The award ceremony for the "Directing Lessons" takes place at the Et Cetera theater. In the foyer, there are many famous faces. Actors such as Yevgeny Redko, Kirill Pirogov, and Alexander Yatsko, along with theater figures like Kirill Krok, theater scholar Vadim Shcherbakov, and of course, the nominated directors.
Finally, the third bell rings, and from the darkness of the Small Hall, the performance "Portrait," inspired by Nikolai Gogol, begins. The production features the team from the Saint Petersburg theater TSEKH, directed by last year's winner Viktor Bugakov. By the way, he was one of the "young rogues"—a term used here for jury members who are young theater directors that have already made a significant impact despite their age.
Immediately after the performance, which was met with enthusiasm by the Moscow audience of theater professionals, the award ceremony commenced. They didn’t keep the suspense for long: they briefly summarized the results of the eighth festival, spoke several times about the symbolism of the number eight-infinity, and then invited Alexander Yatsko to the stage. From his hands, the Audience Choice Award was presented to Grigory Lifanov for his play "Three Sisters."
- Well, how could we do without them, without "Three Sisters"? - jokes Yatsko, and then more seriously adds, - the audience's sympathy is what we come to the stage for; everything else is nonsense.
The winning director responded by saying that the slogan for this year, "Theater-Home," is wonderful, and that his theater-home is in Sevastopol, where this award will be sent.
To present the main prize of the "Directing Lessons," all the judges gathered on stage—Viktor Bugakov, Asya Knyazeva, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Pyotr Kurtov, Viktoria Pechernikova, Fyodor Pshenichny, and Sergey Tonyshev. The panel consists exclusively of directors, making the "Directing Lessons" unique in the world with such a jury.
It quickly became clear: the "young rogues" were up to something! As their colleagues spoke from the stage, two of them quietly slipped away. But at the most opportune moment, they returned, quickly handing something to each jury member. What was it? Vladimir Kuznetsov took the floor and spoke in a poetic manner. Rhythmically listing the names of all participating directors, he summarized:
“They bring us the values of culture,
Sometimes, against all odds.
But the main meaning of the “Directing Lessons” is that
We are all always students.
Though the “Lessons” festival is fleeting,
Life is given to us for learning.
How wonderful it is to have such meetings!
How great that we are all gathered here!
I won’t keep your attention any longer.
The verdict of the collective decision is as follows:
Fate is almost a sound drama,
Which is guided by…”
Suddenly, the sound of chirping birds, or rather whistles (that’s what they had been hiding in their palms!), erupted, under which Asya Knyazeva announced: “Pankov!” The performance "Skomorokh Pamfalon," represented by its director, takes home the main award. This victory is well-deserved, as evidenced by the enthusiastic response from the audience and the prolonged ovation that Vladimir Nikolaevich received on stage.
The winner shared that he is often asked what he would say to the youth:
- You grow old and think, what can I say? Recently, there has been a substitution that both masters and non-masters need to consider. So, serve the theater, not so that the theater serves you. To avoid this substitution. Serve.