The Conformist. City life scenes in four acts

Everybody goes to the terrace. Orlov lingers.

Inna. Nikolay, come in, we’re going to have tea.

Orlov. Thank you, Inna. I’ll join you soon, I need to make a call first.

Inna leaves, Orlov stays in the living room alone. He takes out his phone.

Olga Vladimirovna (on the phone). Yes, Nikolay.

Orlov. Hello, mum. Is it convenient?

Olga Vladimirovna, I’m listening to you, dear.

Orlov. My paintings have got approved for the exhibition at Victoria Lebedeva’s gallery.

Olga Vladimirovna. (coldly) Congratulations.

Orlov. I wanted to ask you of a favour. It’s very important for me.

Domenico Longhi, a professor of painting, is arriving here on Wednesday for the exhibition opening. I know you are old acquaintances. It would be great if he reviewed my works and published his review in his journal, and if he also gave an interview to our journalists. I’m confident in my works. You won’t be embarrassed, mum.

Pause.

Olga Vladimirovna. You know how much I love you, Nikolay. That’s exactly why I’ll tell you something you won’t like: if you want to achieve something in this life, never expect help from friends or relatives. Only rely on yourself.

Orlov. All right. Thank you, mum. See you. (Hangs up, sits wondering for a while, then goes to the terrace to his friends).

Inna (meets him) Nikolay, join us at the table!

Orlov. Only rely on yourself.

Inna. Pardon?

Orlov. It’s all right, Inna. Life is beautiful. Come on, show me your diploma, it calls for celebration. (Laughs)

Veselov. My friends, champagne!!! (He opens the bottle, pours into glasses)

Inna, Katya. Hooray!

Aglaya. I’m driving, so I’ll have tea. Do we have a cake?

Lebedev. Has anyone seen my glasses?

Mitya (To Victoria Pavlovna and Katya) I haven’t had a drink in five months and I’m not even tempted!

Victoria Pavlovna. Well done, Mitya! We’ve been waiting for you to come back and are happy to see you.

Lebedev. Well my dear children and guests, welcome to our common holiday! Mr Gromov, welcome back and keep your good health! Miss Lebedeva, congratulations upon your winning and our wishes to play the main role in your play! Mr Orlov, here’s to your talent and exhibition debut, let good luck and success be with you! My dear Victoria Pavlovna, my angel, we have wonderful children and let love and wealth always stay at our house. Hooray!

Everybody. Hooray! (Glasses clinking, smiles, good humour and laughter).

Veselov. Yesterday I got a new issue of a magazine with an article by professor Domenico Longhi. He writes about our gallery and about visiting the exhibition on Wednesday. Let’s meet our guest first-class. Mr Lebedev, you know Italian better than the others here, would you read the article to us?

Lebedev. I would! Has anybody seen my glasses? I can’t find them.

Inna. Have you looked everywhere?

Lebedev. I have. I even looked under the sofa.

Inna. When will you stop losing them? (Laughs) You must have been rummaging in the treasure box again. (Goes off)

Aglaya. (to Orlov and Katya) Inna and dad have a secret place in the house – it’s the top drawer of the desk in the living room, they call it «treasure box». They keep our childhood drawings and crafts there.

Inna (returns). Here, take it, daddy-daydreamer.

LEbedev. Thank you, sweetheart. (Opens the journal, pretends to be reading aloud with a clever face.

If you believe in what you’re doing,

You’ll see what you really can.

You’re strong and you will win.

Don’t stop!

You’re the strongest.

Just hold on and you’ll win.

Aglaya. I don’t think it’s an article by Domenico Longhi, but the song by Adriano Celentano. That’s a funny little fellow who calls himself a professor. (Laughs)

We hear the song La pigiatura by Adriano Celentano.

Scene 2

Lebedev’s house. The same room. Inna and Mitya are alone.

Inna. You haven’t called.

Mitya. It all happened so quickly. When I came to my senses, for a few days the doctors didn’t let me use the phone. But I didn’t call for another reason… I was embarrassed that I put you all in such trouble, especially you.

He goes to Inna, takes her hands and wants to kiss them. Inna backs off and sits into the chair. Mitya comes to the window and opens it. A clock strikes somewhere In the house.

Inna. Today, when you came, I was happy. I wanted to tell you about all the things that happened here in spring… about the theatre, the exhibition… about how I missed you… but now I feel as if something has burst inside.

Mitya. I often thought of you in the clinic. I couldn’t remember what I wanted to tell you that day. And I still can’t. Yesterday Veselov told me about you prize at the theatre contest. Now you’ll finally get a leading role. This is perfect!

Inna. I don’t feel like this is so important. (We can hear the sound of a torn string). …I think I’ve fallen in love.