Arnoult has a special relationship with the Russian Case festival in Moscow, a festival within the Golden Mask Festival that is mounted every spring for the benefit of foreigners wishing to learn more about Russian theater. He is the only foreigner who has attended every one of the ten Russian Case festivals, for which organizers Tamara Arapova and Maria Revyakina presented him with an award at the conclusion of the Russian Case on Monday, April 13, during a reception at the seat of the Delegation to the European Commission in Russia.
I talked briefly with Philip about his experiences with the Russian Case:
Arnoult and his Center for International Theatre Development are deeply involved in a project that, over a three-year period, is bringing the riches of contemporary Russian drama to the United States. In connection with Towson University's Department of Theatre Arts, CITD is hosting and conducting a program entitled The New Russian Drama Translation/Production/Conference (2007-2010). By the time it reaches its conclusion in May 2010, it will have introduced five major contemporary Russian writers and some ten major contemporary plays to the American theater community.
In the interest of divulging all possible conflicts of interest, I am happy to say here that I am one of Mr. Arnoult's partners in this project. That, however, only makes it more fitting that I should be the one to ask him to share his thoughts about his work acting as a midwife for Russian playwrights and American theaters:
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