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Today's paper. Last Updated: 05/22/2012
Theater Plus: John Freedman presents a stimulating critique of Russian theatre with regular reviews of stage performances.

Walking and Laughing with Artists

Walking and Laughing with Artists
By John Freedman
"Moscow does not believe in tears" is not just the title of a film that once won the foreign film Oscar. It is a phrase that, perhaps, characterizes Russia's capital city better than any other combination of six words.

Walking with Readers and Writers

Walking with Readers and Writers
By John Freedman
What writers wrought Sunday in Moscow, bringing out thousands of readers to participate in a friendly and festive march, was an astonishing turnaround in a wild and often dangerous week.

How Actors and Riot Police Make Bad Partners

How Actors and Riot Police Make Bad Partners
By John Freedman
If you occasionally come to this blog space you may recall how a couple of weeks ago a twist of fate made me a player in a production created by Donatas Grudovich.

Remembering a Man of the Theater

Remembering a Man of the Theater
By John Freedman
Yury Gorsky is not a name a Moscow theater-goer would necessarily know. But he had a face, an expression, a warmth and an enthusiasm that no one who ever encountered him will forget.

Bulat Okudzhava and the Arbat

Bulat Okudzhava and the Arbat
By John Freedman
You flow like a river with your strange name
And your asphalt is like transparent river water.
Oh, Arbat, my Arbat, you are my calling,
You are my joy and my sorrow.

Joseph Brodsky on a Boomerang

Joseph Brodsky on a Boomerang
By John Freedman
After writing a column about Joseph Brodsky, I received a letter from a reader describing the great poet in a vivid moment of discovery.

In the Belly of the Beast

In the Belly of the Beast
By John Freedman
Entering the hall, I was coerced by a kind young woman dressed in terrorist garb to sign a waiver agreeing I would do whatever I was told or I would suffer punishment.

An American Editor Seeks What's New in Russian Theater

By John Freedman
Village Voice theater critic Tom Sellar has been monitoring trends in Russian theater for almost a decade.

Remembering a Director with a Talent for Discovery and Renewal

By John Freedman
The contribution of Boris Lvov-Anokhin, an artist too big to fit neatly into any one era or style, to the second half-century of theater in Russia was enormous, as I was reminded last week at the Actors House.

A Critic's Back Pages, Part Four

A Critic's Back Pages, Part Four
By John Freedman
The notion that one person can gain some sort of "inner view" of another person by asking questions — be they intelligent or ignorant — is, in my view, highly debatable.

Joseph Brodsky and a Prolific Publisher of Russian Letters

By John Freedman
One of my greatest joys in the late 1970s was receiving the latest Russian Literature Triquarterly in the mail, an unsurpassed treasure trove of Russian letters edited by the scholar Carl Proffer.

Russian Theater in Austin, Texas

By John Freedman
"Moscow Now, Here," the headline states in the Austin Chronicle; "The New Russian Drama Festival opens a hotline to the culture of Russia today."

After Election, Russia's Artistic Community Ponders Future

After Election, Russia's Artistic Community Ponders Future
By John Freedman
Throughout election day and in the early hours of the proverbial "morning after," I followed what many in the artistic community were saying about Vladimir Putin's victory.

Breaking Down the Barriers of Theater

Breaking Down the Barriers of Theater
By John Freedman
What is theater? Where does it intersect with sociology? Politics? When does theater that busies itself with current issues cease to be theater and become journalism or propaganda?

An Actress at the Center of a Political Firestorm

By John Freedman
The appearance of a Putin campaign video made by beloved actress Chulpan Khamatova has shaken the cultural world to its core.

Resurrecting Lost Russian Theater in the United States

By John Freedman
Scholar of Russian literature Caryl Emerson has mounted performances of "lost" productions, including one of Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin" scored by Sergei Prokofiev.

Yale School of Drama Does Russian Theater

By John Freedman
Yale professor David Chambers has been a participant or catalyst in several projects bringing Russian and American theater cultures together, building on his connection to Russia and Russian theater that runs deep personally as well as professionally.

Melnikov Brings Chekhov to Life on Screen

Melnikov Brings Chekhov to Life on Screen
By John Freedman
"The Admirer," a new movie that focuses on Anton Chekhov, is a subtle, quiet, though remarkably tense film about the gray areas of life.

A Playwright for Putin

By John Freedman
In what is surely one of the strangest developments since the December demonstrations, one of the nation's most respected playwrights has joined Vladimir Putin's presidential campaign in Yekaterinburg.

A Critic's Back Pages, Part Three

A Critic's Back Pages, Part Three
By John Freedman
Today I again return to the early 1990s and an encounter with two of Russia's greatest actors of the second half of the 20th century — Innokenty Smoktunovsky and Oleg Yefremov.

Remembering Vadim Levanov

By John Freedman
According to his friend, playwright Vadim Levanov wanted to outlive Anton Chekhov. Chekhov lived 44 years and 6 months. Levanov, who died in the early morning hours of Dec. 25, lived 44 years and 10 months. Levanov will always be associated with what has come to be known as the "Tolyatti phenomenon."

Happy New Year!

By John Freedman
If you're new to Russia, you may not yet know that this country blissfully begins drifting into a haze of reverie around the time of what is locally known as "Catholic Christmas." That lovely state of suspension and disconnection lasts through what is called the Old New Year on Jan. 14.

An Actor on the Political Stage

By John Freedman
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's televised talk on Thursday – billed as "A Continuation of the Conversation" – had hardly begun when actor Alexei Devotchenko sent out a salvo on Facebook, indicating he was following the event on Echo Moskvy radio.

A Timeline of Recent Politics and Culture in Moscow

By John Freedman
A chronology of events where politics and culture found themselves sharing common ground. This timeline suggests how seemingly unconnected events may give rise to political movement. Not surprisingly, perhaps, satire, humor and blunders played an important role in this development.

Russian Culture Suddenly Politicized

By John Freedman
How things have changed! A year ago, even a week ago, it would have been hard to find more than a hardcore handful of Russian performers and artists who would dare display a sense of civic commitment.


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Author's Bio
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John Freedman has been the theater critic of The Moscow Times since its inception in 1992. His work at the paper, as well as his books, translations and writings for other publications on four continents have made him a leading international authority on Russian theater. For more information, visit his website.

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