October 22, 2016: Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt's "Oscar and the Lady in Pink" in its French original version accompanied by Russian translation in subtitles was performed in Taganrog by the l'Acthalia theater company from Le Mans, France on October 20, 2016
within the framework of their visit to Taganrog and Rostov Oblast.
The play was put on the stage of Taganrog Municipal Cultural Institution "Youth Center" in Ulitsa Petrovskaya 89 with support from Taganrog Arts & Culture Council, Taganrog Chekhov Teachers College (part of Rostov State University of Economics), Alliance Française, Le Mans municipality and Taganrog Local Government.
The stage director Mr. Philippe Corbet remarked that he couldn't get past this literary masterpiece, and after the first reading felt the need to represent the play. The story is composed of letters by a boy of ten years old, who address them to God. They are found by "Mamie Rose" (who pretended to be a wrestler), the Lady in Pink of the title, who visits him in hospital in the pink uniform worn by nurses on the children's ward. The letters describe twelve days in the life of Oscar and are filled with funny, moving characters. It was produced by Mr. Corbet in the form of a one-woman show with minimum stage sets and to the accompaniment of Mozart, Bethoven and Debussy music.
l'Acthalia's actress Evelyne Perlinski personified both the boy and "Mamie Rose" ("The Lady in Pink") and presented a heart-melting and thought-provoking story to Taganrog viewers. The audience rewarded the actress and the stage director with ovations and many flowers.