This book shows how the totalitarian ideology of the Soviet period shaped the practices of Soviet theatre for youth. It weaves together politics, pedagogy and aesthetics to reveal the complex intersections between theatre and its socio-historical conditions. It paints a picture of the theatrical developments from 1917 through to the new millennium.

Introduction PART I: THE SOVIET PERIOD From Marxism-Leninism to Perestroika and Glasnost The Historical Role and Cultural Function of Russian Theatre for Young Audiences Thaw and Freeze PART II: PERESTROIKA AND GLASNOST The Change in Cultural Function with Glasnost and Perestroika The Central Children's Theatre The Moscow Theatre of the Young Spectator PART III: A NEW MILLENNIUM Cultural Shifts and Theatrical Innovation Shaking the Past: The Russian Academic Youth Theatre Provoking Assumptions: Kama Ginkas at the Mtiuz Afterword