Sergey Zhenovach directed Gogol's play without searching for the devilry and grotesque, trying to reveal the human side of its main character. Ikharev comes to a city tavern and inquires about the local card players. After some time, a pleasant company invites him to play, seemingly eager to share with him the clever secrets of cheating. Relaxed among the "decent" people, Ikharev in turn reveals his secrets to them - he talks about a secret deck he calls "Adelaide Ivanovna." However, wanting to con the locals, he himself falls into trouble, becoming a victim of an even more skillful combination of these cheaters, who have created a positive impression of themselves. Sergey Zhenovach meticulously and passionately stages the card game scene. It is magic, it is art, it is a sacred act. The audience may even feel as if they can smell the typographic scent of a fresh deck, the green cloth, hear the whistle of cards in the air. But it is precisely in the process of the game, so attractive, alluring, and captivating, that the bitter outcome inevitably approaches the main character. His entire drama lies in the inability to notice trouble in the heat of excitement. Ikharev is not a con artist. He is young, sincere, naive. He thought that with his deck he could deceive everyone. But for every clever trickster, there is always a more cunning rogue. It is quite possible that the lesson taught will benefit Ikharev and help him find the right path. This is the "Gogolian human" that the director saw: Gogol's nature is not terrifying and dreadful. He immerses the reader in darkness to allow them to find light. See even more performances on our website in the theater section.