Bookvica

[PLAY FOR FOLK THEATRE] Bludni vognyky [i.e. Wandering Lights]

Krasislavich, T. E.

Item #1700

A joke from the cooperative life in 5 acts. Lviv: nakladom ‘Narodnoy spravy’, 1929. 49 pp. 23x15 cm. Original printed wrappers. Rust around the staples, otherwise good.

The brochure was an attachment to the weekly “People on the Right” by Ivan Tiktor (circulation in different years from 16,000 to 40,000 copies, brochure circulation approximately up to 1000 copies) To appreciate the scope of Prava, it can be noted that in Western Ukraine in the interwar period, in addition to Tiktor, there were several hundred publications - but Tiktor skilfully offered insurance to subscribers for the loss of yard property, which made the newspaper incredibly popular in the tiniest villages.
The preface of the publishing house directly states that the purpose of the play is to enlighten the people about the benefits of cooperatives and the play is intended “for amateur groups in the villages,” that is, for a completely inexperienced public. There are no complex characters, subtle dialogues and life dramas, in fact, this is a frankly indicated and effective stage advertising. In the same year with this pamphlet, which was published, the play “De Gorivka buvay, there is no good there” - which, in general, once again gives an understanding of what audience this play is aimed at. Other plays - a list of them is given on the back cover - paid attention to historical realities, apparently also pouring water on the mill of strengthening national self-consciousness among the peasants.
“Wandering Lights” (wandering lights / swamp “demonic lights”) is a neophyte play for a village theater about the benefits of cooperation: in the first scenes, setting the topic head-on, a progressive daughter tells her father about the achievements of society - electricity, a barometer, and finally, about cooperation, which will help to discard suspicion and rush into the future. Further, the story develops in the spirit of Dovzhenko's film "Earth": the conflict of regressive hooligan youth with progressive "correct" young people, theft of money from the cooperative and, finally, the reeducation of "stray lights". All this is accompanied by the nuances of the usual village life of Western Ukraine - huts, songs, round dances for a better "assimilation of the material covered"

Price: $950.00