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Theatre, Carnival, and the People

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International Theatre Olympics
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Abstract

Chapter 4 addresses the third Theatre Olympics in Moscow, Russia, with its characteristic festivalism as a way of interpreting Olympism. The festival’s theme “Theatre for the People,” which is in tune with a festive atmosphere, not only reflects the Russian people’s desire for freedom and openness to the world but also highlights the carnivalesque culture of Russia. Artistic director Lyubimov proposed his ambitious project of outdoor performances on the streets of Moscow to amplify the Theatre Olympics’s festive mood and invited master clown Polunin to orchestrate the sub-program, “The Street Theatres Program.” Accordingly, the chapter examines in detail this outdoor program that includes about 40 street theatre groups and shows how the program effectively passed the joy of theatre to the festival attendees.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The phrase “theatre for the people” originally came from the title of Italian director Georgio Strehler’s book. The theme is still effective as the main motto of the Chekhov Festival. (see http://www.chekhovfest.ru/en/fest/)

  2. 2.

    http://www.chekhovfest.ru/en/fest/2001/

  3. 3.

    http://www.slavasnowshow.com

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Kim, J.K. (2016). Theatre, Carnival, and the People. In: International Theatre Olympics. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2573-0_4

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