This story is too true-to-life that’s why it is quoted and even encourages to set up monuments to heroes. Pronia Prokopivna and Holokhvastov…The torch love story about mercenary-minded broke barber, about the tragedy of rich bourgeoisie and shabby beauty is well-known for a lot of generations. Amazingly, but in 2017 it turns 40 after the first release of Mykhailo Starytskii’s play “Take two” on Zhytomyr’s stage!

After the wild success of Viktor Ivanov’s movie which was rapidly took to citations, it’s quite difficult to create something new. In 1977 in Zhytomyr’s Dramatical theatre it was the first try to show the play “Take two” in individual production. The audience was pleased with the play: they came to see own, perfectly set play.
IN 1977 ON ZHYTOMYR’S DRAMATICAL THEATRE STAGE WAS RELEASED THE PLAY “TAKE TWO”
The musical comedy got the second wind in 1999, when the theatre was under the supervision of director Hryhorii Artemenko. Since then the play has become almost legendary and so far has been on theatre’s stage collecting loud applause.
THE LEGENDARY PLAY EACH TIME COLLECTS LOUD APPLAUSE
“The entire world’s a stage!” – literary great Shakespeare wrote. Everything is changing in theatre as well as in the world: nothing is constant. Throughout play’s existence in a new appearance all the cast has absolutely changed, except the leading lady. Honored Ukrainian Artist Oksana Pavlova for almost 20 years has been irreplaceable Zhytomyr’s Pronia Prokopivna.
HONORED UKRAINIAN ARTIST OKSANA PAVLOVA HAS BEEN IRREPLACEABLE PRONIA PROKOPIVNA FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS
“Take two” is appealed not only by audience but actors as well, – says Petro Avramenko, theatre’s filmmaker. – This is a play where you can cut fully loose!”
While performing in theatre, Petro Avramenko has got over the career ladder from the crowd to one-of-a-kind fail-fiancé Svyryd Holokhvastov, bending all the women’s hearts in audience.
ONE-OF-A-KIND FAIL-FIANCE PERFORMED BY PETRO AVRAMENKO BENDS ALL AUDIENCE’S  HEARTS
The uniqueness of the play is also in author’s music, which was purposely written for performing on Zhytomyr’s stage.
How many authors’s fables could be told about the play which has been being performed for forty years? Of course, loads of! One day moustache has unglued, another day face-paint has given away. Despite all the facts, these cherries on top fine-tune the performance so it’s the brightest show onstage: live action, glaring costumes, decorations, vivid songs, dances and orchestra.
THE BRIGHTEST SHOW ONSTAGE
NOTHING FUNNY – ONLY TRUE LIFE STORIES
What is the secret of longstanding success then? Obviously, because of spicey and bang-on humor, which always attracts the spectator; of vividness; of actors’ devotion which makes us wonder about everlasting topics: love or money, feelings or profit…It turns out that the story doesn’t seem funny anymore, but you don’t know who to feel pity for or who to laugh at…
Photo: Marta Yarotska
Text: Kateryna Doms