Publication Date: 30.11.2021

The Academic Readings ‘The Theatre Book between the Past and the Future’ in 2020 were devoted to the theme ‘Literature on the Theatre Stage’. In their reports and messages, Russian and foreign researchers, based on the study of library, archival, and museum collections, raised the issues of staging literary works, and theatrical embodiments of literature of various genres—from folk epics and ancient Greek myths to the novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky and Ivan Turgenev.

The collection of articles from the conference participants sums up the scholarly work performed, but will also be of interest to non-specialists. The inquisitive reader will find in it many interesting facts, details, and research on topics that exist at the intersection of theatre and literature.

The collection contains articles about a little-known episode in theatrical Pushkiniana—the play Tsarevna Neveria that was composed by the poet Georgy Obolduev based on Alexander Pushkin’s ‘Tales of the Dead Princess and the Seven Bogatyrs’ failed to be recognised owing to its overly free treatment of the classic. Other articles discuss the birth of Pushkin’s poem ‘Rusalka’, the plot of which was borrowed by the poet from Dnieper Mermaid, the most popular opera extravaganza at the beginning of the 19^th century; and how choreographers managed to embody the thoughts and feelings of the heroes of Eugene Onegin on the ballet stage.

It also includes information about the ‘dramaturgicalness’ of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s prose that was noticed by Vladimir Nabokov and about the special love of the theatre for works on this classic; plus the birth of the new ‘neurasthenic’ acting role called to the theatre stage to create psychological portraits of Dostoevsky’s heroes, and the first actors who appeared in these roles; and the ideas of the literary critic Yuri Karyakin embodied in Director Yuri Lyubimov’s version of the famous play Crime and Punishment.

Also discussed is the synergistic musical drama of Victor Ségalen’s King Orpheus, which grew out of the joint libretto by the poet Segalen and composer Claude Debussy based on ancient Greek myth; as well as the interpretation of the Tatar epic Edigü on the theatre stage, and much more.

To purchase Literature on the Theatre Stage collection, please call: +7 (495) 692-06-53 or e-mail: bisk@liart.ru