This volume investigates the evolution and artistic output of the Moscow theater scene during the pivotal 1996-1997 season. John Freedman, a long-time observer and critic of the Russian stage, utilizes his extensive field notes and reviews to document the creative shifts occurring in a post-Soviet cultural landscape. The book argues that this specific period served as a critical bridge between traditional Soviet-era theatrical practices and the emerging experimental aesthetics of the late 1990s.

Scholars and theater historians frequently cite this work as a vital primary record for understanding the transition of Russian performing arts in the late twentieth century. The text is valued for its granular detail and the author's unique position as an embedded critic within the Moscow theater community.