la scena rubata

In the autumn of 1907, Vera Komissarzhevskaya commissioned the poet Valerij Brjusov to translate the text of the tragedy Francesca da Rimini by Gabriele d’Annunzio, never staged in Russia. Unbeknown to the actress, Bryusov gave his translation of the tragedy to Alexander Lensky, director of the Malyj Theater in Moscow. When Komissarzhevskaya was informed about Bryusov’s dishonesty, she was deeply sorrow for the poet’s behaviour. Nonetheless, the actress faced the situation and won the challenge. On 1 September 1908, Francesca da Rimini was premiered at the Malyj Theater in Moscow, directed by Lensky. On 4 September 1908, Vera Komissarzhevskaya’s Dramatic Theater company staged the tragedy by d’Annunzio at the Ermitazhe Theater in Moscow, directed by Nikolay Evreinov. The article reconstructs this intricate story.