The Marriage
Text. . . N.
V.
Gogol
Verse . . . M. Cherchezlafemmov
Adaptation. . . I. Antiokhiisky
Musical accompaniment. . . Kh. Ivanov
Producer . . . Nich.
Sestrin
Scenic effects . . . Simbievich-Sindievich
Lighting . . . Platon Plashuk.
Sound effects . . . Galkin, Palkin, Malkin, Chalkin and Zalkind.
Make-up. . . Krult workshops; wigs by Foma Kochur
Furniture by the Fortinbras woodwork shops attached to the Balthazar Umslopogas
Acrobatics instructress: Georgetta Tiraspolskikh
Hydraulic press operated by Fitter Mechnikov
Programme composed, imposed and printed by the KRULT FACTORY SCHOOL "Citizens! Don't be alarmed! The lights went out on purpose, as part of the act. It's required for the scenic effects." The audience gave in. The lights did not go up again until the end of the act. The drums rolled in complete darkness. A squad of soldiers dressed as hotel doormen passed by, carrying torches. Then Kochkarev arrived, apparently on a camel. This could only be judged from the following dialogue. "Ouch, how you frightened me! And you came on a camel, too." "Ah, so you noticed, despite the darkness. I wanted to bring you a fragrant camellia!" During the intermission the concessionaires read the programme.
"Do you like it?" Ippolit Matveyevich asked timidly.
"Do you?"
"It's very interesting-only Stepan is rather odd."
"No, I don't like it," said Ostap.
"Particularly the fact that the furniture is from some Vogopas workshops or other.
I hope those aren't our chairs adapted to the new style."
Their fears were unjustified.
At the beginning of the second act all four chairs were brought on to the stage by Negroes in top hats.
The matchmaking scene aroused the greatest interest among the audience.
At the moment Agafya Tikhonovna was coming down a rope stretched across the entire width of the theatre, the terrifying orchestra let out such a noise that she nearly fell off into the audience.
But on the stage she balanced perfectly.
She was wearing flesh-coloured tights and a bowler.
Maintaining her balance by means of a green parasol on which was written
"I want Podkolesin", she stepped along the wire and everyone below immediately saw that her feet were dirty.
She leaped from the wire straight on to a chair, whereupon the Negroes, Podkolesin, Kochkarev in a tutu, and the matchmaker in a bus driver's uniform all turned backward somersaults.
Then they had a five-minute rest, to hide which the lights were turned out again.
The suitors were also very comic, particularly Omlette.
In his place a huge pan of fried eggs was brought on to the stage.
The sailor wore a mast with a sail.
In vain did Starikov the merchant cry out that he was being crippled by taxes.
Agafaya Tikhonovna did not like him.
She married Stepan.
They both dived into the fried eggs served by Podkolesin, who had turned into a footman.
Kochkarev and Fekla sang ditties about Chamberlain and the repayment he hoped to extort from Germany.
The Esmarch douches played a hymn for the dying and the curtain came down, wafting a breath of cool air.
"I'm satisfied with the performance," said Ostap. "The chairs are intact.
But we've no time to lose.
If Agafya Tikhonovna is going to land on those chairs each day, they won't last very long."
Jostling and laughing, the young men in their fashioned jackets discussed the finer points of the scenic effects.
"You need some shut-eye, Pussy," said Ostap.
"We have to stand in line for tickets early tomorrow morning.
The theatre is leaving by express for Nizhni tomorrow evening at seven.
So get two seats in a hard coach to Nizhni on the Kursk Railway.