Review: John Misto's Play MADAME RUBINSTEIN is Staged in Moscow by Yevgeny Pisarev at The Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre

A memorable and witty show based on Australian John Misto's play "Madame Rubinstein" and staged by Yevgeny Pisarev, was premiered in the Moscow Pushkin Drama Theatre. This performance is hinged on the main character brilliantly impersonated by a renowned Russian actress Vera Alentova (she has gained great acclaim for her movie role in "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" (1979) which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1981).

John Misto's play is staged in Moscow for the first time hence this is a great opportunity to present this playwright to the theatre audiences. The benefit performance by Vera Alentova is dedicated to the actress's 80th anniversary.

Helena Rubinstein's story is not only about her relationships and struggle with Elizabeth Arden and Revlon but it is also a touching narrative about a self-made world-leading cosmetics entrepreneur. It shows what it meant to be a successful woman in 1950s Manhattan, to build a business empire from scratch. You can see Helena Rubinstein as a monster representing her "beauty empire" but at the same time she was a lonely and ambitious woman who struggled for survival all her life. On one hand, she became one of the most influential women in the world of cosmetics, on the other, her life was replete with secrets and tragedies.

The play is an effervescent comedy with great sense of humor as well as dialogues full of witticisms. The main characters Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein are friends and foes at the same time. But what is left behind the fights and double-talking? Some of Helena's secrets are revealed, such as her tragic loss of relatives during World War II, her Polish-Jewish heritage, how she was striving for survival and building a new life.

In "Madame Rubinstein" you can see a strong woman (portrayed by Vera Alentova), whose best-known face was painted by famous Salvador Dali as well as a controversial person with some family conflicts. A prosperous businesswoman tries to save her empire, being in conflicts with her sons all the time. Once in a play Helena claims: "When a man succeeds, he's a fine fellow but if a woman - she's a bitch". That's a definite feminist touch. All in all, this story is less about success but more about being a human. As to art direction, costumes for instance are from the famous Art Couture house, like postwar Chanel jackets with glittering paillettes, which you behold with a touch of nostalgia.