The Wandering Troupe. A Novel in Two Parts

It was hard for the actors of the small troupe of Kotomtsev, who had not received a contract for the winter season. They had to wander through small provincial towns and try to attract an audience there, rather than in the capital. However, this audience was much more delighted to watch not the plays of Ostrovsky (the merchants would also be offended that they were being laughed at), but magicians, clowns, and trained dogs. Thus, the actors find themselves in debt as if wrapped in silk, yet they still try to perform plays in the hope of getting enough income. As if their own problems were not enough, a young merchant's son, captivated by the beauty of one of the actresses, follows them around. As always with N.A. Leykin, readers can expect a polished style of the master satirist, laughter through tears, and a multitude of fascinating everyday details and signs of the times.