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Academic Year 2005/2006

Russian Theater: Reflection of Society in the Twentieth Century and Today
RUSS 241 FA
Crosslistings:
REES 241
THEA 241

In the Russian theater of the early 20th century, theatrical Symbolism, art stylization, and productions based on Dostoevsky's novels marked a trend of alienation from contemporary life in theater art. Russian theater after the Bolshevik Revolution became a complex combination of resistance, tragedy, dream, propaganda, and lies. The Bolsheviks considered theater to be the most powerful way of creating a communist public mentality; however, an argument was still going on between the followers of conventional aesthetics (Lunacharsky) and those who wanted to create a "new" communist person through avant-garde culture (Trotsky). Censorship was introduced as a device for directing the national mentality. The issues to be covered in this course include: genesis of "socialist realism"; changes in Stanislavsky's method during the Soviet era; isolationism of Soviet culture and its interconnections with European art; the arts during the period of liberalization in the 1950-60s; the Soviet version of existentialism; and theater under perestroika. Students' discussion of Russian plays of the twentieth century will focus on the ways in which the life and characters depicted in them document Soviet and post-Soviet society, and also on the specific features of their literary and theatrical style. Lectures will be illustrated with slides, video recordings, and virtual models of performances.

MAJOR READINGS

Mikhail Bulgakov, DAYS OF THE TURBINS
Vladimir Mayakovsky, THE BEDBUG; THE BATHOUSE
Nikolai Erdman, THE WARRANT; THE SUICIDE
Aleksandr Vampilov, THE DUCK HUNT
Ludmila Petrushevskaya, CINZANO

Students will also be encouraged to use the research literature and historiography:

Robert Leach, Victor Borovsky et al., A HISTORY OF RUSSIAN THEATRE
Edward Braun, ed., MEYERHOLD ON THEATRE
Laurence Senelick et al., THE RUSSIAN THEATRE AFTER STALIN
Roxane Permar, Lesley Milne, and Konstantin Rudnitsky, RUSSIAN AND SOVIET THEATRE: TRADITION AND THE AVANT-GARDE
Spencer Golub, THE RECURRENCE OF FATE: THEATRE AND MEMORY IN THE TWENTIETH-CENTURY

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Four short papers and a final take-home project.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA RUSS    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006

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