Николай Владимирович Лакутин - It was almost there. A play for 4 people. Comedy

To say – they said, but then everything went not according to the script, not according to textbooks. Everything went very differently… It seems like we both tried to adhere to the canons and family values known to everyone… But, what to hide… Neither Danil nor I are role models. We tried, really… It didn't work out. And how many of you did it? Well, how is it? To be honest? Everyone is their own here.

You… You will forgive me for this question. I have no right to meddle in my own business, and I'm not going to hide behind someone's failures, if there are any, either. I'll speak for myself. I do not know how to live properly. Don't know. The only thing I know is that Danil and I are relatively honest. We play the games that we both understand. We don't always live together, it's true, but we don't hate each other either, which I think is an achievement. He and I are often fine. And, despite the fact that it seems that outwardly we are like a cat with a dog – we still haven't divorced. Not because they didn't dare, no. There is plenty of determination. I just don't want to.

Perhaps… I may be wrong, of course, but perhaps the secret of the integrity of marriage is precisely that the spouses play those games that are understandable to both of them. Only them. And let the whole world twist at the temple, looking at certain pairs.

Abnormal?

Yes!

Wonderful?

For God's sake.

Let them say and think what they want. But the most important thing is that other people's opinions, other people's advice, under no circumstances penetrate into a particular family. Even if this family is wrong a thousand times… This is their way… This is their life… And it should only be their decisions…

Irina returns to the center of the stage together with the inclusion of lighting in the apartment.

We emit Irina's arrival into the house from somewhere on the street.

Danil enters. Irina turns to him. She looks him seriously in the eyes.

Irina (to her husband, carefully, seriously). What have you decided?

Danil looks at his wife sternly, seriously.

Irina literally shudders at this look.

Irina (to her husband, cautiously, being afraid). What's going on?

Danil begins to unbutton his shirt, loosens the belt on his pants.

Irina, in general, understands what is going on, but still she did not expect.

Irina (to her husband, cautiously, being afraid). Oh-pa-pa-pa-paaa…

A bright musical theme sounds.

Danil tears off the rest of the buttons and rushes at his wife.

Rapid darkening. The viewer should not see any nudes and depravity, but they should be very clearly imagined by the inertia of developing events.

Dark.

The music is booming, probably along with the applause.

We "pickle" a little bit of the viewer with longing, loud music, imagination and darkness.

And now the music begins to fade.

Hush, hush.

Danila and Irina's attempts to catch their breath are already becoming audible. They're doing well.

The music subsides almost completely, it sounds barely audible.

Irina's voice (outraged cry). Yes, where are you going with your legs again, well!!!

Danila's voice (nervously, shouting). And you shut your head!

The nervous altercation of Danil and Irina is hidden by the background of the rapidly growing music again.

A curtain

Novosibirsk, March 2023

Explanatory note for the director:

1. In act 1, there are 3 scenes, the life of Danil and Irina, the moment of automatic voicing of the text that Irina is typing on her smartphone needs to be shown as plausible as possible, you can stumble somewhere, "dictate" some word somewhere so that the viewer understands what is happening and to whom Irina actually answers.

2. In Act 1, 6 scenes, dialogues in the dark can be played on stage, not only with voices. It would be more interesting if double beds (or one bed) appeared on the stage in dim light, where couples would discuss the upcoming sabantuy in dim light. But this will require a lot of money, not only in terms of scenography, but also time. If the director organizes everything correctly and can implement this option, it will be great.

. Good

luck to all of us!!!

These explanations and suggestions are optional for the production, all at the discretion of the director.

***

The conditions for staging the play are negotiated individually.

All the plays of Nikolai Lakutin are presented for review in open access on the official website of the author http://lakutin-n.ru the "Plays" section

Author's email Lakutin200@mail.ru

The cover photo of the play is borrowed from a free photo bank, under a Creative Commons license.