| Summary: | 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.
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