Production takes audiences to the core of the unknown

Fifty performers appear one by one, quietly taking their seats on the stage. They sit motionless, eyes fixed forward, their faces devoid of expression: no fear, no guilt, no joy; only silence. Then, one figure grips an invisible wheel while the others start to sway, as if aboard a vehicle driving through snow without a destination.

This bold final scene concludes The Government Inspector, a radical reinterpretation by Yury Butusov, one of Russia's most prominent theater directors and a six-time winner of the Golden Mask Award — Russia's most prestigious theater award, which was established in 1993.

The screening of the production, based on Nikolai Gogol's satire of corruption and provincial bureaucracy, was presented on Sunday afternoon at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center as part of the New Live HD Theater Series — a screening series launched by Beijing ATW Culture Media Co Ltd. It marks Butusov's final stage production in Russia before relocating to Paris.

Originally premiered in 1836, The Government Inspector is one of the cornerstones of Russian satire. The play centers on a low-level civil servant mistaken for an important government official from the capital, exposing a series of panic and absurd behaviors in small-town government.

Appearing in person for a post-screening Q&A session, Butusov addressed the haunting final scene. "Everyone looks toward the future, but the future might be a very dark place," Butusov said through a translator.

Known in Russian theater history as the "silent scene", he called it his homage to Gogol's vision of a "dead world".

"It's as if a massive machine is rushing forward, but no one knows where it's heading," he said. "Some faces are numb, some hopeful, some resigned, but they all gaze into the unknown."

Asked why he transforms classic texts into such surreal, intensely personal experiences, Butusov responded: "That is the mission of a director, to awaken reflection, anxiety, and critical awareness. The old texts are just a medium. I want to provoke a new understanding, new emotion."

To Butusov, theater is not about preserving tradition but searching for form, meaning, and connection.

"In today's theater, we're like people in a museum looking for clues between the past and now," he said. "The search itself is the most valuable act."

Butusov also reflected on the growing trend of HD recordings of theater productions. While acknowledging their accessibility value, he emphasized the irreplaceability of live performance.

"The essence of theater lies in its totality: gesture, breath, silence, and sound. All must coexist in real time," he said. "Technology can enhance it, but will never replace the soul of live theater."

Dai Xiangcheng contributed to this story.