Russian drama theatre, while it gets less
attention from foreign visitors than the other
performing arts, is enriched in just as much
tradition. Many classical Russian playwrights are as
famous on world stages as they are at home, and many
of Russia and Ukraine's most historic theatrical
buildings are used specifically for drama
performances. For those less familiar with Russian
drama and comedy, we've provided a brief background
of the art form, as well as a list of the best drama
theatre to attend while visiting Russia and Ukraine.
Russian drama theatre has its roots in traveling
performers - actors, singers, musicians, dancers and animal trainers - known as
skomorokhi (скоморохи). Emerging
from the peasantry and restricting their activities
largely to that class, skomorokhi became an
integral part of the cultural life in Kievan Rus' by
the 11th century.
Often incorporating elements of social satire
and protest against the church and ruling
classes, skomorokhi soon found themselves at
odds with ecclesiastical authorities. Demonized
by the Orthodox Church as a symbol of paganism,
persecution of these wandering actors and
performers was common
by the 17th century.
At the same time that skomorokhi were being
persecuted, the Orthodox Church began to stage its own
performances. By the 17th century
several private theatres were in existence.
A few of these included the Greco-Latin Theological Academy
in Kiev, Novgorod Seminary
and the Bishop's house in Rostov.
Early Russian playwrights included the likes
of Saint Dimitry of Rostov, and a high ranking
theologian Symeon of Polotsk,
who's comedy Action of the Prodigal Son and tragedy
On Nabuchadnezzar the King are considered among
the first dramatic works in the Russian language.
A pupil of Symeon and daughter of Tsar Alexis I -
princess Sophia - herself was an early drama
enthusiast, and is credited with writing one of
the first Russian tragedies Martyr Ecaterina.
In 1672 Tsar Alexis added to the list of
early Russian drama theatre when he built a
special mansion to stage performances at his summer
residence in Preobrazhenskoe.
Alexis, with both a fondness for theatrical
works and a desire to introduce Western habits,
solicited a certain Gregory to write
theatrical pieces for presentation in his court.
Accepting the task, Gregory took German
versions of plays (called "English Plays" at the
time) and altered them to Russian tastes.
Russian theatre's next big step came in the
early 18th century, under the rule of Peter I the Great.
Son of Alexis and brother of Sophia, Peter also
had an interest in the development of theatre
within Russia. In 1702 he ordered the first
public theatre opened on Red Square. While not a
permanent institution, it was the start of a new
era in Russian Drama Theatre. Under the Tsar's
new reforms to modernize Russian
society, Western theatrical works were eagerly
translated and imitated by Russian playwrights
and performers. By the mid 18th century (marked
by the 1748 founding of Russia's first permanent
theatre in Yaroslavl), Russian drama itself was
a permanent institution, engrained forever into
Russian society and culture.
Below is a shortlist of important
Russian playwrights and their works.
Alexander Sumarokov (1717-1777)
A
Russian poet and playwright
responsible for creating
classical theatre in Russia.
Sumarokov ran the first permanent
public theatre in Saint Petersburg,
Russia's capital, and wrote (amongst
other plays), Khorev
(1749) - regarded as the first
regular Russian drama.
Yakov Knyazhnin (1742-1791)
Russia's foremost tragic
author during the reign of Catherine the Great,
Knyazhnin's contemporary success was largely due to his comedies
The Braggart (1786) and The Cranks (1790).
Catherine II (the Great) (1729-1796)
The
Russian Empress wrote numerous opera
texts, comedies, short plays and
other dramatic writings including
satirical comedy The Fête of Mrs. Grumbler.
She is also considered amongst the first to
introduce Russian peasants
to the stage.
Alexander Ablesimov (1742-1783)
Wrote poetry, drama, satire
and opera, including the libretto for Mikhail Sokolovsky's
The Miller who was a Wizard, a Cheat and a Matchmaker
(1779) - an early Russian-language comic opera based
on everyday life.
Vladislav Ozerov (1769-1816)
The most popular Russian dramatist
in the first decades of the 19th century, Ozerov wrote five tragedies
revered by the viewing public.
Written in the French classical
model the plays include
Oedipus in Athens (1804),
Fingal (1805),
Dmitry Donskoy (1807) and
the highly acclained
Polyxena (1809).
Denis Fonvizin (1745-1792)
Playwright of the Russian
Enlightenment whose plays are still
staged today, Forvizin's main works are two satirical comedies -
The Brigadier-General (1766) and
The Minor (1783) -
which make light of Russian nobility.
Vasily Kapnist (1758-1823)
A Russian poet and
playwright who wrote realistic satirical comedy, including
drama Chicane (1798).
Prince Alexander Shakhovskoy (1777-1846)
A
Russian dramatist, director and
member of the Imperial Theatre
committee, Shakhovskoy wrote roughly
100 plays including
The New Sterne (1805),
The Lipetsk Spa (1815) and
The Bigamous Wife (1830).
Mikhail Zagoskin (1789-1852)
Author of historical novels, short
stories and comedies, and director of
the Imperial Theatre, Zagoskin wrote
numerous plays including
Surprise to Himself (1821),
Lessons of a Bachelor (1822),
The Village Philosopher (1822),
Rehersal at the Station (1827),
and Noble Theatre (1827).
Alexander Griboyedov (1795-1829)
Russian diplomat, playwright
and composer, Griboyedov wrote but a single book
that was made famous for it's brilliant verse comedy
Woe from Wit
(1823). A satire about society in post-Napoleonic Moscow,
it is considered a classic and is still one of
the most frequently staged plays in Russia.
A Russian author of the Romantic era, Pushkin
is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of
modern Russian literature.
Amongst other works, dramas penned
by Pushkin include Boris Godunov (1825),
and a compilation of four short plays known as
The Little Tragedies (1830):
The Stone Guest,
Mozart and Salieri,
The Miserly Knight and
A Feast in Time of Plague.
Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852)
A Ukrainian-born Russian novelist and dramatist, Gogol is considered the father of modern
Russian realism. Amongst his most
recognized works are novels
Taras Bulba (1835) and
Dead Souls (1842), satirical play
The Government Inspector (1836),
and 3 short stories - The Diary of a Madman (1835),
The Nose (1836), and
The Overcoat (1842).
Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883)
A Russian novelist,
short story writer and playwright, Turgenev is
renowned for a whole list of works in the
genre of Russian Realism. A few of these
include: a short story collection entitled
A Sportsman's Sketches (1852),
novel Fathers and Sons (1862),
as well as plays Fortune's Fool (1848),
A Provincial Lady (1850) and
A Month in the Country (1855).
Alexander Ostrovsky (1823-1886)
A
great Russian playwright of the 19th
century, a few of Ostrovsky's works include
drama The Storm (1859) and comedy
Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man (1868).
Leonid Andreyev (1871-1919)
A
Russian playwright, novelist and
short story writer, some of his notable dramas include
The Life of Man (1906),
Tsar Hunger (1907),
Black Masks (1908),
Anathema (1909), and
The Days of Our Life (1909).
Considered one of the world's
greatest novelists, Tolstoy also
penned numerous short stories and
plays. Several of his plays which are still
performed today include The Power of Darkness (1886),
The Fruits of Enlightenment (1889)
and The Living Corpse (1900).
Renowned short-story writer
and playwright, four of Chekhov's most notable plays include
The Seagull (1896),
Uncle Vanya (1899),
The Three Sisters (1901) and
The Cherry Orchard (1904).
Maxim Gorky (1868-1936)
Russian / Soviet author credited
as the founder of the Socialist
Realism literary movement, Gorky
left behind a long list of dramatic
works. A few of his earlier (and
best known) plays include
The Lower Depths (1902),
Summerfolk (1904) and
Children of the Sun (1905).
While the theatre's official
founding was in 1993, its true
beginning goes back to 1988 when
People's Artist of Russia Peter Fomenko
gathered a group of star students
from his training workshop at the
Russian Academy of Theatre Arts.
Since its infancy the troupe of
young actors, under the guidance of
Fomenko, have gained numerous awards
and recognition for their creative
adaptations of
mostly Russian classics. In 2008,
two decades after the collective's
first performances, the Fomenko
Studio Theatre moved out of their
old, renovated cinema, and into a
new, modern facility overlooking the
Moscow River.
One of Moscow's most well-known
theatres, the Lenkom is recognized
for its creative enthusiasm,
innovation, bold experiments and
longevity. Officially started under
the name Theatre for Working Youth
(TRAM) in 1927, the building itself
has been staging theatrical
performances since it was built in
1907 to house a Merchant's Club. The
Soviet youth theatre later went by
the name Moscow Leninist Komsomol Theatre,
which earned it the nickname LENKOM
(LENinist KOMsomol), which
eventually (post Soviet Union)
became its official name. Staging
both classical and contemporary
plays, plus some outstanding
musicals, there are few theatres in
Moscow that can compete with its
exceptional stage direction or
acting.
Founded in 1992 by current director
Sergei
Prokhorov, Luna Theatre ("Theatre of the Moon")
- as expressed by its very name -
stages performances about poetry, love
and deceit,
mystery and secrecy. Adhering to a
strong tradition of the Romantic
style, Prokhorov and his cast offer
their audience novel versions of the
well-known works that excite the imagination
with their audacity, skill and spontaneity.
Combine this with a modern, fully
equipped theatre building that the
troupe has called home since 2004,
and its little wonder why Luna
enjoys such a strong following
amongst Moscow theatre goers.
address: 31, ulitsa Malaya Ordynka, Moscow
metro:Tretyakovskaya
- then strait down ul.
Malaya Ordynka
Mayakovsky Theatre, officially
called Moscow Academic Theatre
named in honor of Vladimir
Mayakovsky, is one of the
oldest and most respected theatre
companies in the Russian capital.
The theatre building dates back to
1886 at which time it staged
performances of eminent foreign
artists, while the theatre
company itself can be traced back to 1922
when it was known as the Theatre of the Revolution.
Initially used to stage propaganda
productions on Soviet themes, it now
offers a broad repertoire of foreign
and Russian classics, supported by a
well-regarded cast of talented actors.
Main
and Small Stages
address: 19, ulitsa
Bolshaya Nikitskaya, Moscow
metro:Arbatskaya
- then walk down Nikitskiy bulvar to ulitsa Bolshaya Nikitskaya
Branch on Sretenka
address: 21, Pushkarev pereulok, Moscow
metro:Sukharevskaya
- then walk down ulitsa Sretenka,
to Pushkarev pereulok
Founded in
1924, the Moscow Academic Satire
Theatre presently stages
performances at the
pre-revolutionary circus building of
the Nikitin brothers on Triumphalnaya
square. Converted from a circus to a
theatre building in 1963, some of
Russia's best actors have delighted
audiences on its stage. While
focusing on comedy, the Moscow
Theatre of Satire performs a diverse
repertoire that includes more
serious dramatic works as well.
Established in 1898, the Moscow Art
Theatre is one of Moscow's oldest
drama theatres and one of
the most influential in all of
Russia. It was here that theatre
founders - actor and director Constantin
Stanislavski, along with playwright and director Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko
-
introduced method acting. Now named
in honor of
Anton
Chekhov, the theatre staged
Chekhov's The Seagull in
its opening season. So successful
was the production, the MAT adopted
the seagull into its emblem. In
addition to the theatre's repertoire
of classical and contemporary works,
this treasure of Russian culture
also hosts an acting studio-school
and a small onsite museum (which
includes historic relics within
make-up rooms used by the theatre's
early actors and directors).
Founded in 1954, the Moscow
Variety Theatre has been responsible
for developing many of Russia's
great actors and comedians. While
comedy makes up a large part of its
performances, you can also find more
serious dramas, kids shows and
musicals as well.
Pushkin Drama Theatre was
officially born in 1950, while the
theatre building itself dates back
to the 18th century. On its main
stage, established directors
and actors put on a broad range of
works from classic Russian drama
(including excellent adaptations of
Chekhov, Gogol and Pushkin) to performances of more contemporary works.
The small stage, alternatively,
showcases performances of young,
up-and-coming artists.
One of Moscow's most popular
theatres, the Satirikon attracts
capacity crowds with its
experimental, vivid and wildly entertaining performances. Under the directorship of Konstantin Raikin (son of
the theatre's creator - renowned Soviet comedian Arkady Raikin),
the Satirikon stages a versatile
repertoire of satirical productions
- mainly of foreign dramas. Housed
in a remodeled cinema on Sheremetyevskaya
street, the theatre also takes part in festivals and
tours throughout Russia and abroad.
Opened in 1988, the Moscow Shalom
Theatre takes one back to a day when
Jewish theatre (in Yiddish language)
thrived in Russia and eastern
Europe. Today it is Russia's only
professional Jewish theatre. Staging
plays about contemporary issues in
the Jewish community, spectacles
abound with music, dance and Jewish
humor. Artistic director Alexander Levenbuk
proudly asserts that Shalom is "the last Jewish
theatre in the world to retain a broad appeal to
non-Jewish audiences". Due to the
passing of old Yiddish speaking
generations, as well as a dwindling
Jewish audience due to emigration,
the theatre has moved to Russian as
its main language. With its diverse
Russian repertoire (which includes
excursions into Yiddish and
simultaneous translation into
English), the theatre has gained
praise not only in Moscow, but
throughout Russia, the CIS, Europe
and North America.
The South-West Moscow Theatre has
been a central component of the
capital's cultural life since its
founding in 1977. Performing a broad
repertoire of classics and
contemporary plays (from Shakespeare
and Bulgakov to Edward Albee and Venedict Yerofeyev),
the theatre is a regular participant
in international festivals,
workshops, and exchange programs.
Such a broad-minded approach not only
helps foreigners become acquainted
with Russian drama, but
acts as an excellent venue for
Muscovites to see productions of
foreign origins as well.
Since its foundation in 1956 by a group of
students from the Moscow Art Theatre
studio-school, Sovremennik (which literally
means "contemporary"), has been a
venue to address current affairs and
a voice against official propaganda.
While staging some classical dramas,
many other acts staged at Sovremennik
are written specifically for the
theatre, by modern authors, on
present-day topics - a
characteristic that sets it apart
from many of its peers.
Formed in 1986, and staging its
first play "Chair" (based on the
novel by Yuri Polyakov) the
following spring, the Tabakov
Theatre was one of the first studio
collectives in Russia to receive
state subsidies. Since the theatre's
start, founder and director Oleg
Tabakov, along with his talented
company of actors, have compiled a
repertoire of just over 30 titles.
Many of these plays, from both
domestic and foreign playwrights,
have gained critical acclaim and
received awards for cast
performances and directorship. The
theatre troupe has also taken their
show on the road, touring abroad and
participating in numerous prominent
international theatre festivals.
Located in the Art Nouveau building on Taganka Square, the theatre was one of the most popular,
controversial and important theaters of the Soviet era. Officially founded on
April 23, 1964 when director, Yury Lyubimov staged Bertolt Brecht's play
The Good Person of Setzuan,
the theatre often found itself in trouble with Soviet authorities who banned many of Lyubimov's productions
for being too provocative. Finally
in 1984 Lyubimov was stripped of his
Soviet citizenship and exiled to
London. Even with his short absence
(returned in 1989), the theatre
remained one Moscow's favorites and
continues to stage excellent
contemporary productions.
Established in 1929 as the Theatre of the Red Army,
today's theatre company is more
appropriately named the Theatre
of the Russian Army. The actual
building, constructed in 1934, is
the largest theatre in Moscow. The
Big Hall of the theatre has seating
for 1100 spectators, while its huge
stage (6 meters wider than the
Bolshoi Theatre's), allows for the
production of monumental spectacles.
In Soviet times everything from mock
warships to real-life battle tanks
were used on the stage. Today, the
theatre performs a repertoire of
both Russian plays and western
classics.
One of Russia's most famous drama
theatres - both for the quality of
its productions, and for its
historical home on the bank of the Fontanka River
-
is the Tovstonogov Bolshoi Drama
Theater. Staging its first
performance on February 15, 1919,
the theatre is currently named after
People's Artist of the USSRGeorgy Tovstonogov
(who served as its director from
1956 until his death in 1989). With
a varied repertoire of Russian and
international classics and
contemporary works, many say the
quality of productions have
diminished since the great
director's passing. To be fair,
plays are still of very high quality
and a visit is more than deserving
if nothing more than to see one of
St Petersburg's most splendid
theatre buildings.
address: 65, Naberezhnaya reki Fontanki,
St Petersburg
Housed in the historic 1903
constructed Eliseev building (on the
floor over the food emporium), is St Petersburg's favorite comedy
theatre. Established in 1929 as the
Leningrad Theatre of Satire and
Comedy, in 1935 it
received a shortened name, the
Leningrad Theatre of Comedy -
and more importantly - a
creative new artistic director by the
name of Nikolai Akimov. Heading the
comedy troupe until his death in
1968, the renowned director
instilled a legacy of
expressiveness, imagination and
audacity that remains with the
theatre to present. Patrons of the
883 seat theatre, named in Akimov's
honor since 1989, can enjoy novel,
first rate comedies that include
both classical and contemporary
plays.
Also known as the Russian State Pushkin Academy Drama Theater,
Alexandrinsky Theatre is one of the oldest and most
respected drama theatres in all of Russia.
Founded in 1756, the theatre has occupied its current location
(part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site) on Alexandrinsky Square since 1832.
Today the "theatre of masters" is
most recognized for its drama
productions, but also stages
excellent ballet performances as
well.
address: 2, Ploschad Ostrovskovo (just off Nevsky Prospekt)
In 1959 the drama theatre was named in honor of renowned Russian actress Vera Komissarzhevskaya
(1864-1910). Its true origins,
nevertheless, go back to 1942 when a
troupe under the name Blockade
Theatre, started to stage plays
in the besieged city of Leningrad.
Recognized for lifting the spirits
of Leningrad citizens and soldiers
during the city's darkest years, the
theatre continues to stage plays in
its original residence - an
1848 constructed shopping complex
and concert hall known as the
"Passage". Performances vary from
works of contemporary authors to
distinctive interpretations of
foreign and Russian classics. One of
St Petersburg's most popular drama
theatre's, the 885 seat venue is
known to sell out, particularly for
premieres.
Founded as the New Theatre in
1933, and renamed to its current
name in 1953, Theatre Lensovet
stages one of the most versatile
repertoires in St Petersburg. While
its true they perform many classical
plays, the theatre also devotes
special attention to bold new
experimental plays (in the tradition
of its
Avant-Garde roots established
during the theatre's infancy in the
early 1930s).
One significant date for the Maly
Drama Theatre is 1944, the year the
small, newly formed troupe began performing
in war ravaged towns and villages of
Leningrad Oblast. Another historical
date was 1956, the year the company began performing
in its current home - the former
Trinity Theatre (built in 1911).
Perhaps its most significant point
in time, the event that helped
transform the Maly Drama Theatre
into the world renowned ensemble it
is today, is 1975. This is the year
celebrated Russian theatre director
Lev Dodin staged
his first work at the Maly.
Appointed chief art director in
1983, the theatre has since staged
dozens of plays that have earned
international acclaim. Today, St
Petersburg's revered theatre
continues to please spectators with
its diverse repertoire of works from
well-known authors of both foreign
and domestic origin. Many of these
plays sell out early, so if you want
a seat to either the main stage or
chamber stage (performances by the
Young Studio Theatre), be sure to book
in advance.
The brainchild of founder and director Lyubov Titarenko, Bravo is
Kiev's first private commercial
theatre. Staging a broad repertoire
of mainly comedies by modern
Ukrainian and foreign playwrights,
the underlying theme of most plays
is the relationship between men and
women. Striving to answer life's
most contentious questions regarding
love, passion and sincerity,
performances are warm and
life-celebrating,
leaving the audience with an optimistic
outlook. As it turns out, the
private Russian language theatre
that was once "doomed for failure"
by skeptics, is now so immensely
popular with Kiev theatre goers,
that performances regularly sell out in
advance.
The Ivan Franko Drama Theatre can
be traced back to early 1920 when a
young troupe of actors, headed by Ignat Petrovich Yura,
started to stage performances in the
city of Vinnitsa. Moving to Kharkov
from 1923-1926 (then capital of
Ukraine), it again relocated to its
current home in the historic 1898
constructed theatre overlooking
Kiev's Ivano Frankovsk Square.
Earning the status Academic
Theatre (1940) and National
Theatre (1994), its Ukrainian
language repertoire includes both
classical and modern drama, comedy
and musical performances.
Founded in 1979 on the initiative
of prominent
artistic director Edward Mitnizky,
the Kiev Academic Theatre of
Drama and Comedy on the Left Back of
the Dnieper River is an
experimental theatre that stages
performances in both Russian and
Ukrainian languages. Its extensive
repertoire of contemporary and
classical plays, from foreign and
domestic playwrights, are given
creative, intelligent, and often
provocative spins that break the
stereotype of traditional drama. Its
a reputation that has earned the
theatre troupe numerous awards as
well as the opportunity to
participate in international drama
festivals and theatrical meetings at
home and abroad.
The historic home of the Russian
Drama Theatre, originally known as Bergognie’s House, dates back to 1875
when it initially housed a circus. Also home
to the theatre's predecessor, the Solovtsov
theatrical troupe, it was Soviet
authorities who ultimately created
the official Theatre of Russian
Drama in 1926. Originally used to
support Socialist ideologies, the
theatre, nevertheless, has been an incubator
of many great actors, writers and
directors since
its beginning. Named in 1941 after renowned
Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka (1871-1913), and given the status of
Academic Theatre in 1966, the
present day Russian language theatre
has gained national and
international acclaim for its
interpretation and presentation of
classical and modern playwrights.
Upon its founding in 1979, the
Kiev Academic Youth Theatre,
though tightly regulated,
immediately exhibited a wide range
of creative potential. Kiev's
theatre audience was pleasantly
surprised with the troupe's unusual
form of artistic style and fresh,
new look. In order to pay tribute to
this creative approach, the company
changed its name from "Youth
Theatre" to "Young Theatre", in
1995. The latter, after all, was the
name of the experimental (though
short-lived) theatre opened in 1916
by legendary Ukrainian director Les
Kurbas (1887-1937). Honoring its
legacy, the Young Theatre continues
to work with innovative writers,
directors and actors to produce a
repertoire of daring new and
classical productions.
Cherny Kvadrat, or "Black
Square", is a very popular
theatre of improvisation that
emerged onto Kiev's arts
scene in the early 1990s. While generally
associated with improv, its
repertoire also includes
contemporary acts, experimental
theatrical projects and even
academic plays. Serving as a
studio-theatre where young artists
can study acting and
improvisation, Cherny Kvadrat has
gained well deserved recognition
both at home and abroad. The
recipient of frequent awards at
international festivals, its also,
without a doubt, one of the most
popular modern theatrical arts
venues in Kiev.
box office:
weekdays 1pm-8pm, Fridays 1pm-6pm
(6pm-7pm
in foyer of House of Artists),
Saturday 6pm-7pm in foyer of House
of Artists (only on days when there
is a performance)
