Theatre in Poland
○ Playwright and Painter from Poland
○ Wrote “Wesele” (The Wedding)
○ Akropolis
○ Straw Man or “The Mulch”
Who is Stanislaw Wyspianski?
○ The Polish people’s attempt at rising up against their oppressors and occupiers
○ This failed and led to the Great Emigration
■ Polish people fled to Paris which led to a rise in Polish Romanticism
○ The people who remained in Poland were treated horrendously by their occupiers, specifically Russia.
○ Led to the writing of Dziady
What is the The November Insurrection?
wrote "The Minor" (a.k.a "The Adolescent" or "Young Nitwit")
earliest writer, wrote comedies influenced by Moliere and showed backwardness of Russian life
Who is Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin?
-1801 married Praskovia Kovalyova (a serf girl)
-Kovalyova's stage name was Zhemchugova (pearl)
Who is Count Nikolai Sheremetyov?
What is Das Junge Deutschland?
-"Young Germany Movement"
-1830's
-Marked a time of disillusionment with Romantic idealism
-Authors tried to write about social issues but couldn't really express ideas
-Strict censorship of all publications
-At a time of waning of creative side of Sturm und Drang
○ Polish actress
○ Was successful in Poland, moved to the US, and then remained as successful and famous.
○ Was famous for playing Ophelia opposite Edwin Booth
○ Also famous for playing Rosalind in As You Like It
Who is Helena Modjeska?
○ The years Poland was taken over and divided up by Russia, Prussia and Austria
○ 1772, 1792, and 1795
What is the 3 Partitions of Poland?
-wrote first true masterpiece of Russian dramatic Literature (Wit Works Woe),
-wrote essays and verse trifles.
-Contributed many aphorisms to Russian language.
Who is Alexander Griboyedov?
Theatre for spoken drama, small. Every city had one
Maly Theatres
Georg Buchner
-involved in Young Germany
-wrote "Denton's Death" and "Woyzeck"
-went into exile after writing politically
-"Woyzeck"(expressionist) based on actual incident-barber soldier stabbed
○ An aggressive rebuttal to Dziady
○ Written by Slowaki, who took issue with Poland’s passive presentation throughout Dziady
What is Kordian?
All polish drama surrounds the theme of ______
political and or about Poland/Poland’s Identity
traveling entertainers before real theaters. (singers, dancers, acrobats, puppeteers)
What is Skomorokhi?
-Romantic poet, playwright, and novelist.
-Influenced by Schiller and Shakespeare
-1841: Semi-autobiographical novel: "A Hero of Our Time"
-"Masquerade" (great Romantic Drama) not performed uncut until 1917
Who is Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841)?
-Leading German Playwright from 1840's-1863
-not part of Young Germany
-Wrote "Maria Magdalena" and other realistic plays about men treating women badly
Who is Friedrich Hebbel?
○ Greatest Romantic Poet of all time
○ Arrested and taken to Russia in 1823-1824 and was the only person to come back alive.
○ Always regretted not being in Poland for the November Insurrection
○ Died in Istanbul working for Polish freedom during the Crimean War
Who is Adam Mickiewicz?
rewarded Father Gregory for staging a Bible story
Who is Tsar Alexi?
adapted Hamlet= first Shakespeare in Russian
-appointed director of the Russian National (Imperial) drama Theatre, St. Petersburg
Who is Alexander Sumarokov?
-All time greatest writer of Russian language
-Romantic poet, short story writer, and playwright
-"Boris Godunov" contained Shakespeare elements
Who is Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin?
Heinrich Laube
-German journalist, playwright, and director
-director of Vienna Burgtheater (
-director of Leipzig Town Theatre
-founder director of Vienna Town Theatre
-Wrote plays "Mondaleschi" and "rococo"
○ The “Father of Polish Theatre”
○ Director of the Teatr Narodowy
○ Famous for “Henry VI at the Hunt” and “The Cracovians and the Mountaineers”
○ Staged Poland’s first production of Hamlet and played the title role
Who is Wojciech Boguslawski?
corresponded with French philosophers & wrote plays
Who is Catherine the Great?
-amateur theatre in Yaroslavl
-headed the Imperial Theatre after Sumarakov
-died while preparing "Minerva's Triumph for Catherine 11 (the Great)
Who is Fyodor Volkov?
-Russian army officers who were influenced by events in France and formed secret societies that espoused liberal governance. They were put down by Nicholas I in December 1825.
-Marked Russia's first romantics who wanted freedom politically for Russia
Who are the Decembrists?
-1801-1836
-Wrote plays "Jest, Satire, Irony, and Deeper significance" (Grotesque comedy of despair) and "Done Juan and Faust"
Who is Christian Dietrich Grabbe?