“Masks-show”, city Odessa, street Olgievskaya, 23 Where, if not in Odessa could be born known to all the post-Soviet space comedian-truppe "Mask-show", managed to conquer not only friendly republics, but also foreign countries, including Japan and Germany. The unique style of absurd pantomime cultivated by the artistic director and director of the Mask Theatre Georgy Deliev has long become a self-sufficient offshoot of clown art, and the actors themselves have become inextricably associated with their hilarious images, which have passed the test of time. For each viewer, the work of “Masks” means something unique and unique. Someone first got acquainted with the theater of Georgy Deliev thanks to a comedy series in which the entire original composition of “Masks” took part. Other viewers, on the contrary, know the guys from numerous performances on stage, which do not end until today. Someone, on the contrary, liked the singing experiments of Deliev and his long-time friend on the stage Vladimir Komarov. As you can see, the Mask Shows have long ceased to be ordinary clowns, and they have never been. From the moment of the first appearance on the theatrical stage to the latest productions of the Clown Theater on Olgievskaya Street in Odessa, the troupe of Georgy Deliev overcomes the existing framework, destroys and rethinks them. And all so that the fans of “Masks” had the opportunity to sincerely smile and at least briefly distract from the gray everyday life, which in recent years is becoming more and more.
If you delve into the distant origins of the work of comedians, it is imperative to dwell on the performance of young humorous talents of the sample of 1984, from which the history of the “Mask Show” begins. Two completely clumsy, painted with colors from toe to head clown, Georgy Deliev and Alexander Postolenko, go public to perform an ironic musical number with an unusual reinterpretation of the famous song by Piero Umiliani “Mana-man”. Completely meaningless, wordless staging of beginners “Masks” immediately attracted the audience in the hall, and after the broadcast of the festival flew around the entire Soviet Union, Delhiev, Postolenko and other members of the “Masks” team received multiple invitations to other republics and even countries where they expected widespread well-deserved success. Tired of traditional conversational humor, people glowed in the madness of the “Mask Show” genuine charisma, the ability to recreate high art out of nothing, after which the Georgi Deliev Theatre opened the way to television. Combining a long tour with the shooting of the series “Mask Show”, the actors increased the popularity of the project, becoming a brand that everyone heard about. Whatever was happening in the world, whatever cataclysms would not cover it, the “Mask Show” always remained open and cheerful, although in the behind-the-scenes history of the troupe there were many difficult episodes, sometimes dramatic and even tragic, and many of them became known only years later.
In 2009, the Mask-Show clowning theater celebrated the 25th anniversary of creative activity, which is a very significant period for post-Soviet humorous collectives. The team of Georgy Deliava saw the heyday and decline of colleagues from the “Gentleman Show”, helped to get on the feet of the magazine “Calambur”, but his days were too quickly numbered. And only the “Mask Show” continued to entertain the audience, tirelessly developing new projects and infusing fresh energy into the old ones. Difficult economic realities, changed priorities of leading TV channels put an end to the releases of incredibly popular video sketches from “Masks”, but their theater could not break anything. Continuous touring, filming music videos and even an exhibition of paintings continued to expand the fruits of the activities of the theater participants, and the documentary film by Sergei Grek “Masks”. Between life and stage" told about Georgy Deliev, Vladimir Komarov and other members of the team previously unknown facts that cause genuine interest.
A lot of television programs were filmed about the “Masks-Show”, but never before the actors were so frank with the audience as it was shown in the tape of Sergei Grek. By the 25th anniversary of the “Mask Show”, many unique stories, jokes and stories have accumulated, born both at rehearsals and on the streets of magnificent Odessa. But it was also not without sad tales that always accompany comedians, as if a tribute to the universal balance of emotions. Over the years of creative activity, the Mask Show collaborated with many famous performers of clowning and pantomime, including Vadim Poplavsky, who crashed in a car accident in his prime. Prematurely left this world and Oleg Emtsev, a student of Marcel Marceau and part-time one of the most remarkable participants of the “Masks”. Through the experience of cooperation with Georgy Deliev, actors now known for completely different projects also passed, among which were Evelina Bledans, Yuri Stytskovsky and Valentin Opalev. at the beginning of the new century, a permanent member of the troupe Vladimir Komarov left the Mask-Show, but as well as other comrades of Deliev, he does not mind sometimes returning to the bosom of his native theater to remember the old days and play one or two performances for the soul and faithful spectators.
"Masks." Between life and stage, they are not afraid to show the personal life of the actors, in which there were no less stormy bursts than on stage or on the set. Few of the fans of “Masks” knew that Natalia Buzko and Alexander Postolenko were married. The camera did not ignore Vladimir Komarov, a colorful funny man in the frame and a frankly unhappy middle-aged man in real life. The actor himself openly talked about how his personal story develops and what would have happened to it if the “Mask Show” had not appeared in his life together with Georgy Deliev. The head of the theater also did not sit on the sidelines, telling his stories and memories, as if immersed in the experienced moments, catching up both a smile and a stingy man’s tears. Under the gunshot of the camera of Sergei Grek were only the permanent members of the “Masks”, but they did not forget about those colleagues who left them for one reason or another. And all because the "Mask Show" is not just a commercial structure, but a real family.
In the end, I want to say that the masks. Between Life and Stage is a collection of invaluable materials from the life of the most famous comedian-truppe in the post-Soviet space. Finally, we learned a little more about our favorite comedians and understood what the life of art people is worth, who, despite everything, enjoy their work and give positive emotions to each of us. Have a pleasant and heartfelt view!
9 out of 10