St. Petersburg director Pyotr Shereshevsky examines Lermontov's play through the lens of modernity. Mikhail Lermontov's "Masquerade" never saw the light of day during the author's lifetime, as, despite numerous rewrites, the drama was not approved by the censors. This is not surprising: there is simply no moral to build upon. The main character, Arbenin, is initially convinced that the world is corrupt, and when he meets the unstable Nina, he invents infidelity for her in order to take revenge on this world. The hero of Shereshevsky's play is a Lermontov scholar; he is forewarned about everything in advance and can give a lecture on Arbenin's delusions. But can our knowledge and the entire centuries-old culture of humanity save us from all-consuming passions? One push - and today's person hangs on the edge of an abyss and is ready to commit murder. The play is based on texts by Lermontov, Schnitzler's "Novella on Dreams," and other works resonant with the theme of the dark sides of the human soul. See more plays on our website in the theater section.