On Theatre Productions of Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage

Scenes from Theatrical Life of a Script by Liubov Boiarskaia In 1972, when Bergman embarked on the creation of his first television series, he wrote in his work diary: "I think we should do something light-hearted. Nothing out of the ordinary, just scenes from a marriage." According to the director, it consumed three months of writing and nearly his entire reservoir of life experiences to craft the script. The impulse to narrate the tale of a fractured marriage stemmed from a lingering guilt that had haunted him for numerous years. Consequently, the confessional nature characteristic of all of Bergman's oeuvre vividly manifested itself in "Scenes from a Marriage," which prominently contributed to its widespread acclaim. Within six episodes, Bergman unfurls the lives of Johan and Marianne (portrayed by Erland Josephson and Liv Ullmann, respectively), who commemorate their seemingly blissful marriage's tenth anniversary. Presented as an exemplary "model family," as per an interview with a women's magazine, they stand in stark juxtaposition to their friends, Peter and Katharina, whose relationship teeters on the precipice of divorce, unapologetically emanating their mutual enmity. However, fissures eventually emerge within the main characters' bond: Marianne's unintended pregnancy, subsequent abortion, and Johan's act of infidelity culminate in a divorce. A decade later, Johan and Marianne chance upon one another, both now married to other individuals, yet still relishing their clandestine affair. Thematically, "Scenes from a Marriage" is connected to Bergman's dramas "The Lie" (1970, directed by Jan Molander) and "The Touch" (1971). Although Bergman considered "The Touch," created for American distribution, to be one of the worst, he appreciated the script's personal plot, highlighting the gradual transformation of a lover's secret life into reality while blurring the line between fiction and reality. The script for "Scenes from a Marriage" was specifically written for television, with Bergman acknowledging the differing perception of viewers at home compared to the cinema. He was impressed by the opportunity for hundreds of thousands of people to watch the series. As Bergman's first color miniseries, "Scenes from a Marriage" diverged from his previous films by focusing on the private lives of ordinary people rather than posing existential questions or relying on the metaphorical nature of his film poetics and music. The series appeared more realistic, giving the impression that the camera was surreptitiously observing the lives of Johan and Marianne. When the series aired in 1973, it gained immense popularity, captivating audiences across Scandinavia for six consecutive evenings. The bold exploration of marital relations in the show resonated similarly to Ibsen's "A Doll's House" in its time. Interestingly, Johan and Marianne even attend a theater production of the play shortly before their own relationship unravels. The series had such a profound impact that it led to a surge in requests for family counseling and a doubling of divorce rates in Sweden. More than a decade later, Bergman expressed his satisfaction in an interview, as people realized the importance of having frank conversations, despite the potential for family fallout. American and European producers persistently pursued the creation of a film adaptation, compelling Bergman to condense the series into two half-hour episodes. Consequently, numerous situations such as Marianne's abortion and the presence of certain characters like the children and Marianne's mother were omitted, resulting in a substantial alteration in the level of detail and the public's perception. Unlike the television version, the film's pacing showcased rapid shifts in the couple's relationship, while the gradual introduction of the protagonists into the story was also eliminated. As a result, the audience failed to identify with Johan and Marianne, perceiving their marriage as unsuccessful and inherently condemned. A stage adaptation of 'Scenes from a Marriage' was initially directed by Bergman himself in 1981 as part of the “Bergman Project” in Munich. The concept involved staging two Bergman productions, 'Nora and Julie,' based on Ibsen and Strindberg's plays, alongside 'Scenes from a Marriage.' The latter can be seen as a continuation of the former, considering Marianne as the 'sister' character to Nora and Julie. While Nora escapes her environment, Julie succumbs to it, experiencing a complete breakdown. Marianne, although not far behind her predecessors, embarks on a quest to discover her new identity and establish her own persona. Rita Russek, a talented German actress, not only portrayed the role of Marianne in the Residenztheater but also showcased her versatility by playing Nora in "From the Life of Marionettes," a film that delves into the intricacies of marital crises. In 1986, during rehearsals for "Scenes..." in Stockholm, Bergman revised a stage adaptation for two actors, which remains the most sought-after version in the theater industry. Rita Russek reprised her role as Marianne, and the play embarked on a three-year tour across different countries. In 1990, with Bergman's permission, Russek independently staged her own production of "Scenes..." at the Wyndham Theatre in London. After attending the performance, British critic Kate Kellaway recognized Ingmar Bergman's ability to transform family conflicts into effective theatrical technique. Flemish director Ivo van Hove (Tonelgroup. Amsterdam, 2011 and New York Theater Workshop, 2014) took a different approach, choosing to triple the number of marital quarrels in his productions, with three pairs of actors of varying ages playing the main characters. By delivering their lines in diverse rhythms and intonations, they created a chorus-like effect, prompting laughter from the audience. Similarly, English director Trevor Nunn's productions (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, 2008; St James's Theatre, London, 2013) showcased the comedic aspects of Johan and Marianne's spats, generating a humorous response from spectators. One of the initial productions of 'Scenes from a Marriage' took place in 1991 at the Novosibirsk theater 'Old House' under the direction of Alexander Nordstrem. The leading roles were portrayed by Anatoly Uzdensky and Khalida Ivanova. Uzdensky recalled in an interview, "At that time, I was married and didn't even allow my wife to read the script, so as not to trigger any emotional distress. The play resonated immensely as it closely mirrored our own experiences and those depicted by Bergman. The production delved profoundly into the complex dynamics between a man and a woman, an exceptionally candid text. It received tremendous acclaim, captivating the audience's emotions, and successfully ran in the theater for a remarkable period of seven to eight years." Unfortunately, no reviews of this particular production were found in the theater archives. In 1995, Vlad Furman brought Bergman's script to life at the St. Petersburg theater "Russian Enterprise named after Andrey Mironov." The play, designed for two actors, featured Valery Degtyar and Tatyana Kuznetsova as Johan and Marianne, respectively. Unlike Bergman's characters, Degtyar and Kuznetsova portrayed their roles with fragility, gentleness, and sentimentality, reminiscent of the romantic Soviet era of the 1960s. The critic Alla Brook observed that their love was not grand or ostentatious, but rather quiet and weary, overshadowing their surroundings. It took Johan and Marianne twenty years to realize themselves and their attitude towards marriage. It took Russian theater the same amount of time to return to Bergman’s drama about marriage. 2018 marked the 100th anniversary of Ingmar Bergman. In March 2019, the premiere of “Scenes...” by Andrei Konchalovsky took place at the Moscow Art Theater named after Maxim Gorky with Julia Vysotskaya and Alexandr Domogarov in leading roles. A little earlier, in 2018, “Scenes...” at the Baltic House Theater was staged by Anatoly Praudin (Experimental Stage under the direction of A. Praudin). The topic is not new for the director. In “The Lady with the Dog” (Bolshoi Drama Theatre, 2007), “A Month in the Country” (Bolshoi Drama Theatre, 2009), “Family” (Baltic House Festival Theatre, 2016) Proudin talks about love, marriage, betrayal and offers viewers a thorough analysis of various love experiences. The director, Proudin, explores Bergman's theme of repentance for the inability to love in a thought-provoking way. The program for the performance includes a full quotation from the thirteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, commonly referred to as the chapter on love. By using this passage, Proudin emphasizes the characters' search for the meaning of life and the importance of love. By the way, Bergman incorporated a phrase from the piece for the title of his film "Through a Glass Darkly" (1961). Proudin explores the characters' yearning to comprehend the meaning of life. Johan candidly admits, "I am disheartened by the lack of meaning in my existence... I long to pursue something, to have belief in something." Bergman's characters traverse through metaphysical obscurity, relentlessly seeking truth "through a glass darkly." Praudin leads them towards love, guiding them from the outset through the mundane aspects of family life, suffering, guilt, and ultimately divorce. The director articulates in the performance program, "Our tribulations arise from our transgression of the moral law of love, bestowed by God and encapsulated by the Apostle Paul. The ramifications are as dire as defying physical laws such as gravity. It's akin to leaping off a roof: momentary gratification is overshadowed by an imminent crash." After such a compelling sermon, one might expect a predictable ending where Johan and Marianne seek spiritual purification. However, Bergman's play defies such implications, adding an air of intrigue to the production. The play commences not with a magazine interview, providing insights into Johan and Marianne's lives, but with the resounding bells and rain sounds of a church. Johan and Marianne appear to have ventured to the church for confession. The video image of Fru Palm (portrayed by Tatiana Makolova) emerges on the theater backdrop, resembling a Catholic mentor. Her voice feels distant and ethereal, lending an otherworldly quality to the scene. Through their responses, Johan (Yuri Elagin) and Marianne (Alla Yemintseva) embark on an introspective journey, contemplating profound questions, such as the nature of love, in a manner akin to an internal monologue. Consequently, one could interpret the entire story as a figment of their imagination or a dream. And what happens to Peter (Konstantin Anisimov) and Katarina (Maria Meshcheryakova) definitely resembles an infernal nightmare. Their images are also projected onto a white backdrop: they appear against a blood-red background, drunk and half naked. Not civilized businessmen (as in the film), but a couple of drinking buddies, tied to each other, among other things, by their addiction to alcohol. These characters live, as if according to Sartre, behind closed doors in the hell of their relationships. Their marriage is love-hate, and it can only be embodied in forms of cruelty, verbal and physical. “Could there be anything more terrifying than a husband and wife who hate each other?” says Peter. “Well, on the bright side, there can't possibly be anything worse than this,” Katarina reassures us. The director cleverly presents an alternative path for Johan and Marianne by portraying them as distorted reflections of their friends, with scratched faces and broken bottles in hand, set against the striking red backdrop. This showcases a potential trajectory their lives could have taken - descending into marital hell like their acquaintances. . Johan says “Hell is a place where no one hopes anymore, that there is at least some way out”. While Johan expresses a bleak understanding of hell as a hopeless place, Anatoly Praudin skillfully guides his characters towards the realization of love as the highest Christian virtue. Marianne, seeking a definition of love, refers to the Bible, specifically the thirteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, where the Apostle Paul describes the enduring quality of true love. Unlike Bergman's TV series, where Marianne briefly mentions Paul's words, in Praudin's production, they take center stage. As mentioned before, Bergman saw Marianne as a counterpart to Ibsen's Nora and Strindberg's Julie, with Marianne's journey of self-discovery and pursuit of freedom and independence. However, in Russian interpretations of "Scenes..." and even in English director Trevor Nunn's perspective, Marianne's active stance is considered more of a dream, as she is portrayed as heavily dependent on Johan. Nunn suggests that the theme of feminism resonates more with Scandinavian audiences. “Ibsen wrote A Doll’s House, Strindberg wrote Comrades and Dance of Death. This is a dramatic tradition that we know about but are not very familiar with. When Johan attacks Marianne with criticism of feminism after watching A Doll's House, she behaves very dignified. But, if she once defended women’s rights, in practice she does not even have the strength to cope with her husband’s betrayal - she is literally crushed by this news. Marianne, humiliated, begs him to start all over again. Then she seems to get stronger, but in the end she can’t even sign the divorce papers”. It seems that Marianna, portrayed by Alla Yemintseva, can be seen as a strong and determined woman, trying to assert herself and educate her husband. She senses a crisis in their relationship and desperately tries to prevent it. “I can’t imagine how I’ll get out of this.” Marianne by Yemintseva will get out, frantically clinging to any opportunity to prevent an upcoming storm. She gives up Sunday lunches with her parents, meetings with friends, going to the theater etcetera. She tries to be left alone with Johan. At the same time, she is the first to reject intimacy with Johan. That is kind of revenge for the abortion…To accompaniment of the song “Riders on the storm” by “The Doors,” the spouses now constantly quarrel in presence of the third person - Johan’s mistress, Paula (Daria Kulak), exists on the screen in parallel. She takes a shower, blow-dries her hair, drinks coffee, smokes, and waits for Johan in the rain. “There’s a killer on the road, His brain is squirming’ like a toad”… Yuri Elagin portrays a weary man who is trapped in the monotonous routine of his daily life, aggravated by his wife's constant nagging. Unlike Marianne, he seems resigned and unwilling to take action to improve their situation, as the meaning and connection between them has long faded in their marriage. Johan's fear of disrupting their established order of things is evident in his demeanor during the climactic scene. He is reminiscent of a schoolboy receiving a bad grade, hesitant to even approach his wife when revealing his intentions to be with Paula. However, in the subsequent scene (after three years have passed), there appears to be a longing and a yearning for each other between Johan and Marianne. In the climactic scene, Marianne implores Johan to stay and goes as far as setting up the bed and offering to put on slippers, but Johan remains silent for a while, lacking the confidence to believe they can rebuild their once blissful marriage. Disenchanted by his own extramarital affairs, Johan ultimately decides to return to Paula. This pivotal moment is heightened by the resonating lyrics of Jim Morrison's song, "People are strange when you're a stranger, and faces look ugly when you're alone..." In Anatoly Praudin's play, in contrast to Bergman's film, there is a wide range of music, varying from rock compositions to Bach's church masses. The set design by Irina Biruli is understated yet symbolic, with two large gray folding cubes serving as a multifunctional sofa, table, and bed against a backdrop of white, tall screens. It comes as no surprise that the married couple desires to shatter this sterile, confined world. Yemintseva and Elagin successfully tackle this acting challenge with great conviction as they guide us through the ups and downs of the family crisis, striving to comprehend the essence of true love. At the conclusion of the script, Bergman's characters diverge significantly from what is depicted in the thirteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Despite this, the characters of Johan and Marianne, portrayed by Yuri Elagin and Alla Yemintseva, appear to embody an active and benevolent form of love known as agape. In the final scene, they transform into white garments while accompanied by Bach's music. Johan, perceiving Marianne as a multifaceted figure encompassing qualities of a wife, mother, and lover, spins on a stage platform. However, a crucial factor remains: both characters are married to other individuals within the plot. According to Bergman, dishonesty has become ingrained within their behavior. "We regularly employed convenient half-truths <...>. I consistently engage in deception," confesses Marianne. - "Likewise," Johan concurs. It is possible that the director was addressing people's tendency to ignore or disregard God's commandments. The notion of an ideal existence appears to reside within their spirits, but they struggle to align their actions with it. Bergman's "Scenes from a Marriage" is a wonderful depiction of human imperfection. Anatoly Praudin attempted to immerse his characters in challenging situations and uplift them spiritually. However, this idea is not fully realized in the play as it does not align with the logical behavior of Bergman's characters, much like Bach's Mass (Hoch Missa in b-moll No. 16 Crucifixus) played during the performance does not correspond with a video sequence of Igor Stravinsky conducting his "Firebird". The ending of Praudin's play resembles more of a dream, an ideal that appears unattainable for Him and Her, who are lost in their search. Perhaps He and She will find it in one of Praudin's upcoming performances, based on another dramatic script. Sources 1. Holmberg J. Scenes from a Marriage // ingmarbergman.se: The Ingmar Bergman Foundation. Stockholm. 2012. URL: http://ingmarbergman.se/en/production/scenes-marriage 2. Bergman, Images / I. Bergman. Moscow, Tallinn: Aleksandra, 1997. P.86. 3. See: Bergman, I. The fifth act / I. Bergman. M.: Verte, 2009. P.266. 4. Bergman I. Bergman on Bergman. P.35. 5. Kellaway K. On the day he slams the front door, wear red for danger // allanhoward.org.uk: The Alan Howard Web-Theatre. London, 1990. URL: http://www.alanhoward.org.uk/marriage.htm 6. From a conversation with A. Uzdensky. 10.17.2015 // Personal archive of Liubov Boiarskaia. 7. Bergman, I. Scenes from married life / I. Bergman. M.: Progress, 1979. P.20. 8. Brook A. Geometry of love // St. Petersburg Theater Magazine. 1996. No. 9. P.71. 9. Bergman, I. Scenes from married life / I. Bergman. M.: Progress, 1979. P.198. 10. Program from the personal archive of Boyarskaya L. 11. Bergman, I. Scenes from a Marriage / I. Bergman. – M.: Progress, 1979. P.120. 12. Scenes from a Marriage. Belgrade Theater Coventry // ingmarbergman.se: The IngmarBergman Foundation. Stockholm, 2012. URL: http://ingmarbergman.se/en/on-stage/scenes-marriage The article is published in the journal Voprosy Teatra/Proscaenium 2019 #1-2, p.96 The article analyzes the history of the theatrical productions of Ingmar Bergman's most popular television script, Scenes from a Marriage. The first production of Scenes... was staged by the director himself in 1981 in Munich as part of the socalled Bergman Project. Perhaps it was the only time when the Swedish genius made a play based on his own work. Created in the psychological drama genre, the script attracted the attention of many theater directors. Analyzing Western and Russian productions of various theater schools and eras (special attention is paid to the premiere of Anatoly Praudin at The Baltic House Festival Theatre, St. Petersburg), the author shows the plasticity of Bergman's telescript in various stage interpretations. Boiarskaia Liubov Institute of Performing Arts, Saint Petersburg. Contacts: [email protected]