The play about the great Maria Callas, starring Lyudmila Maksakova in the lead role, was directed by Sergey Yashin. The play tells the story of Maria Callas, one of the most outstanding opera singers in history. Maria, whose birth name was Sofia Cecilia, was born in New York to a family of Greek immigrants. Her musical talent manifested itself very early, and Callas's musical debut on the big stage took place in Athens in 1941, under German occupation. The singer's career had it all: ups and downs, triumphs and disappointments. Her personal life was also complicated; Callas experienced both true love and betrayal from men. The complex fate of the singer was reflected by writer Maria Vardenga in her book "When the Butterfly Returns." Excerpts from the book were included in the production at the Vakhtangov Theatre. You can find even more plays on our website in the theatre section.