Actors that express in their art main characteristics of their time happen in every generation. Twenty - twenty five year old age mates of Oleg Menshikov have not brought along that new bright and overwhelming idea that could unite them into an artistic generation.
Entering the house of art one by one they didn't announce themselves loudly and didn't push anybody. Coming to work in a theater all these recent graduates took on the burden of everyday chores. The most talented of them have a great schooling of theatrical technique, high capacity and readiness to take on any creative challenge.
In five years since graduating from Schepkin School of Art, Oleg Menshikov has done a lot. He appeared in movies and on TV, and worked in the Soviet Army Theater. The most interesting of his films are "The Pokrovskie Gate" and "Flights In Dreams And In Reality". At the same time his theatrical work includes four big parts - in the plays "The Clock Without Hands", "Forest", "Idiot" and "Private Soldiers".
Menshikov starts every new job with the curiosity of a researcher, he submits to it and seeks inner perfection in every role.
Characters created by Menshikov are not transfused by one general theme that is important to the actor. The only thing common in his characters is their love of life and active lifestyle which they get from the actor.
"The Pokrovskie Gate" written by L.Zorin and directed by M.Kozakov is made in the obvious retro-style, which always a little nostalgicly and theatricaly reconstructs the past. The movie is a kind and tender memoir with much of a timely scent being present. Some of those time's realities came to the film with it's protagonist and very much through him. Kostik portrayed by Oleg Menssimultaneouslyousely carried in himself a very much gone personality type and a lively reminder of the movie heroes of the twenties who victoriously marched the screens of Moscow movie theaters in the sixties.
This dark eyed and dark haired not-too-tall very young man with impetuous movements and remarkably flexible face, out bursting there and here with a smile that is ironical and kind. He was open to the resurrecting spring, to the world full of youthful hopes and dreams, to the world created and existing just for him.
When Oleg Menshikov portrays his contemporary in R.Balayan's "Flights In Dreams And In Reality", the goal is different. It appears that the actor is the same - his outer features haven't changed: the same haircut (fashion trend returns), same ironic grin, same lightness and freedom of existence. He appears to be a mirror reflection of Kostik which was born in the years when the latter was conquering Moscow. The only thing is that this reflection is slightly stirred by twenty year long gap in time.
It seems that nothing bad can be expected of this handsome, flexible guy admirably dancing with his friend Alisa, even though he surprisingly well takes her affair with Sergey - the main character. It seem that he doesn't really care about Sergey, but there is something dislikrepugnantundant that gets in the way of his attractiveness. It is hard to pin down this hindrance, this lubricity, which is barely noticeable in the beginning. Actually the two are competitors. Director had them collide three times during the film, and three times he accents their competitiveness. In the scene where main character's birthday is celebrated outdoors we remember the calm, impudent eyes; the face where we see confidence of supremacy, triumph over his cornered forty year old counterpart. Iarm-wrestlingstling offer by Menshikov's character the mockery is obvious. Really, how hard is it to beat a person on the verge of the nervous and physical breakdown. At this point they're twice the competitors - in love and in the fierce game combat.
Menshikov's work on "Flights In Dreams And In Reality" has shown how well the actor possesses all of the necessary techniques: flexibility, the art of mime. His character barely says a word in this film and his appearances are very short, but we find out a lot about him to muse over this human type that is very common nowadays.
Performing in two plays about war, readjusting himself to the style and ideas of the director Eremin, Menshikov used his abilities on different levels. The time gap between the role of Pavel Vasyukov in "The Clock Withou Hands" (written and staged by R.Rakhmanin) and Oduvanchik in "Private Soldiers" by A.Dudarev is three years. Actually, Vasukov is Oleg Menshikov's first theatrical work, and Oduvanchik is the latest work of his. Due to dramatic peculiarities of the play, Vasukov is a bit of a static type. Throughout the play this talk active and dexterous guy doesn't change, and his characteristics are clear: this is a brave and cheerful soldier, taking harsh military lifestyle earthboundly simple. Menshikov acts out lively and childlike. He is not trying to complicate the character, since it is not really necessary for the play. On the contrary, part of Oduvanchik - on of the major characters of the play, which is important to the theater - Menshikov performs with self devotion, using his gift of improvisation. Among other characters of "Private Soldiers", Oduvanchik is the only one who was not changed by the war, whose soul was not wounded. Unlike others, he is not stuck in the wartime, his whole life is "there, after the Victory". Oduvanchik's sole existence proves the necessity of renovation of the world which was deformed by war. In the play Oduvanchik is practically a kid, but Menshikov makes him older and manlier. There was a tragedy in Oduvanchik's life, same as in lives of others, and the actor wouldn't forget about it. His character feels compassionate towards nurse Lida: he is ready to take on all her troubles and sometimes he feels older then she is. Motive of responsibility for another human being is injected into the character by Menshikov, which makes it richer and fuller.
Right calisthenics, it's deliberateness and completeness, is always very important to Menshikov. Actor often pushes off of a certain movement or a gesture, and simultaneously he rebuilds himself into a character. Somecalisthenicsthenic contour of a role is very slick, psychological as it is in Dostoevsky's "Idiot", and sometimes it's grotesque as it is in Ostrovsky's "Forest", but even in grotesque there are exact psychological solutions.
In the play "Forest" by A. N. Ostrovsky, staged by V.Motyl in 1978, Menshikov was introduced without the director after just one rehearsal. There he demonstrated something called "director's thinking", i.e. an ability to construct the part from beginning to end in accordance to the style and idea of the whole play and actors' ensemble, where he happened to be injected.
Menshikov's Bulanov, walking into the wealthy house of Raisa P. Gurmyzhsky, has no special plans, even though he is not astray of some hopes. He is simpleminded and straightforward with Aksusha, who he really likes. When he tells Aksusha that in this place she won't find anyone better then him, he truly believes it and, therefore, wishes well not only for himself but for her as well. Really, why shouldn't they get married? They will get a good dowry, and both of them are poor. Of course, Bulanov is not too smart and some kind of cowardly, but none would call him a scoundrel. He doesn't suspect that Gurmyzhsky has feelings for him. When Raisa Pavlovna opens up to him, Bulanov at first freezes with his mouth open and his eyes popping out, but after only a second he is stumbling towards Raisa with his hands ready for a hug. In the following act Bulanov changes.
He, who used to sneak around in a bob-tailed school jacket, put directly on a naked body, with sleeves not reaching the wrists, Bulanov shows up an amazing dandy - in something parrot like and satin. All gelled up, unloaded, happy Bulanov also is ridiculous. Excessively and up to horror he is self-confident, strong - no more a toy of Gurmyzhsky he, perhaps, indeed is her master. While, the truth, Gurmyzhsky still has "to submit" him before strangers, but we can see that a boy is turning into a man. Bulanov's voice becomes calmer and more imposing, his movements are no longer clumslamespoffy, they become gliding and are full of graspless dignity. He says his "programmed" speech before the esquires with the help of Gurmyzhsky, slightly stumbling on words, not fully realizing what he is saying, but constantly showing off and taking all kinds of poses.
The actor sometimes is willing to entertain himself and the public, but improvising and enjoying himself he never gets out of his character and good taste. Oleg Menshikov in the "Forest" is acting sharply, funny with the aesthetic sense and artistry.
Part of Ganya Ivolgin in Dostoevsky's "Idiot" required a lot of work from the actor, serious emotional and intellectual outlay. Oleg Menshikov was able to match the requirement of this most complicated material, full of psychological nuances, sharp changes of mind and the mood.
Ganya is sitting at the table ideally straight, slightly tinting his head, writing some kind of an official paper. Then he pushes back and folds his hands on the chest looking at the uninvited guest with a fine childish face, who is wearing some kind of an unseasonably light overcoat. Thus, on the opposite side of the desk, right in front of Ganya, is the Prince - Lev Nikolaevich Myshkin. This is their first meeting. Later, the director - Eremin - will again and again bring them together face to face, accenting their inner contradictions.
Ganya can't love Prince Myshkin. In this play, the Prince is an embodiment of self forgetfulness, conscience, remorse. He is the tuning-fork by which everyone in this world rectifies his human quality.
In the novel Ganya Ivolgin is not inhuman. Even less so he is portrayed by Menshikov. He is depraved from the idealistic point of view, but in the everyday life he is the most ordinary, and this frustrates him the most, since his biggest depravation is aspiration to exclusiveness. Unfortunately, he is seeking aspiration not in good, but in evil. Presence of Myshkin is repupreciselysicely to people of Ganya's type. He knows all about himself and even suffers from it, but he wouldn't free himself, since he understands that life is easier for those who are not too honest and too kind.
Nevertheless, Ganya repents of it in front of the Prince numerously, and it seems he does it from the bottom of his heart. Unfortunately, he does it because of his ego, and not because of the longing to open up and clear himself of all the evil. In the settings of Eremin, Ganya is the brightest reflection of human multitude which piled up in this world cellar, world sack. He is a child and a part of the world that is turned by Lebedev - who in the play is an actual devil, lameoofish little devil, the kind that can only be there. People that live in this world are weak and unhappy, they are torn apart by their emotions. Ganya despises people exactly for this weakness and submittance to everyday life. That's why he refuses to exist on the same level as others. In the play, Ganya is a heartfelt and loyal knight of his "rotshield" idea, and there is no reflexing in this devotion. Ganya is deeply insulted by the Prince's words of Ganya's ordinarity, since until that moment he was sure that his behavior can be classified as anything - ignobiliti, scoundrels - but not ordinary. Ganya's face, a minute before that being calm and self-assured, almost self contented completely changes. As if someone's invisible hand erased his previous expression and a new one appears: first - it's a strong and resentful astonishment of the Prince's vision, then, in a second, it changes to a barely suppressed malice. Ganya Ivolgin out of all strength persuades himself and everyone around him in exceptionally of his frank and servicervance of the dream. Really, didn't it require a "stoic" effort to take on the late visit to Nastas'ya Fillipovna, and then the ugly scene of Rogozhin's negotiations - all of it in his own home, in front of the mother and the sister - to be spit in the face by his own sister, and, most horrible, in front of everybody. Nevertheless, Ganya held himself together and carried on - all in the name of the idea. In the novel these dreams of his, these hopes and aspirations Ganya accidentally tells the Prince, him alone. In the play he declaims the monologue about desired seventy-five thousand, facing the audience, referring to everyone there. In his first words: "I, dear Prince, am not marrying out of convenience. I am marrying out of passion, out of affection. I am marrying because I have a goal", - he enclasps in one inspiration that ends up an ecstasy. The actor in fury almost screams out his last phrase: "Money is villainous, because they give and will always give everything, even talents! Always, till the end of the world!"
There is a lot of youthful expansiveness, over the top self-assurance (why, no less than Rotshield he wishes to be) of a person very young and very inexperienced in Ganya's self contented bravado, in his impetuosity of the inner and outer motions. He opens his cards to the Prince too frankly. He changes from the seemingly genuine repentance to the slap in the face too fast; then back to the repentance and, in a second, to realizing: "The late scene is beneficial for me." There is something in his sincerity reminding of the true lie of Lebedev, where "he is truly sorry" in order to "throughout the repentant tears not miss anything and to worm out something". Ganya, probably, doesn't even need to worm anything out, but he wouldn't repent unintentionally, without even a tiniest goal. There is something devilish about him, from time to time seen in the unkind look of his black eyes, following the Prince or in this sardonic grin of his twisting the lips. Sometimes, looking and Ganya, you clearly understand the he doesn't just not like the Prince, but hates. In his scream, that follows the slap: "Are you going to stand in my way forever?" - there is an understanding that the Prince will stand in his way. An understanding that got out out of Ganya's will, but already is strongly formed.
This understanding grows very fast from the sense of some unclear danger eminent from harmless Prince Myshkin. Ganya sensed it from the first moment he saw the Prince. The mere existence of a person with a different value system is really dangerous for Gavrila Ardalionovich Ivolgin (Ganya's full name). All this happening at the time when Ganya is strongly convinced that everyone around him openly or secretly accept that same value system, which Ganya himself lives by, and dreams to get to the top of. If he accepts Prince's system even for a moment, it will turn out that Ganya is simply a platitudinarian. That's why the actual reconciliation between Ganya and the Prince is absolutely impossible.
In the second act, Ganya, about whom the Epanchin girls are saying that "he had turned to the better", seems to really have changed. It's not the same Ganya, who previously could spring out of the chair and overcome himself walking towards the fireplace for the ready to combust hundred thousands. He is no longer able to perform such an exploit.
This new Ganya is crushed, because he couldn't finish the gest, he couldn't find the strength to overcome himself and prove his selectivness and pre-eminence to everybody.
He sits in his chair, on the side of the Prince, not in any case humiliated, but relaxed, slightly turned away from Kolya, who is reading out loud a "shameful" article about the Prince, written by Lebedev and Ko. It seems that he commiserates with Myshkin. He is not an enemy to the Prince now, but the way Ganya looks at him is absolutely cold. When "poor idiot" announces that he is ready to compensate Burdovsky, Ganya's look becomes frankly unkind. Ganya starts his revelatory speech in a tone of someone with dignity who is unwilling but has to fulfill his duty, but after a few sentences Ganya changes completely. He "owes" to the Prince too much to hold off and not pay back for the fatal interference into Ganya's life. In this person, disdainfully and maliciously whipping miserable and sick Burdovsky with harsh words, which are openly addressed and clearly hurtful to the Prince, the old, ready to slap, Ganya reappears.
Oleg Menshikov in this role proved to be a great actor. This work has unplugged some deep creative resources in him.
In the beginning of the 1985-1986 season, Oleg Menshikov came to work in the Ermolova theater, where some changes are taking place due to the new director Valery Fokin being brought in. I think the actor has good reasons for this change. What are they? We will see in time.

Submitted by Maria Srogovich