Evgeny Bagrationovich Vakhtangov is a legendary man, an excellent actor, teacher, director, student of K. G. Stanislavsky, the founder of the student studio and later on the theater, named after the master’s death by his name. All his short, but vibrant life was devoted to creativity. Vakhtangov staged his first performance on stage when he was only 25 years old.
Friend and teacher of Evgeny Vakhtangov - K. G. Stanislavsky highly appreciated his creative activity. He called him the continuer of his work and one of the founders of new art and a new direction - fantastic realism.
Childhood and youth of E. B. Vakhtangov
Eugene was born in the south, in the city of Vladikavkaz, in 1883, on February 13. His biography is full of significant events, and for his not very long life, Vakhtangov has become one of the most significant figures in the theater.
When the boy was born in the family, his father dreamed that he would continue his work, developing the tobacco industry in Russia, because he was a large owner of factories.
The family raised the boy in strict traditions, and at the behest of his father, after graduating from the Vakhtangov gymnasium, he goes to get education at the university: first, at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and then transferred to the law. But already during his studies, he realizes that he will not become a lawyer, because he is uncontrollably drawn to the theater stage.
Eugene leaves the university and enters the Theater School of Drama, after which - in 1911 - receives a direction in the art theater. During his studies, he gets acquainted with Stanislavsky and his new methods of working with actors, who begin to actively promote among creative youth and receive the support of his work from the great master.
The decision to leave the university and take up the theater, made by Eugene, did not receive approval from his father. He did not support art and creativity, as a result, severed all relations with his son, completely depriving him of his inheritance.
The beginning of the creative path
While still at university, Vakhtangov takes an active part in student performances and theatrical productions. Being a second year student, he is the director of the play "Teachers", which premiered in 1905. Students worked for free, raising funds to help the homeless and needy. After a successful premiere of the play, a year later Eugene organizes a student theater studio at the university and dreams of creating his own theater in Vladikavkaz.
Since 1909, Vakhtangov has been actively working and leading a drama circle. He put on many performances on the theatrical stage of his city. But fate forced him to leave for Moscow after a while. Father was extremely unhappy that his name appeared on the theater posters of the city, thereby damaging his activities and reputation. That is why the theatrical career of Vakhtangov in his native city did not take place.
After moving to Moscow, Eugene begins to work actively in the art theater, where he participates in all productions.
Being an adherent of Stanislavsky’s methodology, in 1912 Vakhtangov organized the Moscow Art Theater Studio. He is assisted by a famous teacher in the theater environment - Leopold Sulerzhitsky. The teaching of acting that they offer students is based on morality, sincerity, honesty, kindness and justice. All the productions performed by Vakhtangov on the stage of the theater are based on the opposition of evil to good (the performances "Flood", "Peace Festival", "Rosmersholm"). For the actors, the most important thing was to convey to the viewer the wealth of the inner world in contrast to the asceticism of the outer.
Vakhtangov is invited to teach in many theaters and schools in the capital; he helps creative youth who create amateur theaters in choosing a repertoire and teaches the acting skills of future theater attendants. Most often, Evgeny Bagrationovich happens in the Mansurov studio, to which he treats with awe and love. It is this studio in 1920 that will be called the Drama Studio, and later on - the State Academic Theater, which will later be named after Evgeny Vakhtangov.
Theater in the fate of Vakhtangov
All the productions that the director carried out after the revolution were based on the fate of the Russian people, their feelings and aspirations related to the history and events of recent years. He talked about social problems, heroic deeds and life tragedies.
At the same time, Vakhtangov poses chamber performances in which he performs not only as a director, but also as an actor. He is constantly in creative search, exploring new techniques and techniques. Gradually, Stanislavsky’s approach and the framework by which he limited the actors ceased to suit him.
Eugene’s next hobby is Meyerhold’s ideas, and he is working on new images and plays with a completely updated approach. But this method also does not inspire Vakhtangov for a long time and gradually he develops his own methodology, significantly different from those that he used earlier. Vakhtangov calls it "fantastic realism" and creates its own, unique theater.
As a teacher and director, the main thing for him was to find that unique image created by the actor, which would differ from the one already proposed and used in the theater. He begins to make productions that are completely different from those to which the audience is accustomed. For decorations, ordinary household items and household items were taken and decorated using light and decoration to create a fabulous view of the rooms or cities in which the action takes place. In order to completely separate the theatrical performance from the real world, and the actor from his role, Vakhtangov invites performers to wear costumes right in front of the audience, on top of their own clothes. All his ideas were fully embodied in the famous play "Princess Turandot".
After the revolution, Vakhtangov is going to create a folk theater, different from those that were in tsarist Russia, in order to bring theater art as close as possible to the people. He is constantly working on new projects, intending to embody the images of great people and their history on stage. His plans included staging the play "Cain" based on the work of Byron and the Bible. But unfortunately, all these ideas were not destined to come true in connection with the death of Vakhtangov.
