The Old Woman’s Route is a promenade performance based on the works of Daniil Kharms, held annually in St. Petersburg since 2012. Each year, 10–16 directing teams develop its numerous episodes.
In 2021, the main setting for the Route was Tavrichesky Garden, which simultaneously became a Central Park, a mysterious garden, and a space of our dreams and aspirations. The image of America persistently appears in Kharms' texts— a country he had never visited but often dreamed of.
The performance took place on September 12, 2021.
The history of all performances can be found on the official website:
episode
THE TABLE BEHIND THE LAKE
director: Ksenia Pavlova
set design: Natalia Semenova
producer: Daria Kurmyshkina
actors: Konstantin Fedorov-Freivalt, Roma Furshtatsky, Tatiana Tkacheva, Anya Pavlova, Dmitry Borodulya, Andrey Noskov, Max Rodzevich, Nikita Khorolsky
At a long table, gentlemen and ladies (actors) sit, waiting for their dishes to be served. The table itself is half-empty—each guest has only one or two glasses, a fork, a knife, and a colored pencil. The audience is invited to join and take a seat at the table.
At some point, the gentlemen grow tired of waiting, and absurd things begin to happen at the table: the gentlemen and ladies converse in OBERIU-style poetry, pour lake water into their glasses, and make toasts—all while a refrain of dreams about delicious and beautiful things that never come to pass is heard. From time to time, particularly unruly guests are taken away by orderlies, only to return later, calm once again.
And this cycle repeats over and over—the gentlemen and ladies remain in eternal anticipation.
For the episode, a tablecloth-map was created: the depicted New York Central Park seamlessly transitions into the streets and canals of St. Petersburg, where the events of Daniil Kharms' story The Old Woman took place. The map ends, just like the story itself, at Lisiy Nos.
Any guest at the table, while waiting for the dishes to be served, could draw or write anything on the map using blue pencils.
sketch of the tablecloth-map
episode
THE MIRACLE WORKER'S HAND
director: Ksenia Pavlova
set design: Natalia Semenova
producer: Daria Kurmyshkina
actors: Fedor Ruzanov
A giant hand, as if descending from the sky through the tree canopy, stands next to a boy who resembles a young Daniil Kharms.
Anyone can make their most cherished wish, reach out to touch the finger, and then the wish will surely come true!
(but only if it is truly cherished)
