The Russian Drama Theater, under the direction of theater philosopher Mikhail Shchepenko, grew out of theater studio at the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology named after D. I. Mendeleev. In 1974, a meeting of amateur theater-goers of the institute took place, at which the studio was documented. And the new theater troupe presented its first performance to the audience already in 1976. From that moment on, she did not leave the stage.

Years have passed, and today the Moscow Theater of Russian Drama, which grew out of student initiative, occupies a prominent place among the theaters of Moscow. He is known far beyond the capital, thanks to his participation in representative theater festivals and forums.

The theatre's creed - through its creativity to tell the truth about what is important for the Fatherland, thanks to the efforts of its leaders Mikhail Grigoryevich Shchepenko and Tamara Sergeevna Basnina, remains unchanged. The patriotism of the productions, based on the postulates of Orthodoxy, is bearing fruit. The theater has found its audience and is deservedly popular among Moscow theatergoers.

An important role in this is played by the firm conviction of the actors and the leaders of the troupe in the correctness of their chosen creative direction and carefully selected repertoire, which includes such productions as “The Angel of Sorrowful Understanding”, “The Master and the Servant Bengal Lights”, “So you ask how we we’re getting along ...”, “Two Frosts, “Marriage?”, “...And see, and listen!”, “Comedy of conventions” and a whole series of performances designed for both an adult audience and children of different ages.

The troupe of the theater is distinguished by the constancy of the composition. After all, not just colleagues in the shop serve here. This is a group of spiritually close like-minded people. It includes Arkady Averin, Dmitry Polyakov, Valeria Polyakova, Alexei Savchenko, Vasily Vasilyev, Valery Andreev, Yulia Schepenko, Pavel Levitsky, Irina Vinokurova, Irina Andreeva, Svetlana Yurutkina, Artur Averin, Gennady Kukharenko...

On the basis of the theater, the Theatrical Festival "Sretenie" is held annually. It invites amateur theater groups created in Sunday schools, Orthodox associations and parishes in Moscow and the Moscow region. Also, every year Christmas readings are held here, in which theater workers, invited clergymen, representatives of the Orthodox and secular communities participate.

The principles of Orthodoxy underlying the selection of the repertoire and embodied in a kind of "cordiality" in no way exclude either the intellectuality or the global nature of the themes of the performances. But still, the art of the heart prevails, which arouses the viewer's interest in the theater.

Theatre " chamber stage” distinguishes a number of points. Its creators and directors, Mikhail Shchepenko and Tamara Basnina, have always been faithful to the principle of "the theater is a monastery." The theater arose from scratch - when there were only two of them. The theater was formed and is being formed only from actors grown by leaders. Directors of performances in the theater can only be directors. Unity, solidity, a kind of state in which only its citizens have a place - this is the "Chamber Stage".

The theater has always been committed to a certain philosophy, spiritual teaching. As Mikhail Schepenko said, there were three stages in the development of the "Chamber Stage": social protest, adherence to Eastern teachings, primarily Agni Yoga, and now the stage of service to Christianity, Orthodoxy.

M. G. Shchepenko: “The theater as a phenomenon of public consciousness has the quality of fantastic inertia. The magic of past aesthetic achievements is so great that the viewer wants to participate and participates in the “naked king” situation. The viewer draws something that has not been there for a long time. I do not recognize theaters - museums and performances that were needed yesterday. The concepts of "theater" and "museum" are two incompatible things. So thought K. S. Stanislavsky, and E. B. Vakhtangov, and B. E. Zakhava.

October 7, 1974 The first meeting of future members of the theater studio of the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology. D. I. Mendeleev.

1976 First performance. T. Basnina and M. Shchepenko "The Tale of the Beautiful Princess with All the Consequences That Result" (first version).

1978 The emergence of the Studio Theater on Novoslobodskaya. W. Saroyan, I. Hunter "Hey, somebody!". A. Vampilov "Twenty minutes with an angel."

1979 "Oh, my Russia! ..".

1980 The emergence of the Studio Theater on Chekhov Street.

1981 A. Sokolov "Fantasy Faryatiev."

1982 Assignment of the title "People's Theatre". A. Chekhov "What are you shouting about?". A. Chekhov "Chekhov on Chekhov Street".

1983 Tour around the Pskov and Kaliningrad regions. I. Chamber "Always theatre".

1984 Tour in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan. R. Bach "Jonathan Livingston Seagull".

1985 Participation in the cultural program of the International Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow. M. Schepenko "One morning before sunset."

1986 Participation in the festival of Russian and Soviet drama in Svitavy (Czechoslovakia). I. Kamerny "Moliere is our guest." A. Chekhov "The century has passed."

1987 emergence professional theater"Chamber Scene". Tour in Tver. Tour in Murmansk. Tour in the Tula region.

1988 Participation in the festival of new youth theaters in Arkhangelsk. Tour in Ryazan. Tour in Stary Oskol. M. Arbatova "An equation with two knowns." V. Moskalenko "Angel of mournful understanding." M. Shchepenko, T. Basnina "The Tale of the Beautiful Princess with all the ensuing consequences" (second version).

1989 Participation in the chamber art festival in Citta di Castello (Italy). Tour in Samara. Tour trip to Izhevsk.

1990 Participation in the festival theatrical art in Umbertide (Italy). Tour trip to Novorossiysk. B. Savinkov (V. Ropshin) "Black Horse". I. Chamber "Three brothers".

1991 Participation in the theater festival "MASCERA D "ORO" in Vicenza (Italy).

1992 Participation in international festival new theatrical forms in the city of Smolensk.
A. Chekhov "Lights".

1993 1st edition of the theater course of the Moscow Theater "Chamber Stage" on the basis of the Yaroslavl State Theater Institute. A. Vampilov "Twenty minutes with an angel" (new version).

1994 20th anniversary creative activity theater group. Tour to Italy. I. Chamber "Clow divertissement".

1995 N. Gogol "Marriage?". Tour in Cheboksary.

1996 S. Chistyakova, V. Odoyevsky "Unbypassed House". Tour trip to Lviv to the festival "Golden Lion".

1997 A. K. Tolstoy "Tsar Fedor Ioannovich". Y. Averina "Heavenly guest".

1998 Presentation to Mikhail Shchepenko of the Prize of the Moscow Mayor's Office for his performance of the role of Tsar Fyodor in the play "Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich". Tour trip to the city of Vladimir to the festival "Voices of History".

1999 G. Yudin "Murom Miracle". M. Shchepenko "And see, and listen ...". Y. Averina "Morozko". The leading actor of the theater, one of its founders, Sergey Prishchep, died. Tour along the Volga.

year 2000. Y. Averina "Two frosts".

year 2001. A. Kulygin "Cat's House", K. Lukashevich "The Master and the Servant", A. Chekhov "So you ask how we are doing", III All-Russian School Theater Festival "Russian Drama". Tour in Evpatoria. Aritists Dmitry Polyakov and Andrey Umanets received the title of Honored Artist of Russia.

2002 I. Shmelev "Kulikovo Field", IV All-Russian Festival of School Theaters "Russian Drama".

2003 25th theater season. Tours in the city of Orel, participation in the international festival "Slavic Theater Meetings" in the city of Gomel, where Mikhail Shepenko became a laureate in the nomination "Best Actor". Actress Valeria Polyakova received the title of Honored Artist of Russia. V Anniversary All-Russian Festival of School Theaters "Russian Drama". Participation in the First Orthodox Theater Festival "Kuzbass Ark" and the First Theater Forum "Golden Knight".

2004 L. Charskaya "King's Choice", V. Sollogub "Trouble from a tender heart." Awarding to Mikhail Shchepenko the title of Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, actor Arkady Averin - the title of Honored Artist of Russia. Participation in 1 fabulous theater festival "I-small hello!" (New Urengoy). Thirty years of creative activity.

2005 year. M. Shchepenko "On the very edge", A. Tvardovsky "It was, of course, he." Tours in Volgograd and Syktyvkar. Theater Director T. S. Basnina was awarded the title of Honored Art Worker. Actor Alexei Savchenko was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia. Benefit performance of the Honored Artist of Russia Dmitry Polyakov, dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the actor and the 20th anniversary of his service to our theater. 60th anniversary artistic director Theater of Mikhail Shchepenko.

2006 Actress Yulia Shchepenko was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia. Tours in Volgograd and Samara.

2007 M. Dunaev “Don Juan? ... Don Juan!". Benefit performance of the Shchepenko-Averins acting dynasty with many children in the play "Marriage".

2008 A. Vampilov "Farewell in June". Y. Averina "Sparklers". X Anniversary All-Russian Festival of School Theaters "Russian Drama". Tour in Gomel.

year 2009. A. Ostrovsky "The heart is not a stone." Y. Averin "Twelve months". Anniversary - 35 years creative team Theater of Russian Drama "Chamber Stage" under the direction of Mikhail Shchepenko.

2010 Participation in the III Theater Festival "From Image to Image" in St. Petersburg, showing the performance "Tender Heart" (April 12).

On May 9, in honor of the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory, a concert for veterans of the Great Patriotic War. The festive program was opened by the performance of the children's studio of our Theater under the direction of Yulia Shchepenko with the literary and dramatic composition “Memory is bequeathed. War through the eyes of children.

The Russian Drama Theater "Chamber Stage" participated in the 5th anniversary Opta Forum "The Heritage of Russia and the Spiritual Choice of the Russian Intelligentsia" (May 11-31). During the forum, M. G. Shchepenko made presentations, took part in the work of the forum in Moscow, Optina Pustyn, Tambov and Kaluga.

Showing of the play "Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich" on the stage of the Temple complex in Usovo on the day of the grand opening of the complex with the participation of the Prime Minister of Russia V.V. Putin and the consecration of the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia (July 5).

Participation in the Festival "Days of Karamzin" in the Ostafyevo estate. Screening of the play "Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich" (September 19).

The theater is a participant of the Golden Knight festival. On October 23, the performance "Angel of Sorrowful Understanding" was presented in a competitive viewing.

Artistic director M. G. Shchepenko was awarded the Order of St. Theodore Stratilates of the Russian Orthodox Church (October 31).

From October 31 to November 5, the XII School Theater Festival "Russian Drama" took place. The youth studio at the Moscow Theater of Russian Drama "Chamber Stage" participated in the festival with the premiere performance "The Last Bell" based on the play by Y. Averina. The performance won in the nomination "For the most complete correspondence of the performance to the festival's motto" ("Take care of honor from a young age"). Maria Averina was awarded for playing the role of Lyuba Shevtsova in the play "The Last Call". For creating positive image contemporary in the play "The Last Bell" was awarded Yaroslav Simakov.

Moscow Theater of Russian Drama "Chamber Stage" directed by Mikhail Shchepenko

October 7, 1974 The first meeting of future members of the theater studio of the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology. DI. Mendeleev.

1976 First performance.
T. Basnina and M. Schepenko "The Tale of the Beautiful Princess with all the ensuing consequences" (first version).

1978 The emergence of the Studio Theater on Novoslobodskaya.
W. Saroyan, I. Hunter "Hey, somebody!"
A. Vampilov "Twenty minutes with an angel".

1979 "Oh, my Russia! .." The first theatrical season.

1980 The emergence of the Studio Theater on Chekhov Street.

1981 A. Sokolov "Fantasy Faryatiev".

1982 Assignment of the title "People's Theatre".
A. Chekhov "What are you shouting about?"
A. Chekhov "Chekhov on Chekhov Street".

1983 Tour around the Pskov and Kaliningrad regions.
I. Chamber "Always theatre".

1984 Tour in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan.
R. Bach "Jonathan Livingston Seagull".

1985 Participation in the cultural program of the International Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow.
M. Shchepenko "One morning before sunset".

1986 Participation in the festival of Russian and Soviet drama in Svitavy (Czechoslovakia).
I. Chamber "Moliere is our guest".
A. Chekhov "The century has passed".

1987 The emergence of the professional theater "Chamber Stage".
Tour to Tver.
Tour to Murmansk.
Tour in the Tula region.

1988 Participation in the festival of new youth theaters in Arkhangelsk.
Tour to Ryazan.
Tour to Stary Oskol.
M. Arbatova "Equation with two known".
V. Moskalenko "Angel of Sorrowful Understanding".
M. Schepenko, T. Basnina "The Tale of the Beautiful Princess with all the ensuing consequences" (second version)

1989 Participation in the chamber art festival in Citta di Castello (Italy).
Tour to Samara.
Tour to Izhevsk.

1990 Participation in the festival of theatrical art in Umbertide (Italy)
Tour to Novorossiysk.
B. Savinkov (V. Ropshin) "Black Horse".
I. Chamber "Three brothers".

1991 Participation in the theater festival "MASCERA D" ORO "in Vicenza (Italy).

1992 Participation in the international festival of new theatrical forms in Smolensk.
A. Chekhov "Lights".

1993 1st edition of the theater course of the Moscow Theater "Chamber Stage" on the basis of the Yaroslavl State Theater Institute.
A. Vampilov "Twenty minutes with an angel" (second edition)
A. Sokolova "Fantasy Faryatiev" (second edition)

1994 20th anniversary of the creative activity of the theater group.
Tour to Italy.
I. Chamber "Clow divertissement".

1995 N. Gogol "Marriage?".
Tour to Cheboksary

1996 S. Chistyakova, V. Odoyevsky "Unbypassed House".
Tour trip to Lviv for the festival "Golden Lion".

1997 A.K. Tolstoy "Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich".
Y. Averina "Heavenly guest".

1998 Mikhail Shchepenko receiving the Moscow Mayor's Prize for his role as Tsar Fyodor in the play "Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich".
Tour to Vladimir for the festival "Voices of History".
Y. Averina "Night when secrets are revealed"

1999 G. Yudin "Murom miracle".
M. Schepenko "And see, and listen ...".
Y. Averina "Morozko".
The leading actor of the theater, one of its founders, Sergey Prishchep, died.
Tour along the Volga.
Release of the second troupe of theater actors on the basis of YAGTI.
I All-Russian School Theater Festival "Russian Drama", which later became an annual event.

year 2000. Y. Averina "Two frosts".
II All-Russian School Theater Festival "Russian Drama", which later became an annual event.
2nd edition of the theater course of the Moscow Theater "Chamber Stage" on the basis of the Yaroslavl State Theater Institute.

year 2001. A. Kulygin "Cat's House",
K. Lukashevich "The master and the servant",
A. Chekhov "So you ask how we are doing",
III All-Russian School Theater Festival "Russian Drama".
Tour to Evpatoria.
Artists Dmitry Polyakov and Andrey Umanets received the title of Honored Artist of Russia.

2002 I. Shmelev "Kulikovo field",
IV All-Russian School Theater Festival "Russian Drama".

2003 25th theater season.
Tour in Orel, participation in the international festival "Slavic Theater Meetings" in Gomel, where Mikhail Shepenko became a laureate in the nomination "Best Actor".
Actress Valeria Polyakova received the title of Honored Artist of Russia.
V Anniversary All-Russian School Theater Festival "Russian Drama".
Participation in the First Orthodox Theater Festival "Kuzbass Ark"
and the First Theater Forum "Golden Knight".

2004 L. Charskaya "King's Choice",
V. Sollogub "Trouble from a tender heart".
Awarding to Mikhail Shchepenko the title of Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences,
actor Arkady Averin - the title of "Honored Artist of Russia".
Participation in the I fairy-tale theater festival "I-small hello!" (New Urengoy).
Thirty years of creative activity.
A.Sokolova "Faryatyev's Fantasies" (third edition)

2005: M. Shchepenko "On the very edge",
A. Tvardovsky "It was, of course, he."
Tours in Volgograd and Syktyvkar.
Theater director T.S. Basnina was awarded the title of Honored Art Worker.
Actor Alexei Savchenko was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia.
Benefit performance of the Honored Artist of Russia Dmitry Polyakov, dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the actor and the 20th anniversary of his service to our theater.
60th anniversary of the artistic director of the theater Mikhail Shchepenko

2006: Actress Yulia Shchepenko was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia.
Tours in Volgograd and Samara.

2007: M. Dunaev “Don Juan? .. Don Juan!"
Benefit performance of the Shchepenko-Averins acting dynasty with many children in the play "Marriage".

2008: A. Vampilov "Farewell in June"

X Anniversary All-Russian Festival of School Theaters "Russian Drama"
Tour in Gomel.
3rd edition of the theater course of the Moscow Theater "Chamber Stage" on the basis of the Yaroslavl State Theater Institute.

2009: A. Ostrovsky "Heart is not a stone"
Y. Averina "Twelve months"
Anniversary - 35 years of the creative team of the Theater of Russian Drama "Chamber Stage" under the direction of Mikhail Shchepenko.

2010:
Participation in the III Theater Festival "From Image to Image" in St. Petersburg, showing the performance "Tender Heart".
Showing of the play "Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich" on the stage of the Temple complex in Usovo on the day of the grand opening of the complex with the participation of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the consecration of the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

2011:
On September 24, at the age of 83, Natalya Petrovna Volkonskaya, a gifted actress and teacher of the highest level in stage speech, passed away.
The 25th anniversary season of the professional theater has opened.
Several performances were presented on the stage of the theater as part of the international theater forum "Golden Knight"

Do you want to visit Backstage? I have visited)
I really like to go on excursions to the theater, it is interesting to see where and how what you see on the stage is born.
Many thanks to Dasha for the tour and an interesting story about the theater, about its history and present.
It is a pity that the theater is threatened with closure, and maybe this is the last time I visited it...
And we are going to places where the audience on a normal day is not allowed to enter.
The orchestra pit is very compact, but it can fit up to fifty people (I have no idea how), so every millimeter of personal space is important. Because of this, one could only look there, otherwise they could move something.
The stage is already set for the evening performance. What I like about this theater is that the stage for a certain performance can transform, change its shape, and it even happens that the audience is on the stage, and the actors are in the auditorium (I have never been to such a performance)
Behind the stage, in the "pocket" on the wall, the cheat sheets for the performance are already ready, the props that will be needed in the evening have been prepared
Usually there are two "pockets" in theaters, but here there is only one, and it's very compact. we hardly settled here, how they manage to change clothes and fix their make-up here - I can’t imagine.
And we are going to wander the corridors from the stage.
Costume shop
And a very unusual thing - a luminous dress
Male make-up shop, designed for two artists, here the actors are only made up, although for some performances the actors prefer to do their own make-up
Here the actors rehearse, I have no idea how to do it in that closeness, especially if all the actors gather.
The stripes on the floor are for a reason - they represent the scenery, but don't drag them under the very roof of the building, and not all the scenery will fit here.
And here are the decorations, or rather the workshop where they are collected and stored.
Layouts for the scenery are made in accordance with all proportions, all the details move, just like in those that will later be created on the stage.
One person works here, but he quickly disappeared when he saw our group)
Women's costume shop.
If the performance has two casts, special tags are hung on the hangers so that the actors take exactly their costume.
Women's dressing room, here all sorts of details for female images different performances.
And if the actress wears some details in different performances, then the jewelry is stored in personalized boxes.
This is what I understand - a cosmetic bag, it closes and can be easily moved, because it is on wheels.
Here, one young participant of our excursion had a lot of questions, and the make-up artist answered them in detail, where and what you need to study in order to work in this profession.
Men's costume shop, there are also quite a few costumes.