Anatoly Vasiliev starred from the Golden Mask

Director Anatoly Vasiliev turned to the general director of the National Theater Prize and the Golden Mask festival Maria Revyakina with an open letter, in which he asked to withdraw from the nomination for the prize to his play “Old Man and the Sea”.

A scan of letters on November 3 published on her Facebook journalist Ksenia Larina. Colta.ru gives the text completely:

Open letter of the director of November 2, 2017

With a light heart and in the beautiful location of the soul, I write this open letter in the name of the domestic theater festival “Golden Mask”. Finally scandal! Around my name is a new scandal! Eleven years have passed from the last high -profile case on the occasion of the expulsion of my theater “School of Dramatic Art”, and here is a new extraordinary case.

Dear ladies and gentlemen! Members of the expert council of the Golden Mask! Madame Revyakina Maria Evseevna! I ask you to remove my name from the posters and nominations and with it the play “Old Man and the Sea” [1] , the author of which I am. I am the author of adaptation, scenography and production. I did this work with producer Valery Ivanovich Shadrin and my colleagues and friends in the theater. Together with Alla Demidova and Vladimir Martynov, we devoted this work to the great beloved Yuri Petrovich and are very happy. For me, there is more than such happiness enough, and I consider any participation in competitions and brisons indecent.

I could not explain other reasons, and this is enough, however, it is necessary to twist possible and future troubles. You are well aware of one, but I will repeat again. Since 2005, I have not participated in the cultural life of the city of Moscow. I do not put the performances, I don’t give interviews in the newspapers, on the radio or on television, I almost do not spend master classes, but only at a special choice, I do not work and do not receive a salary, but only a pension, I became a private person and calmed down my new position. I excluded contacts with many colleagues, I chose non -participation in return for stormy and punishable activities. I chose the path and called it - a voluntary exile! I began to work in France, in Italy, in Greece, but I continued to live in Moscow. I wrote texts, made a movie, a lot of things. In the eleventh year, I was unexpectedly returned to Moscow with a proposal to return me a studio in Vovarskaya. Seven years of correspondence and expectations passed. I broke up with the past finally. And it would be strange with such a choice of man and the artist to agree to the nomination in the Golden Mask! My participation in the Russian festival would mean betrayal of myself, my personal secret opportunism. This is impossible!

Another reason is comic, but can be the subject of discussion. What is the age of the participants of the Golden Mask festival and how many masks give out the festival per person? For me, the limit has come for a very long time. The theater is the destiny and fun of young generations. They intercede to the future. They need support so much.

And one more reason should not be talked about! Forgive me, but Cyril Serebrennikov needs not a “golden mask”, but freedom! He deserved her.

For your knowledge, I report that Peter Popov, the son of the artist and architect Igor Popov, took part in the performance as an assistant to the scena and did this work with enthusiasm. However, we will somehow settle the scandal that happened to our fault, and drink the health of the deceased and great people of the theater.

If necessary, you will receive all official letters from the producer of the performance by Valery Shadrin.

Director Anatoly Vasiliev

[1] The play “Old Man and the Sea” is included in the short list of “Golden Mask-2018” in five nominations: “Drama/performance of a large shape”, “Drama/work of the director” (Anatoly Vasiliev), “Drama/Female Role” (Alla Demidova), “Drama/Work of the Artist” (Peter Popov) and “Drama/Work of the artist in the world” (Taras Taras ”(Taras Mikhalevsky).