Author Description

The book Moscow "Arlekin" Theater: Conception, History, Performances commemorates the 50th anniversary of the creation of one of the first independent theater groups in the Soviet Union. Since its very beginning, the art director and the artists of the Arlekin Theater embraced the tradition of Russian avant-garde art of the early 20th century represented by Vsevolod Meyerhold and Evgenii Vakhtangov.The first part of the book includes a documentary novella about the history of the Arlekin theatrical company. It is followed by a comic poem "Harlequinade" composed in the late 1980s. Sociological portrait of our theatrical troupe conveys the atmosphere of freedom, that reigned both on the stage and in everyday life, including troubles with the administration as well as ticket sales. The second part of this edition contains scores of four signature performances of the Arlekin Theatre, composed by Oleg Cherkas-"Jester on the Throne," "François Villon," "Bribes or Gratitude" and "Theatre 1." In the appendix to the book, the reader will find the full repertoire and historical chronology of the theater, as well as relevant materials in the Media, and video performances posted on the Internet.