Success

This time I had to play the villain. In the course of the play, I was supposed to reject my mother, speculate on luxurious lingerie, slander, be two-faced, open two safes, and trick a few girls. At the end of the play, three policemen came for me at once. My character was such a nasty scoundrel that I even doubted his plausibility. But they married me off to episodic roles, and finally they gave me a solid part. The director looked me over for a long time, and then suddenly said: “From you, I think, an outstanding villain will come.” And here’s my role! Who doesn’t need success? Actors need it especially. Without it, an actor withers, becomes envious and an intriguer. For me, a young beginner, success is needed like air. Two days before opening night, I walked around the room and kept repeating my lines. At twelve o’clock in the afternoon, Mashенька, our decorator, came in. She had been listening to me from outside the door and then rushed into my room, laughing and clapping.