Natalia Drozdova is a Russian actress, laureate of awards for the best female roles at the Kostroma and Leningrad theater festivals. She was awarded the title of People's and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.
Natalya Stepanovna was born in 1954, on August 2. Her biography began in Louhi, a small Karelian village. The family lived in their own house. The girl attended school, adored literature lessons and spent a lot of time reading books. Dreams of an artistic education were only abstract. Natalia dreamed of being a hunting expert. From a young age, the girl was engaged in hunting and fishing, raised two dogs.
Searching for a vocation
The graduate tried to enter the hunting department right after school. However, she was not admitted to the Agricultural Institute of Irkutsk: only young men studied there in this direction. Natalia went to Leningrad. She chose the Institute of Music, Theater and Cinema for further education. The applicant was not admitted to the theater faculty. She decided to return home.
After arriving, the girl saw an announcement about the opening of an institute of arts in Voronezh. The exams were held in September. In 1972, Drozdova went to this university.
There I met my future spouse. Gleb Borisovich Drozdov became a teacher in her group from the third year. He headed the department of acting and worked as the chief director of the local theater. Drozdov staged his graduation performance "Threepenny Opera". In it, Natalia got the role of Lucy.
She entered and graduated in 1975 from the Institute of Arts in Voronezh. Until 1984, Drozdova worked at the Koltsov Academic Drama Theater in the city where she studied. A year later, Gleb and Natalya became husband and wife. The first prize named after Ostrovsky as an aspiring actress was received at the Kostroma festival for the image of Parasha from the "hot heart". Then there were Beatrice from “Love, Jazz and Devil” by Grushas, daughter in “The Tattooed Rose” by Williams, plays by Rozov and Roshchin.
In 1984, the couple left the city, moving to Yaroslavl. Until 1988 Natalya Stepanovna played at the Volkov Drama Theater in Yaroslavl. Her husband served as chief director. Gleb Borisovich tried to save all work from boredom. He abandoned the previous course, removing "academism" and replacing it with entertainment.
His wife and muse fully supported the husband's undertaking. Natalia effortlessly played any role. She brilliantly succeeded and Agafya Tikhonovna in Gogol's "Marriage", and Zarima in the work of Drozdov with Pashnev "A bird gives birth to a bird", and other roles.
New Horizons
After four years of work, the spouses left the warmest memory of themselves. The theatergoers of Yaroslavl highly appreciated their work, calling the director's decisions ingenious, and the actress's acting amazing. In 1988 he moved to Togliatti. There the Drozdovs moved to the drama collective "Wheel". By the time they arrived, there was an urgent need for a theater. The city administration attended the performances of the Drozdovs. They gladly invited the creative family to their place. A part of the director's students from the theater school of Yaroslavl arrived with them.
The other members of the troupe also became the director's students. He organized a studio at the theater on the basis of the local Palace of Culture. The new collective called "The Wheel" became the first Russian contract theater. He successfully toured in the difficult nineties, performed for a long time in the country and abroad. For twelve years the troupe has gone on tours nine times in England, Hungary, France, Lithuania, USA, Belarus.
Natalya Stepanovna became a leading actress. She played both comedy roles, and poignant, and dramatic. Drozdova became Sophia in The Zykovs, Katerina in Family Portrait with Banknotes, Raisa Pavlovna Gurmyzhskaya in The Forest, Quickly's mission in Falstaff and the Wicked Wives of Windsor, Goneril in King Lear, Zoya Peltz in Zoya's Apartment. Most of all the requirements were made by the chief director on stage to his own wife. Natalia has always lived up to his and the audience's expectations.
For her magnificent images and skill in 1990, the actress was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Federation, in 1999 she became People's Artist of Russia.
Simultaneously with artistic creativity Natalya Stepanovna was engaged in teaching. She adopted many of the techniques from her husband, followed his manner and adhered to his system.
Film, theater and teaching
After the departure of Gleb Borisovich from life in 2000, difficult times began in the theater. The leadership has changed several times. Finally, in 2011, Natalya Stepanovna agreed to lead the team. She decided to bet on young artists.
She herself played a little, but she actively helped to gain fame for novice actors. In November 2012, Drozdova left the troupe, which received the name of his wife.
She continued her teaching activities, heading since 2005 the Department of Acting at the Tatishchev Volga University in Tolyatti. Son Yaroslav chose an artistic career and entered the Shchepkinskoye Metropolitan School.
In 2008, the film debut took place. Natalya Stepanova reincarnated as Baba Shura in the telenovela "Wide River". The theatrical actress, who was worried about work on the set, brilliantly coped with the image. The atmosphere during the work was friendly. The actress gained useful skills in working on camera.
After the TV heroine played, the number of Drozdova's fans increased. The actress does not aspire to become a film actress. She likes theater more. However, she does not refuse new offers.
