Tuminas' 5-hour 'War and Peace' starts China Tour from Shanghai
Moscow's Vakhtangov Theater is taking the epic play "War and Peace" on a China Tour, and Shanghai is the first stop.
The five-hour play is adapted from Leo Tolstoy's literature classic of the same name. Late Lithuanian director Rimas Tuminas worked on the literary composition and staging before he passed away in March this year.
Tuminas' works delve deeply into human beings and their pursuit of faith, using simple stage designs and improvisational rehearsal methods to create his unique style.
He was the artistic director of the Vakhtangov Theater from 2007. With him at the helm, Vakhtangov occupied a leading position among Russian theaters.
Having made its debut in 2021, "War and Peace" was Tuminas' last creation for Vakhtangov to celebrate the theater's 100th anniversary. Using Napoleonic War as the background, it tells the rise, fall, joys and sorrows of several families.
Late Lithuanian director Rimas Tuminas
The play fully presents the director's imaginative deconstruction of Tolstoy and his work. The legendary Russian writer will also appear on the stage as a character.
In "War and Peace," the world is in misery, but people tear open the cracks for light and show their passion and desire to live on, which is also a message Tuminas wanted to pass on – always look up to the bright side of life.
The set design downplays all historical background and decorations. There will only be a towering gray wall on the stage. The play doesn't reproduce any historical scenes, but focuses on the collapse of personal dreams and families' destiny.
The five-hour play tells the rise, fall, joys and sorrows of several families.
Performance info:
Date: August 22-23, 7pm; August 24-25, 2pm
Tickets: 280-1,280 yuan
Venue: Shanghai Oriental Art Center 上海东方艺术中心
Address: 425 Dingxiang Road, Pudong New Area 浦东丁香路425号
