The Steps of Nemesis - A Dramatic Chronicle in Six Scenes from Party Life in the USSR (1936-1938)

Nikolai Evreinov's The Steps of Nemesis is the first-ever English translation of a dramatic work that emphasizes the theatricalization of life. It was written in response to Stalin's political show trials in Moscow and is an imaginary look behind the scenes, in which the Stalinist perpetrators confess to the real crime: the theater.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 22 July 2022
Publisher: Diaphanes AG

Nikolai Evreinov, a renowned Russian theater director and theorist, firmly believed in the theatricalization of life during the 1910s. Two decades later, in 1924, Evreinov, who had left Russia, found himself in exile in Paris as Stalin orchestrated three elaborate political show trials in Moscow. Faced with this spectacle, Evreinov embarked on a meticulous journey. He meticulously read the transcripts of the trials in the Russian-language press, gathered information on Nikolai Bukharin and the other defendants, consulted with experts, and ultimately crafted a play—a response to the staging of a judicial farce. His goal was not to perpetuate false confessions, fabricate conspiracies, or manipulate facts; rather, he sought to rehabilitate his vision of the theatricalization of life. Evreinov's theatrical theory was grounded in the belief that the theater should not be invisible. He carefully avoided creating a historical reconstruction but instead offered an imaginary glimpse behind the scenes, revealing the true crime at the heart of the Stalinist regime: the theater itself. Zachary King's expert translation into English makes this captivating play accessible to a broader audience, opening up a world of exploration and understanding.

Weight: 272g
Dimension: 188 x 122 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783035805161