Igor Ilyinsky about A.N. Ostrovsky and about himself

The article is a story by People’s Artist of the USSR I.V. Ilyinsky, documented in 1978, about his work on plays by A.N. Ostrovsky at Moscow Drama Theatre, Meyerhold Theatre, and Maly Theatre. Using the example of the image of Arkady Schastlivtsev in The Forest, which he first played at Meyerhold Theatre, and then twice at Maly Theatre, the actor shows how his attitude to the role and means of acting expression changed. I.V. Ilyinsky notes that working on plays by A.N. Ostrovsky became a school of deep psychological realism for him, having mastered which, he was able to play in works of Russian classical literature from N.V. Gogol to L.N. Tolstoy. In the preface, the author of the interview, E.G. Khaichenko, analyzes the features of the actor’s creative individuality and method, as they manifested themselves in his work on plays by A.N. Ostrovsky.