2007-2015
THERE was once a widow who had two daughters, Helen, her own child by her dead husband, and Marouckla, his daughter by his first wife. She loved Helen, but hated the poor orphan because she was far prettier than her own daughter.
Marouckla did not think about her good looks, and could not understand why her stepmother should be angry at the sight of her. The hardest work fell to her share. She cleaned out the rooms, cooked, washed, sewed, spun, wove, brought in the hay, milked the cow, and all this without any help.
Helen, meanwhile, did nothing but dress herself in her best clothes and go to one amusement after another.
But Marouckla never complained. She bore the scoldings and bad temper of mother and sister with a smile on her lips, and the patience of a lamb. But this angelic behavior did not soften them. They became even more tyrannical and grumpy, for Marouckla grew daily more beautiful, while Helen's ugliness increased. So the stepmother determined to get rid of Marouckla, for she knew that while she remained, her own daughter would have no suitors. Hunger, every kind of privation, abuse, every means was used to make the girl's life miserable. But in spite of it all Marouckla grew ever sweeter and more charming.
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Scene 1 - The rich mansion of a guild in Novgorod
The wealthy Novgorod merchants congratulate themselves on their prosperity. Nezhata, a gusli player from Kiev, sings an heroic song. In reply, Sadko also sings, but the merchants laugh at him when he suggests that Novgorod would be more prosperous if a river joined Lake Ilmen to the ocean.
Scene 2 - The shores of Lake Ilmen
Sadko wanders unhappily by the lakeside. His singing attracts some swans, one of which changes into Volkhova, the Sea Princess, who wishes to marry a mortal. She explains to Sadko how to catch three golden fish which will lead to his fortune after a long voyage. Princess promises to him to wait patiently for his return. At dawn from the lake the voice of the Sea-King is heard. He calls his daughters home into the depths. Girls once again turn into white swans and swim away into the distance.
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Many years ago a tsar had three sons. When they came of age he sent for them and said: "My sons, before I am too old I want you to marry, and I would like to see my grandchildren." The sons replied: "In that case, father, give us your blessing. But whom are we to marry?" "My sons," the tsar said, "take your bows, go out into the open field, and shoot an arrow. Wherever it falls, there you will find your wife."
The sons bowed to their father, took their bows, went into the fields, drew them and shot their arrows. The eldest son's arrow fell into a nobleman's courtyard, where it was picked up by his daughter. The second son's arrow fell into a merchant's courtyard, and it was picked up by his daughter. But the arrow shot by the youngest son, Prince Ivan, rose so high and flew so far that he didn't know where to look for it. So he started to walk, and at last he came to a marsh. In the marsh he saw a frog with his arrow in its mouth. He said to the frog: "Frog, give me back my arrow." But the frog replied: "Then take me for your wife." "Oh, come now," the prince said, "how can I have a frog as my wife?" "But you must, for it is the tsar's will." At first the prince tried to avoid it, but eventually he had to accept his fate and carry the frog home.
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It's a pleasure to remember The Snow Queen 2010 performance.
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There stood a small wooden house (teremok) in the open field. A mouse ran by: - Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house? Nobody answered. The mouse went into the house and began to live there.
A frog hopped by: - Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house? -I am a mouse. And who are you? - I am a frog. Let's live together. So the mouse and the frog began living together.
A hare ran by. He saw the house and asked: - Little house, little house! Who lives in the little house? -I am a mouse. - I am a frog. And who are you? -And I am a hare. The hare jumped into the house and all of them began living together.
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We can remember our show The Washbasin 2009 thanks to photos provided by Natalia Azrikan:
Oh, the blanket Has run off, And the bed sheet flew away, And the pillow, Like a frog, Leaped away from me.
As I try to grab the candle,
It just jumps into the boiler! As I try to get the book, It just jolts under the cradle!
I would like to drink some tea, I approach the samovar, But that little potbelly Ran from me as from a fire.
Oh, my goodness, Jesus Christ, What is going on? Why is everything around me Spinning, Whirling, Speeding like a wheel?
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Once there was a farmer and had her son Simon. They lived in poverty: duds and patching, and there is nothing happened. He received Simon in the city pension for his father - a penny a month. Once Simon is this penny and saw a man about to strangle a puppy - a small, little white. Pity on the dog and the guy bought it. Mother scolds, say, a cow in the house there, and he buys dogs!
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Winter evening in the village and three sisters are sitting at the yarn. Senior and middle boast its beauty, and the youngest was silent. For gentleness and modesty sisters consider it silly and forced to work for themselves. They are dreaming than each would become famous if the king married her. The eldest boasts an unprecedented feast average - alone weave cloth for the whole world, and the youngest said that would give birth to Tsar, a brave son. All this is heard lurking under the window Tsar Saltan. He enters the room and announces his decision to live in the palace of the three, the eldest cook, the second - a weaver, and the youngest - Tsareva wife. The king left with his younger sister, and the other two together with a woman Babarikha took counsel how upset luck lucky fool. They plot to deceive Saltan.
MoreThe Russian Orthodox St. Serguis Assembly & Learning Center was founded at the Tolstoy Foundation Inc in 2007 in Valley Cottage, NY, USA. Our Center helps to preserve Russian culture and language, welcomes new students and organizes wonderful cultural events.
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