The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-01-02

their revolution to usher in a thor
ough cultural transformation. The
effects of this gigantic historical eff
fort have been felt in all branches of
the Russian theater, from the most
conservative to the most expert
mental.
The Moscow Art Theatre, organ
lied by Stanislavsky and Nemiro-
witch Danchenko in 1898, developed
artistically on the works of Shake
speare, Tolstoy, Gutzkov, Ibsen,
Hauptmann and Chekhov. 1t car
ried naturalism to its highest point.
The unsuccessful revolution of 1905
plunged this theatre into symbolism
and Chekhov became its favorite
dramatist. Throughout the reac-
tionary years 1906-1915, Stanislav-
sky's troupe performed Chekhov's
"Seagull," Andreyev's 'Life of
Man." Hamsun's Drama of Life"
and Maeterlinck's "Bluebird," mir
roring the disillusion, despair and
impotence of the defeated intelli-
gentsia. The 1917 Revolution, pro-
foundry changing life of the Russian
people, nationalized the theatres of
the country. The new audiences,
steeled by the civil wars, were in
different to introspection, and were
passionately intent on creating a
better world. For a while the Mos
cow Art Theatre failed to respond to
the needs of the new times; it con-
linck. In 1922 Stanilavsky's troupe
linck. In 1922 Stanilavskys troupe
toured Europe and the United
States, where it had a phenomenal
artistic success. On it's return to
the Soviet Union, it began to ac-
knowledge the changes that had
taken place. In 1885, it pro-
duced Bungalows "Days of the Tur-
bins" dealing with family of Tsar-
list officers during the civil wars.
There was widespread objection to
the counter-revol u t onary spirit
which pervaded the play; neverthe-
less, the Soviet government did not
suppress it, and it ran for about two
years. These two years, however,
brought the Moscow Art Theatre
closer to the life of the people, and
the next play it produced reflected
something of the contemporary
spirit. The "Armored Train," by
Vsevolod Ivanov, deals with an in
cident in the civil wars, in which the
Reds and Whites struggle for the
possession of an armored train. The
train symbolizes machinery, through
the control of which the workers are
to emancipate themselves. The
guerilla warfare, portrayed on the
stage with striking naturalism, re-
suits in a victory for the Reds. The
Moscow Art Theatre continues to
play it's old repertoire, but has add
ed new plays portraying the new
Russia. Its technique continues to
be considered the best naturalism in
the world theatre.
The Moscow Art Theatre has de-
veloped several studio theatres
where younger actors and play
wrights experiment with new forms.
One of these, the Musical Studio,
had a successful season in New
York several years ago. 1t special
ICES in lyrical operas, and its roper
toire contains Lecocq's Daughter
of Madame Angot," Offenbach's LA
Perichole," and Aristophanes ely
sistrata." The technique of this
theatre is naturalistic, tinged with
the spirit of modern theatrical ex-
periments. It's productions are
marked by lightness and charm and
are very popular in Moscow.
The most important of the Mos
COW Art Theatre studios bears the
name of Vakhtangov, one of the
most gifted Russian directors.
Kakhtangov was profoundly af
fected by the 1917 Revolution,
which he accepted intellectually.
cart" he said, "must go with the
people; the artist must rise to the
people," Vakhtangov worked with
the Commissariat of Education, I'M
der Lunacharsky; and took charge
of the commissariat's department of
theatrical directors, through which
he organized the Peoples Theatre.
He came to believe that naturalism
was incompatible with the new or
der, and revised his productions in
that spirit. Every play, Vakhtan-
gov asserted, must be given spe-
cial form, must be viewed from
contemporary standpoint and must
be produced by the characteristic
methods of a theatrical COLLECTIVELY.
Vakhtangov's most important pro-
duction was Gozzi's "Turandot,"
which is still played to crowded
houses in Moscow. This is per-
formed as a gay comedy, with sharp
contemporary illusions, bright set
tings and touch of the circus.
Vakhtangov died prematurely in
1922, but his theatre continued to
produce plays in the tradition he
founded.
The "Kamerny Theatre" directed
by Tairov, developed as reaction
against the two dominant tendencies
in the contemporary Russian thea
tire: Stansislavsky's naturalism and
M e we holds conventionalism. In
Stanislavsky's theatre, the play
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