Author Description
The reviews and features collected in John Freedman's Moscow Performances bring to life the diversity, energy, and imagination of Russian theater as few books have done before. While focusing on the work of Moscow's leading directors - Pyotr Fomenko, Kama Ginkas, Valery Fokin, Anatoly Vasilyev, Konstantin Raikin, Sergei Zhenovach, Yury Lyubimov, and many others - also included in its review are key productions by many of the renowned guests who bring their art to the Russian capital. Essays on St. Petersburg's Lev Dodin (of the Maly Drama Theatre), Lithuania's Eimuntas Nekrosius, Georgia's Robert Sturua, and Germany's Peter Stein confirm that Moscow's position as a "theatrical mecca" has not diminished since Anatoly Lunacharsky coined the phrase in the 1920s. In addition to recording Freedman's immediate and opinionated responses to Moscow stage developments in the 1990s, Moscow Performances contains a wealth of information about the struggles and occasional triumphs of a new generation of talented but as yet unknown playwrights, the successes of the best actors, and the social and financial trends which have had such an impact on Russian theatre in the post-Soviet period.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This collection investigates the evolution and resilience of the Russian theatrical landscape during the volatile transition period following the collapse of the Soviet Union. John Freedman, a long-time observer and critic of the Moscow stage, utilizes his firsthand reviews and analytical essays to document how directors and playwrights navigated newfound artistic freedom alongside severe economic instability. The work argues that despite systemic shifts, Moscow maintained its status as a global center for theatrical innovation through the 1990s.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed analysis of major productions by directors such as Pyotr Fomenko, Kama Ginkas, and Anatoly Vasilyev.
- Documentation of the social and financial pressures impacting theater companies in post-Soviet Russia.
- Profiles of emerging playwrights and actors who defined the decade's artistic output.
- Comparative essays on influential guest directors from St. Petersburg, Lithuania, Georgia, and Germany.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts recognize this volume as a vital primary source for understanding the specific aesthetic and logistical challenges faced by Russian theater practitioners during the 1990s. Readers frequently note the density of the prose and the author's deep immersion in the Moscow cultural scene, making it a standard reference for scholars of contemporary Slavic performance arts.
Page Count:
295
Publication Date:
2005-01-01
Publisher:
Taylor & Francis Group
ISBN-10:
0203989732
ISBN-13:
9780203989739
History
Theater
Russia
Criticism
Soviet Union
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