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[FROM AVANT-GARDE TO REALISTIC THEATRE] Teatr i dramaturgiya: Ezhemesiachnyi obshchestvenno-politicheskii i khudozhestvennyi zhurnal teatra i dramaturgii [i.e. Theatre and Dramaturgy: Monthly Political and Art Magazine on Theatre and Drama].

Moscow: 1934. Item #297

Full set of 1934. #1-11/12. 29,5x21 cm. In publisher’s cloth with silver colored stamping (title and year). Publisher’s wrappers of all issues are preserved in the binding. Very good. Spine is rubbed, with a few small tears of the extremities (#2), rare owner’s markings in the text.

Each issue of 5000 copies. Richly illustrated with photographs, color plates, illustrations, set designs, etc.

In the beginning of 1930s Soviet theatre moved into a new era. All experimental studios and theaters were gradually closing and only one style - Soviet realism - remained and became the official one. The growth of the audience led to necessity of creating new ‘popular’ theatrical magazine. ‘Theatre and Dramaturgy’ was a Soviet illustrated monthly magazine, printed as ‘Soviet Theatre’ from 1930 till 1933, as ‘Theatre and Dramaturgy’ from 1933 till 1936 and ‘Theatre’ from 1937. The magazine was supposed to form views of readers and be a trendsetter in this area for the whole Soviet Union as it was the time of building Soviet ideology. The magazine was not meant only for professionals, moreover its unusual design and a lot of illustrations were more appealing to a general public.

But among all important materials coming from rulers of the state and party, ‘Theatre and Dramaturgy’ was providing points of view in the beginning, like some of the current issues include reviews and photos of Meyerhold’s experimental works in his theatre. Only later the magazine will execute political order of the party, like criticizing same Meyerhold whose theatre and life ended during Stalin terror.

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