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Gay play "All Shades of Blue" at the "Satiricon" Moscow Theater

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"All Shades of Blue" is the first play about homosexual teenager in Russia, where gay citizens have not civil rights. That's why to say that the staging of the gay play "All shades of Blue" at the "Satiricon" Moscow theater became an event in Russia, - to say nothing. 

A single caption that opens the play: "!!! Mom, Dad, I am - gay" remove all doubt about significance of this performance. We must have the courage and determination, either lack of self-preservation, that in spite of all draconian laws and homophobic tendencies of Russian society dare to stage play, which tells the story of a teenager, once confessed to his parents that due to the laws of nature he likes boys instead of girls.

About this performance, I learned a few months ago from one of my friends, a little later one gay friend told me about the same production again, too, then another, and then I realized that the "All shades of Blue" - is not just a performance, but a cultural event, a culture shock.

"All shades of Blue" - a modern gay play, written recently by Russian playwright Vladimir Zaitsev, tells the story of a coming out, a homosexual teenager committed in front of his parents in a moment of despair, when they told him that they intended to divorce. It was spontaneous, and in the first seconds the father-soldier and mother-employee thought it was a joke, an absurdity, an attempt to distract their attention from something more meaningful, as it seems, the question who their son loves and with whom he would like to stay and live after the divorce. But no, that wasn’t a joke and their realize that talking about divorce is secondary to the fact that their son is gay. And the audience has been told the story of a teenager, about how he realized his orientation in a hotel room during the Olympics for Literature in St. Petersburg with his neighbor, gay from Ulyanovsk. He removed any doubt regarding the first kiss with a boy and the whole vast inarticulate mystery and wonder of gay sex and love, which for him were much more beautiful and delicious than his experience with the girls.

And then it begins! - the scene of aggression of his father and excitement of mother and efforts of grandmother, and attempts to hire an exorcist because, according to his assurances, the manifestation of gay orientation is nothing else but the effect of gay demon, and attempts to bring the guy to traditional family values through "priestess of love", hired by the father because: "Are you sick? How could you refuse everything, even if you do not try?", as a result of the psychiatric clinic, veiled under a fashionable rehabilitation center, and ... However, we will not allow however, because spoilers follow, and the you need to see performance live!

All my friends who had to see this performance before me, developed a very controversial opinion. Diametrically-opposed "Liked it! Wow! Must see!" bordered on the "play hard enough. I would not advise to go!". But mind you, I've never heard of something average and mediocre, never faced with the opinion that it is mediocre and all-just an attempt to provide oneself good PR on controversial topic. No, there is much delicate and tender. If someone advised to think carefully before you go to watch, it is likely that, due to the final. After all, if in the beginning the viewers are laughing, in the end, many had a lump in their throat and tears in their eyes. It's hard, ridiculous, cruel! However, again, we will not tolerate spoilers!

The story told in the play, is much broader than just the story of a single family, which had a chance to face with a "Mom, Dad, I am Gay!". This is the story of modern society, the history of acceptance and rejection of those who have something different from the others. No matter what criteria - the very essence of the differences are the determining factor. And Konstantin Raikin in an interview said that, doing staging of this play, he was thinking not only of the modern LGBT issue in Russia, he thought much wider. He thought about Vysotsky, Brodsky and many other great people who were not in favor, were excluded from the society. The simple fact – they are the other, so we do not like them! Then they obliged to suffer, to live in exile!

Knowing what the performance, I'm going to, I was interested in something else: and with what kind of an audience of viewers, I come across? Who will sit next to me in the audience, watching the action on the stage? Interestingly, in addition to young people, among which there were representatives of the people about whom this performance, there were enough adults, couples may come to see the play, because they have experienced something similar, hoping to receive for themselves a certain recipe for how to take these revelations of their children, how then to treat those who once admitted, how to live with this. Indeed, the play gives an opportunity to take some kind of a recipe, gives a vision of the future with regard to those who can be safely attributed to the "others" category.

After all, the numbers of those who are shouting "save Russia from a fag!" have far exceeded the numbers who loudly declare that gay orientation is not the pathology!

A single caption that opens the play: "!!! Mom, Dad, I am - gay" 

Modern Russian society is divided. Those who are seduced by propaganda declare that gay couples in the country where the traditional family values are so appreciated, should not and can not be! And, perhaps because it is such a talented performances, bold artists, outstanding directors we have hope that one day there will insight and understanding that we must cease speaking in terms of "us" and "them”. History shows that trying to get rid of “inferior” peoples is not only wild, but futile. Throughout history, such undertakings have always floundered.

Take some time to go to the play, invite your friends, parents, colleagues, let the ray of light will be reflected in their hearts. And if it will not be a panacea for the general hysteria about the "other", or at least attempt to acceptance of the fact of their existence!

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