My Life

A father insists that social status is the most important thing in life. An architect himself, he is terrified that his son might become a laborer – a disgrace the entire town would talk about. Living in a small provincial city, he names his children Misail and Cleopatra. Bearers of such lofty names are not expected to do manual labor or step outside parental control.

In SamArt’s experimental space, actors of Anatoly Praudin’s Workshop present an étude-based composition inspired by Anton Chekhov’s novella My Life. Twelve performers imagine and shape a “provincial tale.” At its center is a young man trying to escape the meaninglessness of the world around him and live according to his conscience. He leaves his home and family, becomes a house painter, lives simply, and works hard. While others dream, he acts.

In Chekhov’s story, a wealthy landowning family stages amateur performances in town, for which the protagonist designs sets. Praudin uses "theatre within a theatre" method: in this production, the actors are rehearsing My Life itself – and asking what must be sacrificed in order to be free.

*The performance contains scenes of tobacco smoking. These scenes are essential to the artistic concept. Smoking is harmful to your health.