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[SOVIET REFLECTIONS ON WORLD DRAMA] Nasha rabota nad klassikami. Sbornik statei leningradskikh rezhisserov: Stat’i: N. P. Akimova, A. B. Vinerа, I. M. Kroll, S. E. Radlova, V. N. Solov’eva, K. V. Tverskogo [i.e. Collection of articles from Leningrad. directors: Articles: N. P. Akimov, A. B. Viner, I. M. Kroll, S. E. Radlov, V. N. Solovyov, K. V. Tverskoy]

Item #2415

Leningrad: Goslitizdat, 1936 (tip. «Pechatnyy dvor»). 274, [2] pp., 18 leaves of ills. 20x14 cm. In original publisher’s cloth. Binding slightly agetoned, Soviet bookshop stamp on the front free endpaper, previous owner’s ink inscription erased on the title page, but otherwise in a very good condition.

Scarce. First edition. Text in Russian.
A compelling Soviet theatre publication on the staging of classical performances, with notable references to Vsevolod Meyerhold and Solomon Mikhoels—prominent theatrical figures executed by the state in the late-1930s.
The anthology was published in 1936 at the initiative of the Theatre Studies Section of the State Institute for Art Studies. Its aim was “to consolidate, through a series of theoretical essays, the work of Leningrad directors in interpreting major works of world drama”—chiefly Shakespeare and Ostrovsky. The book includes articles by leading theatre practitioners of the time, including Sergei Radlov, Nikolay Akimov, Isaac Kroll, Alexander Viner, Vladimir Solovyov, and Konstantin Tverskoy. The latter was rearrested on 24 October 1937 and executed on 8 December by NKVD order for alleged anti-Soviet activity.

As noted in the foreword by A. Gvozdev, the collection serves as a “response to the fading influence of futurist-inspired rejections of the classical canon, affirming instead the enduring
relevance of classic drama.” Particularly noteworthy is Radlov’s opening essay, where he praises Meyerhold’s exceptional talent (a rather bold act considering anti-Meyerhold smear campaign of the late-1930s) and reflects on the artistic path of Alexis Granowsky, who emigrated in response to the tightening grip of Soviet cultural policy in the 1920s. Radlov also touches on the work of Solomon Mikhoels, “under whose leadership the Jewish theatre faced significant challenges.” Mikhoels was later assassinated in Minsk in 1948 on Stalin’s orders during the postwar wave of anti-Jewish repression. Other essays in the volume explore the authors’ creative approaches to staging the classics and examine Soviet productions of some of the most renowned works of world drama. The book is richly illustrated with 36 full-page black-and-white images depicting set and costume designs, along with production stills from landmark performances: Romeo and Juliet and Othello by Radlov’s theatre studio, King Lear at the State Jewish Theatre, Richard III at the Bolshoi Drama Theatre, Hamlet at the Vakhtangov Theatre, Mad Money at the New Theatre, The Thunderstorm and Death of Pazukhin at the LOSPS Theatre, and Without a Dowry at the Krasny Theatre.

Overall, a valuable reflection on Soviet theatrical interpretations of classical drama.

Worldcat shows copies of the edition at the University of Edinburgh, Harvard University, Columbia University, New York Public Library, University of Chicago Library, University of California, and University of Southern California.

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