Real and Phantom Pains

An anthology of ten plays embodying the Russian literary movement that began in the late twentieth century.

The plays selected for this anthology reflect the issues and styles typical of the new wave of dramatic writing in Russia. New drama flourished (almost) exclusively in small spaces, often in dingy basements that employed and accommodated small numbers of people. The big theaters largely turned a blind eye to what was happening on small stages and in backrooms in playhouses, libraries, and community centers in a few chosen hot spots around Russia: primarily Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Togliatti. In many cases, they took actively hostile stances toward it. This would change, however. And by the beginning of the century’s second decade, new drama was threatening to become a mainstream phenomenon. Not every theater staged plays associated with new drama, but almost every one began staging plays influenced by the themes, methods, and language of the new drama movement.

Featuring work from Yury Klavdiev, Olga Mukhina, Pavel Pryazhko, Vasily Sigarev, Maksym Kurochkin, Mikhail Durnenkov, Vyacheslav Durnenkov, Yaroslava Pulinovich, Yelena Gremina, and Maxim Osipov.

“Few people know more about what is happening on the Moscow scene than John Freedman (including few Russians). As Moscow Times theater critic throughout the post-Soviet period John could well have seen more theatrical productions in Russia than anyone else. I can’t imagine anyone who would do a better job.” —Blair A. Ruble, Director, Program on Global Sustainability & Resilience, Woodrow Wilson Center

“While other existing volumes focus on 18th, 19th, and early 20th century Russian drama, Freedman’s edition would present the unique and important contributions of the new generation of Russian writers portraying the realities and experiences of a post-Soviet generation. John has carefully selected a representative cohort of ten of the most visible, productive, and influential of these writers for the volume.” —Thomas J. Garza, University Distinguished Teaching Associate Professor, University of Texas at Austin