Majesty in minimalism

Late Lithuanian director's adaptation of Russian classic lets the actors, not the stage sets, do all the talking, Chen Nan reports.

On a vast, sparsely decorated stage, the rise and fall of the Rostov, Bolkonsky, Bezukhov, and Kuragin families plays out against the backdrop of Tolstoy's classic, War and Peace, an epic novel about the ups and downs of personal destiny amid the grand sweep of history.

A five-hour adaptation of the classic by Moscow's Vakhtangov Theatre made its debut on Sept 5 at Beijing's Poly Theater, and played three more shows, the last one on Sunday. The Beijing stop was part of the production's first China tour, which kicked off in Shanghai on Aug 22 and visited Guangzhou, Guangdong province, from Aug 29 to Sept 1.

One of Russia's most prestigious and globally renowned theaters, the Vakhtangov Theatre was founded in 1921 by Eugene Vakhtangova student of Konstantin Stanislavsky, whose artistic vision profoundly influenced 20th and 21st-century theater. The play is the final production by renowned Lithuanian director Rimas Tuminas, who served as the theater's artistic director until his death earlier this year. Premiered in 2021, the grand, expansive masterpiece was commissioned to celebrate the theater's 100th anniversary.

Beneath the avant-garde and monumental tragedy lies a romantic, cutting-edge soul, which strips away opulence to reach straight to the hearts of audience members. At midnight, the hall of the theater remained packed, and after their five-hour performance, when the cast lined up for their curtain call, they were met with thunderous applause.

Originally published in 1865, War and Peace is a panoramic study of early 19th century Russian society, and is noted for its mastery of realistic detail and psychological analysis. It is generally regarded as a masterwork of Russian literature and one of the world's greatest novels.