Dostoevsky’s tragic motifs in the theatre of Chekhov: “The Brothers Karamazov” by Nemirovich-Danchenko (Moscow Art Theatre, 1910)

Abstract

The article analyzes the performance “The Karamazov Brothers” directed by Vladimir Nemirovich- Danchenko in Moscow Art Theatre in 1910, which had become the first stage interpretation of prose. Dostoevsky’s novels were widely discussed, especially with regard to its affinity with the genre of tragedy. Moscow Art Theatre had been formed within Chekhov’s principles, finding poetry in everyday life — which was far from the classical criteria of tragedy. The theatre often came in for criticism for unsuccessful attempts to stage a tragedy. So this genre posed a challenge for the theatre. Nemirovich-Dancheko in search of forms of tragedy resorted to Dostoevsky’s works. Obviously, there was an initial conflict between the principles of the theatre and the literary material. This conflict brings us to the fundamental problem of the theatre studies: whether tragic genre is compatible with conventional theatre or not. The article reveals that that the fundamental conflict between the aesthetics of conventional theatre and tragic outlook of Dostoevsky is insoluble. However, the theatrical potential of his prose enables actors of psychological style to rise to the level of the tragedy. The crisis of catharsis (major element of tragedy), which the theatre experienced at the turn of XX century — was resolved in the conventional theatre of “life truth”.