This year Kunstfest (Art Festival) was able to afford concentrating on dance genre. The art of verbal expressiveness remains rather at the periphery of the festival. Probably, they had some doubts choosing the performances. Of course, Klaus Fuehmann's Trakl-Essay and Dur Gruenbeins in cooperation with Ulrike Haage look promising, but purely dramatic work among the participants was presented only by "Theatrical Company 814" from Moscow. In 1995 Oleg Menshikov gathered a troupe of young actors, and since then the community has won public's and critics' admiration. Nikolai Gogol's comedy "Gamblers" (1842) was a successful choice of the troupe. In sharp satirical form Gogol castigates meanness, evil and acquisitiveness, which are characteristic of the society that takes advantage of deceiving its citizens.
The evening starts easily and merrily. Rotciv Vokurokhus, all-knowing servant of this blasted pub* - a lot of wood, a bit of folklore, cackling of hens and barking of dogs - at first invites the guests from the audience, who, necessary to notice, cautiously taste vodka, treat themselves to pickles and touch glasses - cheers! Then Alexandr Usov appears, the inventor of a special deck of cards, which provides for its owner a 100% winning. Slender young man, with commonly serious face that sometimes is alighted by a self-confident smile. The gang of gamblers values his sharping abilities high, unites with him and swindles a landlord's son, and then manages to cheat the intricate sharper. Again we were lucky to see the unforgotten and dear art of Russian theatre, with its precise outlines of figures, rich scale of moods, its tempo and energy, which add taste to alcohol and excitement.
Great deal of jokes and pins serves right - the sharpers disclose each other, and the deceived deceiver has to take his defeat worthily. But the fable doesn't quite shine to the present moment. The comedy, so vigorous at the start, ends rather quietly.
Thus, the evening impresses with the performances of talented actors, who are worth another meeting. All the more, their potential is big enough for plays of larger dramatic scale.

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* - Author's mistake. Rotciv Vokurokhus (Victor Sukhorukov) plays official Zamukhryshkin and appears later in the play, and the tavern's servant Alexey is performed by Dmitry Mukhamadeyev, and it is he, who manages the "banquet" before the play starts. (note menshikov.ru)

Submitted by Juliet Regibot