• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.46
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• pp.281-296
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• 2017

Andrei Amalrik's plays are a unique phenomenon in the 70 years' history of Soviet drama. Half a century after the Soviet theater had intentionally forgotten its own achievements of avant-garde dramaturgy in the early 20th century, his bizarre plays suddenly emerged in the Soviet theater environment, completely separated from contemporary Western practices of the experimental theater. Surprisingly even now, Amalrik's plays have almost been forgotten not only in Russia but also by foreign Russian literary scholars. Amalrik's autobiographical essay is his only book published in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet regime. There is no collection of his works, and reevaluation of his work is not found even in Russia. However, Amalrik is a writer who should get a proper evaluation. The purpose behind studying his plays is to restore the tradition of Russian grotesque-absurd dramaturgy, which has been inherited from Gogol, Khlevnikov, Mayakovsky, and Oberiu. In this paper, we will analyze the mechanism of composition in Amalrik's plays.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.22
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• pp.7-27
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• 2011

This article is devoted to little-studied play of M.A. Bulgakov "Adam and Eve". By the end of 1920's - the beginning of 1930's soviet society is differentiated again, its construction is rebuilded. In the new condition drama is needed as much as possible. Drama on the stage is ideal model for instruction of "Mass". Thereupon soviet society asked "New Hero", "New play", which can rebuild soviet citizen in the new construction of government. Thereby the play of M.A. Bulgakov "Adam and Eve" is created by order of soviet society. In this play typical soviet people are represented: Adam Krasovsky(engineer), Daragan(pilot-terminator), Ponchik-Nepobeda(writer), Zahar Markizov(proletarian-baker). They are different from each other by their occupation and formation, but they have same consciousness and they think identically. Bulgakov makes stand such problems: impersonality and unfreedom of human being in the government of communism. Bulgakov, using Parody, doubt the possibility of realization of utopia of Soviet government. Bulgakov show to us that Adam Krasocsky is not real Adam-first human being. In the play we can see the real Adam is the scientist-intelligent Efrosimov. Bulgakov change the place of Ponchik with the place of Markizov. The idiot and the fool is recognized not Markisov-drinker, tyrant, but Ponchik-writer. After the disaster Markisov, reading a Bible, is changing and by the end of play he started writing his own novel. Indeed if Ponchik wrote hoked-up novel, Markisov writes a real own history. Request of Leningrad Theater for Bulgakov to write about the future war comes from the spirit of the time. But Bulgakov in this play "Adam and Eve" could insist that the "Life" is a supreme value.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.29
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• pp.7-24
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• 2012

"Duck Hunting" is the most psychological play with unique structure written by Aleksandr Vampilov. The play describes protagonist hero's furious behavior with psychological instability, therefore, this play tends to be recognized as serious and complicated one. After the death of Vampilov, "Duck Hunting" was reproduced as a film, titled as "Vacation in September." This study is designed to shed light on the play's psychological-dramatic factors by focusing on the structure of narrative and spatial-temporal objet. Also, this study compared the screenshots of the play with their textual meanings, then concentrated on main character's psychological features. By focusing on protagonist hero's mind, this study tries to look into the features of the play and its meanings for modern period. The film's plot is a kind of story telling structure based on main character's memory. The short stories of main character represents that Jilov(main character's name)'s losing his own life. The audience can acknowledge that Jilov's life as a duck hunter who is cynical, ideological, lazy, and self-interest oriented person. This play provokes the audience to compare their life to Jilov's one because such comparison helps the audience recognize their lives as surplus style of life with nihilism. Jilov as a character represents one of Soviet's generation with the feeling of great loss in 1960s.