Reimagining Modern Russian Drama: New Interpretations and Productions

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

Russian drama, with its vast artistic possibilities, continues to captivate us, especially in an era when sociopolitical realities force us to confront the “dramatic” attributes of human life and society, perhaps more urgently than ever. This panel explores new interpretations and adaptations of modern Russian drama, engaging with fundamental and enduring questions in drama and theater studies. How do experiments with dramatic and theatrical forms—such as voices, dialogues, and objects—challenge the classical Aristotelian framework of drama? What new approaches redefine the relationship between text, stage, and audience? And how can drama engage with sociopolitical contexts in diverse and transformative ways?

Sub Unit

• Literature: 20th Century

Papers

• The Shifting Symbol: Conditional Realism/Symbolism in Post-Chekhovian Russian Drama - Ewan McPhee, Princeton U

• Social Critique at Play: Mayakovsky’s 'Проблемная Комедия' and the Possibility of Immanent Critique - Yazhe Yang, Princeton U

• Vampilov, 'the Siberian Chekhov,' Rediscovered in New Millennial Iran - Elena Susanna Weygandt, UC Santa Barbara

Discussant

• Alisa Ballard Lin, Ohio State U