Домашнє читання 7 клас

Vocabulary:

based on – заснований на
box office - каса
cartoon, animation - мультфільм
cast – склад акторів
company - трупа
counterpart - партнер
director - режисер
documentary - документальний фільм
dress circle – бельэтаж (второй снизу ярус зрительного зала)
dress up – одягатись
feature film – художній фильм
first night – премєра 
house - зд. зал
include - включати в себе
to keep in suspence – тримати в напрузі
newsreel - кіножурнал
opera-glasses - бінокль
opera house - оперний театр
orchestra stalls – перші ряди партера
performance – вистава, спектакль
pit— партер
season ticket - абонемент
set- декорації
stage - сцена
theatre-goer - театрал
 

Theatre and Cinema

Nowadays, the theatre is less popular than the cinema. Due to the popularity of television and since the appearance of video, theatre has lost a great deal of its attraction. Besides, theatre tickets are very expensive, especially in good theatres. So we can say that a visit to a famous theatre has become a luxury. Although many theatre-goers try to buy a seasonal ticket before the beginning of a new season. It may include tickets to several performances and the price for each will be much cheaper than usual.

Still, the theatre is an inseparable part of the intellectual life of any country. We can even say that the theatre as an art form reflects the state of society and of the mind of the nation. In every country theatre has its own history, traditions and peculiarities. There are a lot of theatres in Russia and some of them are popular all over the world. In Moscow theatre-goers try not to miss the first nights at the Vakhtangov, Sovremennik, or Khudozhestvenny (Art) theatres. St. Petersburg also has a variety of theatres, which meet all the tastes. Lovers of classic music never miss a chance to visit the Philharmonic Society Hall. Opera and ballet lovers can go to the Mariinsky opera house and the Maly opera house. Those who are fond of drama visit the Bolshoi Drama Theatre, Alexandrinsky Theatre, Open Theatre and many others. Many new theatres and studios have appeared during the last five or ten years. Many theatres are famous for their excellent companies, sets and great directors.

I'm not a regular theatre-goer, but sometimes I like to go and see an interesting performance. One of my favourite theatres is the Bolshoi Drama Theatre. It is so not only because of its wonderful company, but I like the interior as well. It is quite a problem to get a ticket there; they are sold out long in advance.

The house is separated from the stage by the curtain. Of all the seats I prefer to sit in the stalls or in the dress circle. From there I can get a good view of the stage and can hear and see equally well without opera-glasses. But I don't like to sit in the balcony.

I usually buy the tickets at the box office. When the day of the performance comes, I dress up and arrive at the theatre about twenty minutes before the performance to enjoy the atmosphere.

I leave my coat and hat in the cloakroom and buy a programme from the usher because I want to know what the cast is like. At last the performance begins. The house is full. Everybody is deeply involved in what happens on the stage. The setting is marvellous and the costumes are wonderful.

I like the cinema too, even if it doesn't create so festive atmosphere. When I have free time I often go to see some new film. There is a cinema not far from my house. It is quite a modern building with a very large hall.

Before every show you can see a newsreel or a documentary. In the foyer you can see photos of film stars and advertisements for the films to be shown soon.

When I want to go to the cinema I search for information about new films on the Internet. You can easily find a list of all the cinemas in the city and what is on there today. Then I phone my friend and we discuss what is worth seeing. We like films with a lot of action and suspense, or good comedies.

My parents prefer love stories and musicals. Once they persuaded me to watch the famous «Gone with the Wind», and I did not regret doing so. The film is based on the famous novel by Margaret Mitchell. It was produced in the 1930s, but you do not feel that it is 80 years old. It is a powerful and moving story. The English actress Vivien Leigh played the main role, and her male counterpart was Clark Gable.