The Widow from Valencia poster by Andrei Kovalev: a poster collage stacks the cast's portraits into the shape of one cloaked figure.

The Widow from Valencia

In February 2019, the Vakhtangov Theatre asked me to make a poster for Lope de Vega’s The Widow from Valencia, staged by the Durnaya Kompaniya theatre company.

A pencil sketch of the collage: a cloaked figure with the characters drawn into the folds of her dress.

A pencil sketch of the collage: a cloaked figure with the characters drawn into the folds of her dress.

My idea was a digital collage: every character finds a place in the folds of the main character’s dress, the Widow from Valencia herself.

Behind the scenes, in five frames: the team photographs actors one by one in a dark studio.

Behind the scenes, in five frames: the team photographs actors one by one in a dark studio.

The finished poster: the cast in the widow’s black cloak, above the title La Viuda Valenciana and the actors’ names.

The finished poster: the cast in the widow’s black cloak, above the title La Viuda Valenciana and the actors’ names.

The single portraits of the actors became individual character posters:

Eight single character posters, each with one actor and the title La Viuda Valenciana.

Eight single character posters, each with one actor and the title La Viuda Valenciana.

The project was supported by Broncolor.

A blindfolded actor in a white shirt and black cape leans on a dark frame.

A blindfolded actor in a white shirt and black cape leans on a dark frame.

Production crew

Talents: Evgeniya Ivashova, Vitaliy Lipoviy, Elizaveta Leybenzon, Yan Gakharmanov, Nikolay Likhanov, Danil Mozhaev, Mark Burlay, Danilo Gnido, Anastasya Golikova · Costume designer: Maria Meleshko · Assistant: Timur Ivanov · Producer: Polina Efremenko

The cast in costume crowd together under a studio light, one holding a guitar.

The cast in costume crowd together under a studio light, one holding a guitar.

More of my work with theatres and actors →