perilous heights…” What is it? Can it be acted? How? Yet how wonderful it is! No need to search for ground to produce the play in events of real life – this is a dead-end only narrowing the search and the topic.

“For me, “FLIGHT” is the state of a man awake from a dream where he was chased by nightmares and strange visions… and in the morning, he finds peace again… He is alone, everything is quiet, and his family sleeps in the next room… everything is all right… he is calm and happy…” Yuri Butusov.

Yuri Butusov has already met Vakhtangov Theater actors before. In 2010 he produced “Measure for Measure” after William Shakespeare. The play was successfully shown in London at Shakespeare’s theater, the Globe, within the framework of the international festival of Shakespeare’s plays entitled “Globe to Globe” in 2012; this production was recognized as the favorite play of the London theatrical season.