Players of the 21st Century

The plot of Gogol’s play “The Players” has been moved to our days in Sochi, in a hotel by the sea. The play’s characters are simply dressed in modern costumes, but the text remains unchanged. So what is the play about? About deception—which is why it is still relevant today. In “The Players,” Gogol in sharp satirical form mocks card cheats and con men who are eager to get rich at the expense of their neighbors. But what has changed over time?—Apparently nothing. The same gang of touring card players, with the help of a “noble man” they themselves have fooled, again dupes a newly arrived colleague—one who had stripped his latest victim to the bone the day before. As the old Russian proverb says: “A rogue rides on a rogue, and then hustles along with a rogue.”