Background

Productions

Towson University’s Department of Theatre Arts presented an entire Russian season in 2009-2010, developed in collaboration with The Center for International Theatre Development, Philip Arnoult, director. The season included three plays in full production, four workshop presentations and two staged readings of translated plays in development. Post show conversations with guest scholars and artists, program notes and our project website helped audience members learn more about the plays and the culture that produced them. During this season, our goal of promoting and sharing new Russian drama in the US was also put in practice through productions at Baltimore area theatres inspired by the project: Single Carrot Theatre performed Playing Dead in early 2010 and Generous Company presented I Am a Machine Gunner in December 2009. The New York Theatre Workshop held a reading of Kate Moira Ryan’s adaptation of Tanya-Tanya in October of 2009.

Rich Buchanan (left) and Joseph Ritsch in Towson University’s production of Tanya Tanya by Olga Mukhina.
December 2009.
Photo: Jay Herzog.