Reception of Max Dreyer’s drama in the Russian culture in the early 20th century (1900–1914)

Abstract

   The article deals with the socio-cultural peculiarities of the perception of the German writer Max Dreyer in Russia in the beginning of the 20th century. The research focuses on the theatrical discourse in the magazines and newspapers of Moscow and St. Petersburg. The study showed that the author, little known today, enjoyed wide popularity in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. His plays were performed in many theaters, both in the capital and in regions. A quick and lively response to foreign theatrical novelties and their transfer to the Russian stage was a general cultural trend of the era. This is the era of the rise of public interest in the theater and in contemporary Russian and Western drama novelties. The vector of socio-cultural development is what predetermined the demand for the German playwright in Russia. In Germany Dreyer’s most popular play was “The Trial Candidate”, in Russia, “The Seventeen Year Olds”. One of the most important factors in its success was that Dreyer’s work fell in line with major trends and preferences in the theatrical repertoire. His interest in the question of women, the problems of contradiction between dream and reality, the theme of a pure soul suffering from lies and social conventions was common.