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Abstract:

The Russian avant-garde theatre of the 1910–1930s is not researched within the national theatre studies as an integral process. The Futurists’ performance of 1913 “Vladimir Mayakovsky. Tragedy” and the Oberiuts’ “Elizaveta Bam” of 1928 are the beginning and the end of mastering the new theatrical language, revolutionary refusal of the theatre context, and the search of possibilities for reforming “the theatre as such”.

Both the “existential tragedy” by Mayakovsky and the “surrealistic tragedy” by Kharms embody the manifests and could be considered as materialized “self- fulfilling prophecy” of the authors. In the centre of these theatre projects are the authors, the core of the conflict lies in their interaction with the world. Nevertheless, Mayakovsky is the author and the actor of the unique solo-performance, whereas Daniil Kharms turned the self-presentation into a theatrical piece that influenced the post-drama theatre. Did Mayakovsky and Kharms meet? What was the Mayakovsky’s reaction to the “OBERIU Manifesto”? And why are we indebted to the “Novyi LEF” journal for preserving the text of the play “Elizaveta Bam”? The article delves into these topics.