One of the late plays of Alexander Ostrovsky, the comedy “Talents and Fans” was written in 1881 and is dedicated to the theater - its charm, vulgarity and everyday dramas. The story of the talented actress Negina, who chooses the latter between the love of the Russian intellectual Petit Meluzov and the love of the scene, is crucial for Ostrovsky. The main Russian playwright was immersed in theatrical business all his adult life. The theater is not for him entertainment and not an easy genre, therefore in the play “Talents and Fans” there is a real war for the souls of people. And the actress Negin, having chosen the rich landowner Velikatov as his companion, by and large did not lose: she remained faithful to her own talent.

The play “Talents and Fans” is very important for the repertoire of the Russian theater and for the actors. In 1881, Negina played Maria Yermolova at Maly, a year later, Maria Savina at the Alexandrinsky Theater. In the late 1960s, Maria Knebel staged it at the Theater. Mayakovsky. The play was Ostrovsky in the 1990s and in the Drama Theater. Stanislavsky directed by Vitaly Lansky.

The performance of Olga Velikanova, Knebel's schoolgirl, is in many respects a tribute to the old theater and people loyal to him, for whom nobility remains a vital necessity. Young artists Sergey Ryabov and Vera Akhmedzhanova turned the stage into a continuation of the auditorium, and actors from different generations play in the play, who unite their love for their profession. This inexplicable love for all times and becomes the main plot of the story. Before us is a play in the theater, with old romances and beautiful dresses, but everything in it is real: life, tears, and a sobering finale.