Real and Phantom Pains: An Anthology of New Russian Drama. John Freedman

      Also by New Academia Publishing

      LOST MASTERPIECES OF EURO-AMERICAN DRAMA: Ten Plays, Bert Cardullo, ed.

      MOSCOW BELIEVES IN TEARS: Russians and Their Movies, by Louis Menashe

      IMAGING RUSSIA 2000: Film and Facts, by Anna Lawton

      BEFORE THE FALL: Soviet Cinema in the Gorbachev Years, by Anna Lawton

      See book pages at www.newacademia.com and read an excerpt.

      New drama flourished (almost) exclusively in small spaces, often in dingy basements and in backrooms of playhouses, libraries and community centers – primarily Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Togliatti. But by the beginning of the century’s second decade, new drama was threatening to become a mainstream phenomenon.

      “Few people know more about 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.”

      —Blair A. Ruble, Director, Program on Global Sustainability & Resilience, Woodrow Wilson Center.

      “The relevance of this anthology is not limited to art. New Drama has an implicit politics that should be of interest to political scientists, social historians, and cultural anthropologists of the postSoviet period. As Freedman points out here and elsewhere, the plays provide a ‘unique generational perspective’ on Russia after the collapse of communism.”

      —Caryl Emerson, Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Princeton University.

      “While other existing volumes focus on 18th, 19th, and early 20th century Russian drama, Freedman’s edition presents the unique and important contributions of contemporary Russian writers portraying the realities and experiences of a post-Soviet generation.”

      —Thomas J. Garza, University Distinguished Teaching Associate Professor, University of Texas at Austin.

      “Real and Phantom Pains would be of great utility for American theater directors and faculty, and students of Russian literature and culture. The anthology is designed with both sets of readers/users in mind.”

      —Beth Holmgren, Professor and Chair, Slavic and Eurasian Studies, Duke University.

      “The English translations available are often in British English, with enough strange idioms for American ears that make them less desirable to theater producers. This collection of excellent New Russian drama is welcomed amongst the American theatrical community.”

      —Preston Whiteway, Executive Director, The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.

      JOHN FREEDMAN has translated more than 60 Russian plays, which have been performed on four continents. He has published and/or edited ten books about Russian theater. He has been the drama critic of The Moscow Times since 1992, and has written about Russian theater for the New York Times, the Boston Globe, TheatreForum, American Theatre and many other publications. As co-editor of the Russian Theater Archive he oversaw the publication of 21 books about Russian drama. His TheaterPlus blog has been an important source of information on Russian culture, society and politics since 2009.

      For Philip Arnoult,

      whose life and work are proof that theater and drama

      know no boundaries.

      Preface

      A collection of this nature requires the efforts and commitment of many individuals and organizations. Real and Phantom Pains: An Anthology of New Russian Drama would not exist without the talents, work and generosity of a large number of friends and colleagues, whom it is my pleasure to name and thank here.

      I am especially beholden to translators David M. White (Martial Arts and Panties), Stephen Nunns (One Hour, Eighteen Minutes), Graham Schmidt (Phantom Pains) and Yury Urnov (Martial Arts, Panties and One Hour, Eighteen Minutes), all of whom are accomplished theater practitioners who write, perform and direct. They know the stage and all the nuances that territory implies. Their translations exemplify one of the primary goals of this collection: not only to make contemporary Russian drama accessible to readers, but to make it compelling for performers and their future audiences. These translations are intended to be performed.

      Several translations included herein were developed for the New Russian Drama: Voices in a Shifting Age program at Towson University. Running for three years (2007-2010) and including master classes, lectures, workshops, residencies, readings and productions, it was organized and conducted jointly by Towson’s Department of Theatre Arts and Philip Arnoult’s Center for International Theatre Development. Philip and CITD convened a national conference at program’s end which made it possible for 100 American journalists, scholars, directors, writers, actors, critics and interested spectators to see the best of the program over three intense days in May 2010. None of that would have happened without the prodigious efforts of Robyn Quick, Jay Herzog, Stephen Nunns, David M. White, Yury Urnov, Peter Wray, the undergraduate and graduate students in the Towson University Department of Theatre Arts. Their fingerprints very much remain on this collection. Robyn Quick built a rich, information-packed website around the program and it is still highly useful: http://www.towson.edu/theatre/russia/.

      For wisdom, criticism and guidance offered when demanded, I am indebted to Timothy C. Westphalen, Bryon MacWilliams, Marc Robinson, Caryl Emerson, Blair Ruble, Beth Holmgren, Preston Whiteway and Thomas Garza.

      A project like this cannot exist in a vacuum. I am surrounded by gifted, magnanimous people whose friendship, encouragement and achievements constantly inspire me. Much contained in this collection was influenced and/or supported directly or indirectly by Noah Birksted-Breen,