Under the chiming clock
(R) Helen Koltunova
Saved Shub
New Year's Eve December 31 193 ... year. Odessa Opera House.
The Queen of Spades at the scene. The audience had already
taken their seats in anticipation of the beginning of Act III.
The curtain dropped. Behind him is a preparation stage in
the barracks. Middle of the stage director of the theater
Boksin gives final instructions his assistant, Kushnir. Boksin
already in heavy raccoon coat, which he is extremely proud of.
He hurries toward the New Year. Remain in theater until the end
of the play Boksin considers meaningless.
The right of the director and his assistant in the back of
the stage - the countess, she is busy with the buckle of his
shroud. On the left, tucked-legged feet, sits on the floor of
the orchestra trumpeter Misyuk; had a stomach ulcer, and he was
often forced to eat quickly absorbs a cheese sandwich. Pipe on
which he has to play dawn of lies next to him. Suddenly,
between bites of a sandwich Misyuk brings the pipe to his lips
and plays dawn. Hearing the signal, which the curtain must go
up, the duty firefighter clicks click the curtain, and
fluttered to the audience reveals a scene with the four
above-mentioned figures: the Countess, all the More
vozyascheysya with their zippers, trumpet player with the
protruding mouth sandwich and terrified turning to the audience
and Boksinym Kushnir. First comes a Boksin. Cat shot up
up, he manages to grab the edge of the curtain. But the
mechanism inevitably raises the heavy curtain higher and
higher, now with Boksinym, tightly clung to him.
- The curtain! - Hysterically screaming Kushnir. And then
the fireman, realizing, finally, what's going on, switch the
curtain in the emergency descent mode. All the heaviest mass
Golovinsky masterpiece rapidly coming down. Horror encompasses
the audience. Fortunately, meter or two before the mirror scene
Boksin hanging twisted Komashko, decompresses the hands and
body with the power swing in the direction of the orchestra.
Another moment, and the general sigh of relief sweeps in the
hall: Boksin, flying into the orchestra pit, hangs coat caught
on a hook bracket, on which hung at one time an old lamp
illuminating the orchestra.
