Русский театр с Джоном Фридманом​

BOOKS (15)

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Ghost Land, by Andriy Bondarenko. A play translated by John Freedman with Vlad Hetmanenko. Published by Laertes Press, October 12, 2023. Order here.

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Two Plays of Revolution: Insulted. Belarus and Voices of the New Belarus, by Andrei Kureichik. Compiled, edited, and translated by John Freedman. Published by Laertes Press, October 12, 2023. Order here.

 

A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War: 20 Short Works by Ukrainian Playwrights, compiled, edited, and largely translated by John Freedman, with assistance from John Farndon and Natalia Bratus. This collection presents works by the 20 founding members of the Theater of Playwrights in Kyiv, Ukraine. Published by Laertes Press, January 17, 2023. Order book here. A second expanded and corrected edition is now published as of October 3, 2023. It may be ordered here, via your local bookshop or any online service you use.
AWARDS:
1) In its top 50 books of 2023, the Telegraph named this book No. 21. 
2) IPPY Bronze Medal in the CURRENT EVENTS II (SOCIAL ISSUES/HUMANITARIAN) category.

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God's Gift, my translation and adaptation of a Christmas poem for children by Fyodor Dostoevsky, published in a limited, non-commercial run by the Kyoto Orthodox Church in Japan, 2017.

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Drillalians, an opera libretto by Boris Yukhananov, published in a dual-language book along with DVDs and CDs of the entire, five-day opera series. Stanislavsky Electrotheatre Foundation, 2016.  

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Real and Phantom Pains: An Anthology of New Russian Drama, compiled and edited by John Freedman. New Academia Publishers, 2014. Supported by a generous grant from the Prokhorov Foundation. May be ordered through amazon.com or directly from the publisher New Academia Publishing. Ebooks are available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. It is also available through ibookstore, Kobo, Baker and Taylor, Google, Ingram and others.

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Provoking Theater: Kama Ginkas Directs, co-authored with Ginkas. Smith and Kraus. 2003.  Go here to order.
Published in Romanian as Teatrul Provocator: Kama Ginkas regizeaza, Editura Unitext, 2008. Translated by Andrei Luca Popescu and Marian Popescu.
Published in Bulgarian as Провокирайки Театъра: Кама Гинкас режисира, Ciela, 2023. Translated by Rumen Yanovski, and with an introduction by Javor Gardev.

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Moscow Performances II: The 1996-1997 Season. Harwood Academic Publishers, 1998. (Now distributed by Routledge.) Go here to order. 
 

Moscow Performances: The New Russian Theater 1991-1996. Harwood Academic Publishers, 1997. (Now distributed by Routledge.) Go here to order.
 

Silence's Roar: The Life and Drama of Nikolai Erdman. Mosaic Press, 1992. 

 

The Simpleton by Sergei Kokovkin. A play translated, edited and introduced by John Freedman. Harwood Academic Publishers, 1998. (Now distributed by Routledge.) Order here.

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Two Plays by Olga Mukhina: Tanya-Tanya and YoU. Translated, edited and introduced by John Freedman. Harwood Academic Publishers, 1998. (Now distributed by Routledge.) Order here. 
 

Two Plays from the New Russia. Bald/Brunet by Daniil Gink and Nijinsky by Alexei Burykin. Translated, edited and introduced by John Freedman. Harwood Academic Publishers, 1995. (Now distributed by Routledge.) Order here. 
 

A Meeting About Laughter: Sketches, Interludes and Theatrical Parodies by Nikolai Erdman, Vladimir Mass and Others. Translated, edited and introduced by John Freedman. Harwood Academic Publishers, 1995. (Now distributed by Routledge.) Order here. 
 

The Major Plays of Nikolai Erdman. Translated, edited and introduced by John Freedman. Harwood Academic Publishers, 1995. (Now distributed by Routledge.)  Order here.

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FORTHCOMING

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A Political Tetralogy (working title), four plays by Andrei Kureichik (Insulted. Russia, Insulted. Belarus, Voices of the New Belarus, and Insulted. Planet). Translated, edited and introduced by John Freedman. Laertes Press, 2024 or 2025.

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Kurochkin in Two (working title). A two-volume collection consisting of, One: Kitchen; Vodka, Fucking and Television; The Class of Bento Bonchev; Circuit Breaker; Almost Aivazov; and The Vorskies are Near, but not Near Enough; and Two: Mooncrazed; Tolik the Milkman; Wind or Cold. Oedipus, Be Silent; The Heavens; Style; and Relocation. Translated, edited and introduced by John Freedman. Laertes Press, 2025?

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A collection of writings by Ksenia Smith-Velikolug. Translated, edited and introduced by John Freedman. Laertes Press, 2026?

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Through Barbed Wire, by Miron Ginkas: The Memoirs of a Doctor and a Prisoner of the Ghetto, as edited and commented on by Kama Ginkas, the son and future director that he saved. Translated by John Freedman. Publisher? 2026?

 

 

DRAMATIC TEXTS (5)

 

Around the Globe Chain Play, one scene in an experimental piece composed by 16 authors working consecutively over a period that ran from Feb. 23 to March 19, 2013. The full list of playwrights included Dominique Morisseau (US), Bekah Brunstetter (US), Van Badham (Australia), Mixkaela Villalon (Philippines), Janice Poon (Hong Kong), Abdelrahem Alawji (Lebanon), Jeton Neziraj (Kosovo),  John Freedman (Russia), Ulrike Syha (Germany),  Enver Husicic (Netherlands), Zainabu Jallo (Nigeria), Beatriz Cabur (Spain), Sarah Grochala (England), Sigtryggur Magnason (Iceland), Caridad Svich (US). 

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Dancing, Not Dead. Translated into Russian by Alexei Burykin. Translated into Romanian by Bogdan Budes. Winner of The Internationalists' Global Playwright Contest, June 2011.

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The Firebird, performance script w/ Double Edge Theatre ensemble and Jennifer Johnson. 2010.

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Five Funny Tales from the Heart of Buenos Aires, a ten-minute monologue. 2013.

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Scorched Earth, a full-length play. 2018. Semi-finalist in the New Works Festival, Garry Marshall Theater, March 2018.

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FILM SCRIPTS (4)

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Nikolai Erdman: A Shot of Suicide, documentary w/ Viktor Korkiya (Russian ORT, aired Sept. 16, 2004).

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Provoking Theatre: The Playwright and Director Center and American Students at the Moscow Art Theater. Documentary film produced by FilmPROM (Moscow), originally aired on Russia Today TV, 2007.

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Provoking Theatre: Anton Chekhov. Documentary film produced by FilmPROM (Moscow), originally aired on Russia Today TV, 2007.
 

Allegro moderato, screenplay for a Russian-language feature film w/ Yevgeny Lungin (unpublished, unproduced).
 

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PLAY TRANSLATIONS (161, from Russian unless otherwise noted)

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Arie, Pavlo. 

• Diary of Survival. Translated from the Ukrainian with Natalia Bratus. 
   

Astaseva, Olena. 

• A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War (short). 

• A Dictionary of Emotions in a Time of War II (short).

• The Russians are Coming. 
   

Bakshi, Alexander

• On the Seagull (short). Translated for VOICES festival 2023.

Batalov, Talgat and Yekaterina Bondarenko. 

• Uzbek.

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Bilyts, Ihor. 

• The Russian Soldier (short). 

• A Knock at the Door (short). Translated from the Ukrainian with Natalia Bratus.
   

Blok, Natalia. 

• Our Children (short). Translated from the Ukrainian with Natalia Bratus. 

• I Want to Stop (short). Translated from the Ukrainian with Natalia Bratus. 

• Audio Meditation (short). Translated from the Ukrainian with Natalia Bratus. 
   

Bondarenko, Andrii. ​

• Ghost Land. A full-length play commissioned by City Garage Theater, Los Angeles. Translated from the Ukrainian with Vladyslav Hetmanenko.

• Pear (short). Translated from the Ukrainian with Natalia Bratus. 

• Snuff Films (short). Translated from the Ukrainian with Natalia Bratus. 

• The Survivor's Syndrome. Translated from the Ukrainian with Natalia Bratus. 

• What is War? (short). Translated from the Ukrainian with Natalia Bratus.

Bogaev, Oleg. 

• The Russian National Postal Service. 
   

Bugadze, Lasha. 

• Political Play. Translated from the Georgian with Maya Mamaladze.

• Shocked Tatyana. A miniature. Translated from the Georgian with Maya Mamaladze.

• The Tragedy of Aunt Tsitso. A miniature. Translated from the Georgian with Maya Mamaladze.

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Bulgakov, Mikhail. 

• Theatrical Novel. (Subtitles for the Fomenko Workshop Theater.) 

• The Master and Margarita (Subtitles for the Fomenko Workshop Theateer.)

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Burykin, Alexei. 

• Nijinsky. Text available here.

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Chekhov, Anton.  (See also Kama Ginkas below.)

• The Cherry Orchard.

• Uncle Vanya.

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Chenskiy, Vitaliy. 

• Robinson (short). 
   

Chichkanova, Alexandra. 

• I Am Me. Available here.

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Durnenkov, Mikhail. 

• Trash. Available here. 

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Durnenkov, Vyacheslav. 

• Exhibits (Frozen in Time). Available here. 

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Edlis, Yuliu. 

• Where is Abel Thy Brother? 

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Erdman, Nikolai. 

• The Destruction of Europe on Holy Square (three-act sketch).Available here. 

• The Hypnotist (two play fragments). Available here. 

• Interludes for Lev Gurych Sinichkin, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Pugachyov, Princess Turandot [w/ Vladimir Mass] and Hamlet [w/ Vladimir Mass]). Available here.

• A Meeting About Laughter (one-act sketch w/ Vladimir Mass). Available here.

• Moscow From a Point of View (two scenes). Available here. 

• New People, New Songs (parody w/ Vladimir Mass). Available here. 

• On Laughter (sketch w/ Yakov Ziskind). Available here. 

• Private Schulz (sketch w/ Mikhail Volpin). Available here.

• The Qualification Exams (sketch). Available here. 

• The Suicide (published version, 1995). Available here. 

• The Suicide (new version, 2009). 

• Three Circus Sketches. Available here.

• Two Music Hall numbers (sketches for emcee w/ Vladimir Mass). Available here.

• The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of the Danes (parody in one scene w/ Vladimir Mass). Available here.

• The Warrant. Available here. 

• The Work Whistle, or the Stomach Incision (parody in one scene w/ Vladimir Mass). Available here.

 

Epelbaum, Ilya.

• The Emperor's Naked Suit. A script for puppet show.

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Gink, Daniil. 

• Bald/Brunet. Available here. 

• K.I. from 'Crime' (after scenes from Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel Crime and Punishment.) Available here (Issue No. 23).

 

Ginkas, Kama. 

• The Black Monk (after Anton Chekhov.)

• A Ridiculous Poem (after Fyodor Dostoevsky's 'The Grand Inquisitor' from The Brothers Karamazov).

• Rothschild's Fiddle (after Anton Chekhov). Available here (Issue No. 25).

• The Theater of Nikita: Ward No. 6 (after Anton Chekhov).

 

Gladilin, Pyotr. 

• The Moth.

• Someone Else.

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Grytsenko, Oksana.

• How Not to be a Katsap (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• The Peed-upon Personnel Carrier (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• The Sailor (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• I Will Return, full-length play commissioned by the Shortening the Distance Between Czech and Foreign Performing Arts project, Prague, Czech Republic. Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Guerra, Tonino.

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• The Black Cube (short). Translated for the VOICES festival, 2023.

Hapieieva, Olena. 

• In the Bowels of the Earth (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• I Don't Know (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Why I Don't Want to Be Nice to Those Who Came to Kill Me (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Harets, Iryna. ​

• Not About that Raccoon (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Planting an Apple Tree (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Choosing Avocados (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Havura, Vitaliy. 

• ResponsAbility. Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Hetmanenko, Anna. 

• Escape (short).
   

Kazachkov, Yevgeny. 

• Winter War. 

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Kosodii, Anastasiia. 

• How to Talk to the Dead (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Kirov, Semyon. 

• Ilya's Day. Russian winner in the New Baltic Drama 2011 competition featuring works from Finland, Estonia, Sweden and Russia. Presented at the Turku City Theater in November 2011 as part of the Turku 2011 Cultural Capital program.

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Klavdiev, Yury. 

• I Am the Machine Gunner. Available here and here.

• The Polar Truth. Available here.

• The Slow Sword.

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Klim. 

• The Cabaret Buchenwald. In progress.

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Kokovkin, Sergei. 

• The Simpleton. Available here. 

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Korkiya, Viktor. 

• Hamlet.ru. Available here with introduction about Korkiya.

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Kosodii, Anastasiia. 

• How to Talk to the Dead (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Kourliandskaya, Nastya.

• Eurydice. A libretto for opera. In progress.

 

Koval, Viktoria. 

• One Half of One Year. 

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Kudaeva, Elena. 

• One Day (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus. 
   

Kureichik, Andrei. 

• Insulted. Belarus. Available here (Plays International) in the Winter 2020 issue. Published in book form in Two Plays of Revolution (Laertes Press). 

• Voices of the New Belarus (first publication, Plays International & Europe, Dec. 2021). Published in book form in Two Plays of Revolution (Laertes Press). 

• Insulted. Planet.

• Insulted. Russia.
   

Kurochkin, Maksym. 

• Almost Aivazov (a dramaticule).

• A Bad Councilor One Winter Evening Drinks and Waits for Oleinikova (A dramaticule). 

• Circuit Breaker (a dramaticule).

• Common Values (a dramaticule).

• Dreaming of an All-Inclusive Globe (short). 

• Dulcey and Roxy at City Hall.

• For the Wind or the Cold (Oedipus, Be Silent).

• Hamster Attends Refresher Training Exercises (short).

• The Hanged Man (a dramaticule).

• Kitchen. Available here. Three scenes are published in the internet magazine Asymptote. 

• The Market From Above (a dramaticule).

• The Mirror of Carlos Santos.

• The Monastery of the Caves. Translated from Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• The Red Swallow (short).

• Religion as Grounds for Pragmatism, or, The Pocket Mahatma (a dramaticule).

• Relocation (short).

• Repress and Excite. Available here (Issue No. 34).

• Russiaphobia. Translated from Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• The Schooling of Bento Bonchev. Available here.

• Sky (short).

• Style (short). 

• Three Attempts to Improve Daily Life (short). Translated from Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Tolik the Milkman.

• The Vorskies are Near, but not Near Enough (short). 

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Kytsenko, Tetiana. 

• Call Things by their Names (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Metrosexuals (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Lagushonkova, Lena. 

• Topol-M (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Mai, Andriy. 

• 23.24.25. (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Markovskiy, Ievhen. 

• Eight Songs.  Translated from the Ukrainian and Russian.

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Matsiupa, Olga. 

• Fragments and Puzzles (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• His First Lego (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Modus Imperativus (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Melkin, Dmitry

• Drone. An entry in the VOICES festival, 2024.

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Metelkov, Andrei​

• Powder Keg. An entry in the Prix Europa broadcasting festival, Berlin, Oct. 22 to 29, 2011.

Mikhailov, Oleg. 

• The 41 Days of February. 
   

Minchyonok, Dmitry. 

• Mozart's Last Mistake. Available here (Plays International, Spring 2007, Vol. 22, Nos. 5 & 6)

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Mukhina, Olga. 

• The Love of Karlovna. Available here (Issue No. 15). 

• Flying. Available here.

• Olympia. (Subtitles for the Fomenko Workshop Theater.)

• Tanya-Tanya. Available here.

• YoU. Available here. 
   

Murashko, Olha. 

• Look, Mom, a Plane! (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Osipov, Maxim. 

• Scapegoats. An entry in the Prix Europa broadcasting festival, Berlin, Oct. 19-26, 2013. Available here. 

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Ostrovsky, Alexander. 

• The Wise Fool (Enough Simplicity in Every Wise Man). In progress.

• Without a Dowry. (Subtitles for the Fomenko Workshop Theater.)

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Penkova, Tetiana.​

• Hotel Great Britain. Translated from Ukrainian by John Freedman with Vladyslav Hetmanenko, in progress.

• TDP (Temporarily Displaced Persons) (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Pryazhko, Pavel. 

• Angry Girl. Available here. 

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Pugach, Tasia.​

• Dialogues (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Pulinovich, Yaroslava. 

• I Won. Available here. 

• Letter to Dima Bilan (a scene).

• Natasha's Dream. Available here. 

 

Pushkin, Alexander.​

• Egyptian Nights. (Subtitles for the Fomenko Workshop Theater).

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Rubenstein, Lev

• No One Here (short). Translated for the VOICES festival, 2023.

Savchenko, Oksana. 

• I Want to Go Home (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus. 

• Night Devours Morning. Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Number One (a short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Tell No One (a short excerpted from Night Devours Morning). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Smilianets, Maryna.

• Borscht. Great-Granmas' Recipes for Survival. Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Tarasenko, Oleksiy.

• Dantean Journey. Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Ten' (Shadow) Theater / Theater of Imagination. 

• COVID-2020 by the company. Translated for the VOICES festival 2023.
   

Ternoviy, Dmytro.

• One the Eve, or, Everything Will be All Right. Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Tymoshenko, Liudmyla. 

• Hocus Pocus (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• My Tara (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Signs of the Times (very short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Ugarov, Mikhail. 

• Masquerade, Masquerade. 

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Vampilov, Alexander. 

• The Elder Son.

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Vishnevsky, Andrei. 

• The Mad Angel Pinocchio.
   

Vorozhbyt, Natalka. 

• Three Rendezvous (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• Green Corridors (full-length). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.
   

Yakimov, Igor. 

• North Wind. An entry in the Italy Prize international radio play competition, September 2012 in Turin.

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Yukhananov, Boris. 

• Drillalians. A libretto for an experimental romance-opera.

• Octavia. Trepanation. A libretto based on texts by Seneca and Lev Trotsky.

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Zakhozhenko, Nina. 

• Arsonists (short). Translated from the Ukrainian by John Freedman with Natalia Bratus.

• I'm Fine. Translated by Iana Gudzenko, Paulien Geerlings, and John Freedman.

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Zhanaidarov, Olzhas. 

• The Store.

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