A play-fairy tale "The Shadow", Schwartz: A Brief Content of an Amazing Work

Acquaintance with the work of this writer begins not with books, but with feature films. It's amazing, is not it? Nothing unusual, and yet incredible, wonderful, magical, when it comes to Eugene Schwarz - a great Soviet storyteller. He remembered us and the amazing screenplays to old good fairy tales, children's stories and poems, and, of course, his famous fairy-tale performances. Among the latter is the play "Shadow" (Schwartz). The brief content of the work will help you get acquainted with this wonderful work.

A small southern country

One day in a certain southern country, a young scientist named Christian Theodore arrives at a small hotel. He settled not anywhere, but in a room in which he lived before the famous storyteller Hans Christian Anderson. Apparently, it's no accident, how to know?

Knows Annunziata - the daughter of the innkeeper. Usually she does not talk, but here, out of a feeling of goodwill towards a new guest, shares with him the inmost. It turns out that in a small southern country of a fairy tale - this is true. Live in this place and sleeping beauty, and the cannibal, and the boy with a finger. And the rules were once the king. He died a long time ago and left an extraordinary testament. In it, he commands his daughter Louise to look for a man who is not rich and noble, but simple, honest and kind. This order is a great mystery, but in the fairy-tale country and near the walls there are ears. So even street boys know about it. To fulfill the last will of the parent, the princess secretly leaves the palace. Many want to find her refuge, in order to marry and occupy the royal throne.

Acquaintance with the princess

We continue to explore the play "Shadow" (Schwartz). The summary of the work does not end there. Continuing ... Listening to the story of a simple girl, the scientist is distracted without end. He is looking at the balcony of the neighboring house, to which a beautiful stranger is constantly coming out. Annunziata notices the strange behavior of the new guest and warns him that, perhaps, this is the beginning of a new fairy tale, and the end of it can be sad. Christian Theodore calms her down, and at the same time decides to speak with an unfamiliar girl. He falls in love at first sight, and, it seems, his feelings are mutual. Eugene Schwartz ("The Shadow," a brief summary of which we continue to present) imperceptibly leads the reader to the assumption that, perhaps, she is the same runaway princess?

The scientist longs for the continuation of the conversation and proposes with irony a shadow lying at his feet to go to the young beauty instead of him and tell her about his love. Unexpectedly, the shadow is really separated, cleverly slips into the door of the neighboring balcony and disappears in the dark space. A young man becomes very ill. The owner's daughter runs into the room. Her fears and fears were not in vain: there is no shadow, and this is a very bad omen. She runs after the doctor.

Shadow

Everyone knows about the amazing events happening in the southern country: the journalist Caesar Borgia, the owner of the hotel Pietro, and the singer Julia, and, of course, the ministers. This does not end a fairy tale (Shvarts E.L., "Shadow"). The summary of the work can not convey all the subtleties of the experiences of the characters. The author goes on to say that all the residents of the city, without exception, did not approve of those sincere feelings that arose in a moment between the scientist and the princess and continue to grow, despite the illness and separation. Is it dangerous. Christian Theodore may soon become a king, and he is not a bandit, not an extortionist and not a rogue, but a simple honest man. And, as is known, it is impossible to predict the actions of such people. What to do? The only solution is to get rid of it. You can kill or bribe. To accomplish this task is not so simple. This requires a friend. Only he knows what the scientist loves and what it can be bought, or that is a mortal danger for him. And here on the stage comes Shadow, which seems to be the old faithful friend of the protagonist.

Conspiracy

How does the story of the fairy tale "Shadow" (Shwartz) unfold further? The summary does not end here, just like the work itself. Shadow has his own cunning plan. By deceit, he forces Christian-Theodore to sign a rejection of the princess. Allegedly this would put the Ministers' vigilance to sleep, and then she and Louise could escape from the hated country. And in the meantime he shows the princess her beloved signed paper of renunciation. The unfortunate girl can not forgive the traitor. As the wind, moods and feelings of her are changeable, and she at once gives in to them. "What is your name?" She asks Shadow. In response, he hears the name of Theodore the Christian. It's almost the same as the Christian Theodore. So she decides not to be sad anymore, but to marry Shadow.

Execution

A scoundrel and a deceiver celebrates his coronation and prepares for a lavish wedding with Princess Louise. The only unresolved issue is the Scientist. It does not make sense to kill him, but there is a great desire to subjugate and become his master. Let him now follow him on his heels, inaudibly, imperceptibly. He orders Christian-Theodore to give him a note at midnight with the consent to submit.

The scientist understands that if he refuses, he faces imminent death. But he can not do otherwise. Yes, the right was Annunziata, he was in a fairy tale with a sad end.

From afar comes the battle of drums. The death sentence was carried out. The scientist was demolished ... But suddenly the head of Shadow flies off his shoulders. The courtiers understand that a fatal error has occurred. What to do? They decide to get the living water hidden under seven locks, which has a miraculous power to heal from all diseases and resurrect from the dead. In order to save Theodor-Christian, we must bring Christian-Theodore back to life.

A happy ending

The real ruler of all possible and impossible fantasy kingdoms is Schwartz. "The Shadow" (a short summary for the readers' diary is the subject of this review) - a play about the most that is magic - about loyalty, about dignity, about kindness and about the ability to love, which will never come to an end.

The head of Shadow returns to its former place. But what happened does not allow him to regain his former power. From now on, he is afraid for his life and struggles to please his former master. The princess drives out this lover in extreme indignation. The shadow is wrapped in a black robe, pressed against the wall and disappears. The scientist is sure that this is not the end. More than once he will meet him on his way. Well, let him, for now he is happy. He takes his true love by the hand - Annunziata, and they leave the palace.

Once again I want to recall that this article is devoted to the play-fairy tale "Shadow" (Schwartz). The summary can not describe all the feelings and emotions of the main characters, unable to convey that fine line between magic and reality, which the author has so clearly and unconcernedly depicted. Therefore, reading the work in full is simply necessary.