THE PREMIERE OF A.P. CHEKHOV’S TATYANA REPINA AT JUDSON POETS’ THEATER

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Abstract

The materials from the New York University archives as well as the author’s interview with actress Essie Borden who took part in the play, served as the basic data for the presented article, which tells the story of A.P. Chekhov’s Tatyana Repina premiere staged by The Judson Poets’ Theater for the first time. Reverend Al Carmines who was the leading figure in Off-off Broadway movement in the 70-ies and 90ies of the XXth century was the producer of the staging. John Racin’s translation as well as his long term research on Tatyana Repina by A.S. Suvorin and A.P. Chekhov made it possible to show Tatyana Repina to English-speaking public. The full overview of all the newspaper articles dedicated to the pay allowed to draw the conclusion that the staging was well accepted by the contemporaries as an experimental show put together by a group of enthusiasts, but did not get any attention of big theater producers. Themes and problems of the drama were not of any interest for the majority of audience, the play could not be of any commercial value, so the premiere show remained the only one in the USA. The drama plays a very important role in understanding of the creative dialog between A.P. Chek-hov and A.S. Suvorin and understanding of Chekhov’s themes and innovative approaches to playma-king.

About the authors

O V Spachil

Kuban State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: spachil.olga0@gmail.com

Candidate of philological sciences, associate professor, Department of English philology, Kuban State University

Stavropol skaya str., 149, Krasnodar, Russia, 350040

References

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  14. My interview with Essie Borden took place in New York on August 8, 2016.
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Copyright (c) 2017 Spachil O.V.

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