I choose March': Les Kurbas, Avant-garde Berezil and Shakespeare - Review of Irena R. Makaryk's Shakespeare in the Undiscovered Bourn (2004)
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[ Theatralia 23 / 2020 / 1 (163—167) ]
https://doi.org/10.5817/TY2020-1-13
‘I choose March’: Les Kurbas, Avant-garde
Berezil and Shakespeare –
Review of Irena R. Makaryk’s Shakespeare
in the Undiscovered Bourn (2004)
Svitlana Shurma
[ reviews ]
Irena R. Makaryk. Shakespeare in the Undiscovered Bourn: Les Kurbas, Ukrainian Modernism, and Early Soviet
Cultural Politics. Toronto: Toronto Press Incorporated, 2004. 257 pp. ISBN 0–8020–8849-X.
I choose March, certainly deserve to be reexamined in this
because it’s like a storm, context or in any other is the reformer of
because it’s like laughter, the Ukrainian avant-garde theatre Les Kur
because it has power, bas (1887–1937).
because it’s revolution In Shakespeare in the Undiscovered Bourn,
from which summer is born. (68) Professor of English and interdisciplinary
(Kurbas’ 1922 adaptation of a Bjørnson poem,
researcher Irena R. Makaryk introduces
translated by Irena Makaryk.)
the reader to the philosophy, artistic ap
proach and scenography of Les Kurbas.
Influenced by Bergson, contemporary of
Ukrainian theatre history is not as well- Craig, Kurbas founded several of his own
known or well-represented in academic renowned assemblages of avant-garde art
theatre studies as is for example Swedish, ists and theorists despite the fact that the
Polish, or Czech history. Yet, this lack of artist was generally kept in oblivion by
attention might not be merely the result the Soviet regime and finally executed in
of simple disinterest in the Eastern-most 1937. This book should be of interest not
country in Europe, but the lack of acces only to theatre historians, but also to gen
sible material along with the suppression eral public, as the style of Makaryk’s writ
of information by the dominating Russian ing and her extensive commentaries on
discourse. Luckily, the opening of borders the events and ideas in question portray
after the collapse of the Soviet Union and a broader picture of what was happening
subsequent access to classified archives in Ukraine from the 1910s to the 1930s.
behind the former Iron Curtain has led Through Shakespeare and the Shake
to an increase of scholarly publications spearean context, the scholar explains
related to various cultural phenomena in why early 20th century Ukrainian theatre
the republics of the USSR which had been history in general, and Kurbas in par
unknown and mostly unexamined in areas ticular as one of its leading lights, richly
both inside and outside the former Iron deserve a reevaluation from a modern
Curtain. One figure whose works and life standpoint.
163Svitlana Shurma
‘I choose March’: Les Kurbas, Avant-garde Berezil and Shakespeare
[ reviews ]
[ 23 / 2020/ 1]
Theatralia
Fig. 1: Oleksandr-Zenon Kurbas (1887–1937)
164Svitlana Shurma
‘I choose March’: Les Kurbas, Avant-garde Berezil and Shakespeare
The monograph is mainly centered outlined the political, social and cultural
around the 1924 production of Macbeth by situation in Ukraine after the October Rev
Les Kurbas in the Berezil theatre in a stag olution. Makaryk has provided an account
ing which turned ‘Shakespeare upside of major influences upon the director that
down’ (3): ‘Kurbas had hoped through shaped his views and creative approach,
the 1924 Macbeth to get this audience to e.g. in his earlier experiments, chiefly with
imagine a truly liberating cultural and sty Shakespeare. She describes these major
Theatralia
listic alternative to inherited and prevail tracks of inspiration, including Ukrainian
ing conventions. Far from attempting to baroque traditions, Bergson’s idea of fluid
[ reviews ]
alienate them, he wished to insist upon time, Einstein’s theory of relativity and
the audience’s share in the play’s action; several other influences. Along these lines,
[ 23 / 2020 / 1 ]
he called for an audience of “co-creating readers also come to learn about the in
Shakespeares”’ (111). Unlike some com fluence Kurbas had on Meyerhold as well
mentators (e.g. KRYZHANIVSKY et al. as the rivalry between the two directors.
2020; FOWLER 2016), who speak of the On the pages of Makaryk’s book Kurbas
Berezil in a way often reduced to Kurbas’ appears not just as a national, Soviet or
theatre alone, Makaryk describes Berezil Western master, but an artist who, on the
as a movement that attempted to lay the one hand, represented his time and, on
foundations of a theatre school, an aes the other, transcended it.
thetic theory, a new mode of actor and di To give a reader of today an idea of why
rector as well as several other innovations. Kurbas and the Berezil were so important
In fact, the name ‘Berezil’ is derived from for the Ukrainian theatre of the time, Ma
the archaic name of March and was associ karyk compares the 1924 Macbeth with two
ated with the revolution in Ukraine (68). other Shakespearean productions, one
This production is rightly considered from 1926 by Panas Saksahansky, a director
seminal in both Kurbas’ creative develop who continued the traditions of the Ukrain
ment as well as in the overall history of ian ethnographical theatre, and one from
Western theatre (KORNIENKO 2018). In 1927 by Hnat Yura, whose epigonic Shake
fact, Kurbas’ ‘estrangement’ techniques spearean production had success neither
used for this production preceded what lat with public nor critics. Each director in his
er became known as Brechtian theatre by own way polemized with Kurbas’ avant-
almost a decade (65). Irena Makaryk’s ex garde techniques. Makaryk provides nu
tremely meticulous research includes her merous socio-cultural details to explain
own translations of what survived of the ar why Saksahansky’s and Yura’s stagings,
chives of Kurbas as well as other members though important for the development of
of the Berezil. The author reconstructs the Ukrainian theatre, are generally not worthy
production and performance in fine de of study today outside of Ukraine.
tail, from props and costumes, acting and The last chapter, which provides an
choreography, to the preparation for the account of Kurbas’ final years, includ
staging in the context of Kurbas’ central ing other Shakespearean productions as
role in the Berezil movement. Yet, these well as the Ukrainian SSR under Stalin
events and the 1924 Macbeth itself are not ist rule from 1928 to 1939, i.e. two years
presented in a vacuum: the researcher has after Kurbas’ execution, ends the book in
165Svitlana Shurma
‘I choose March’: Les Kurbas, Avant-garde Berezil and Shakespeare
[ reviews ]
Fig. 2: Murder scene from Macbeth. Banquo – Serhiy Karahalsky, 1924.
Courtesy of the Les’ Kurbas Center.
a somewhat rushed and abrupt way com licated neoimperial discourses or reduced
pared to the earlier sections. The chap discussion into familiar Marxist categories
ter’s chief focus thus becomes the GOSET of class, capitalism, and ideology’ (204).
1935 production of King Lear starring Sol Despite its solid results from active re
omon Mikhoels, which according to the search in independent Ukraine supported
[ 23 / 2020/ 1]
scholar impressed even the great Craig. by the Les Kurbas Centre as well as Kur
Makaryk’s description of this production bas enthusiasts and researchers around
demonstrates how Kurbas’ signature style the world, Makaryk’s monograph sixteen
could not be erased even after his arrest years after its publication remains the most
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in 1933, showing the legacy of the artist comprehensive biographical, historical
and his influence on his peers after his de and theatrological account of Kurbas’ leg
parture. acy written in English. Though other Eng
Only very briefly is the tragic fate of the lish-language books on Ukrainian Soviet
Ukrainian director after his arrest men theatre (see MAKARYK and TKACZ 2010;
tioned. Makaryk concludes the book with FOWLER 2017) place Kurbas in a broad
a historical perspective: ‘Kurbas’s fate was er context, a translation of the complete
emblematic of the fate of non-Russian re Kurbas archives and a comprehensive, de
publics’ cultural histories: erased both in tailed biography of the Ukrainian theatre
the USSR and in the West, which either rep innovator still await us all.
166Svitlana Shurma
‘I choose March’: Les Kurbas, Avant-garde Berezil and Shakespeare
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berezil-theater. doi:10.4324/9781135000356- [online]. [accessed on 10.03.2020]. Avail
REM256–1 able online at https://www.britannica.com/
[ reviews ]
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