New Russian Drama: An Anthology Contributor(s): Hanukai, Maksim (Editor), Weygandt, Susanna (Editor), Schechner, Richard (Preface by) |
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ISBN: 0231185103 ISBN-13: 9780231185103 Publisher: Columbia University Press OUR PRICE: $49.50 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: August 2019 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Drama | Russian & Former Soviet Union - Performing Arts | Theater - Playwriting - Literary Collections | Russian & Former Soviet Union |
Dewey: 891.720 |
LCCN: 2018052747 |
Series: Russian Library |
Physical Information: 1.7" H x 5.9" W x 8.6" (1.65 lbs) 504 pages |
Themes: - Cultural Region - Russia |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: New Russian Drama took shape at the turn of the new millennium--a time of turbulent social change in Russia and the former Soviet republics. Emerging from small playwriting festivals, provincial theaters, and converted basements, it evolved into a major artistic movement that startled audiences with hypernaturalistic portrayals of sex and violence, daring use of non-normative language, and thrilling experiments with genre and form. The movement's commitment to investigating contemporary reality helped revitalize Russian theater. It also provoked confrontations with traditionalists in society and places of power, making theater once again Russia's most politicized art form. This anthology offers an introduction to New Russian Drama through plays that illustrate the versatility and global relevance of this exciting movement. Many of them address pressing social issues, such as ethnic tensions and political disillusionment; others engage with Russia's rich cultural legacy by reimagining traditional genres and canons. Among them are a family drama about Anton Chekhov, a modern production play in which factory workers compose haiku, and a satirical verse play about the treatment of migrant workers, as well a documentary play about a terrorist school siege and a postdramatic "text" that is only two sentences long. Both politically and aesthetically uncompromising, they chart new paths for performance in the twenty-first century. Acquainting English-language readers with these vital works, New Russian Drama challenges us to reflect on the status and mission of the theater. |