THEATER

Further down the St. Petersburg cultural hierarchy lies theater. The theater has probably suffered more in recent years than ballet, opera, and classical music since the language barrier keeps it from being inundated by foreign tourists as well as from extensive touring abroad. On the other hand, these factors make it easier and cheaper to acquire tickets. The exception is when a Moscow troupe stops in St. Petersburg on tour that tickets can be more expensive.

The Russian theater experience is rather different from what you would expect anywhere in the West. Badly in need of finance, theaters are both unattractive and uncomfortable. Despite this, actors give it their best and audiences appreciate it. In fact they appreciate it so much that long after the actors have wiped off their makeup and gone home, they're likely to still be on their feet applauding and calling encore. Other expressions of love include flowers, poetry (thankfully written not recited) and even bottles of champagne as gifts.

For information on performances check the fifteen-day repertoires sold and displayed at theater booths. As a rule, plays start at 19:00 on weekdays and at 18:00 on weekends.

The Bolshoi Drama Theater, or BDT, is the Mariinsky without tu-tus: strictly classical performances of their standard repertoire. Naberezhnaya Reki Fontanki 65. Metro: Sennaya Ploshchad or Gostiny Dvor and a 15 minute walk. Tel: 310 0401.

The Maly Drama Theater has a more contemporary repertoire, including Claustrophobia and Gaudemaus and two heavy-handed inspections of Sovietism by Fyodor Abramov, Brothers and Sisters () and House (). People with strong endurance and derri¨res of steel may be interested in an eight-hour adaptation of Dostoevsky's The Possessed (). Ulitsa Rubinshteina 18. Metro: Vladimirskaya/Dostoevskaya. Tel: 113 2028.

Alexandrinsky Theater is located behind Ekaterinsky Park. Mostly classical performances. Ploshchad Ostrovskogo 2. Metro: Gostiny Dvor. Tel: 312 1545.

Kommissarzevskaya Theater is characterised by colorful costumes and original directing by Pazi, who won an international prize for directing The Lovers' Suicide on the Island of Skynet, based on a Japanese stageplay by Tikamatsu. He also staged Goodbye, Clown, based on Fellini's La Strada. Both plays are quite interesting and somewhat unusual for this part of the world. Italyanskaya Ulitsa 19. Metro: Gostiny Dvor. Tel: 311 3102.

Molodezni Theater on the Fonatanka is known for an interesting repertoire. The most well attended productions are Tango and the new and controversial Marquissa de Sade. Nabereznaya Fontanki 114. Metro: Pushkinskaya. Tel: 316 6870.

Baltiisky Dom, a large Stalin-style building, has two stages; the Bolshoi Zal which is often used for concerts or visiting troupes, and the Maly Zal, which hosts performances by creative but lesser-known local talent. Alexandrovsky Park 4. Metro: Gorkovskaya. Tel: 232 6244, 232 3539.

Buff, a theater complex with three performance areas, hosts variety acts and semi-improvisational comedy with audience participation. Narodnaya Ulitsa 1. Metro: Lomonosovskaya, and just over the Volodarsky Bridge. Tel: 263 6767.

Priyut Komendianta A small basement theater popular with local theatrical types, it features a contemporary repertoire. Malaya Morskaya Ulitsa 16. Metro: Nevsky Prospekt. Tel: 312 5352.

The Theater on Liteiny Some European classics are staged in this chamber theater. Liteiny Prospekt 51. Metro: Liteiny Prospekt. Tel: 273 5335.

Open Theater (former Lensovet Theater) has The Face by Ingmar Bergman and the hilarious The Hussar from the KGB by Ratzer in their rep. Vladimirsky Prospekt 12. Metro: Vladimirskaya. Tel: 113 2191.