Date: 14.12.2017

The Russian State Art Library (RSAL) has published a collection from the 12th International Academic Conference “The Theatre Book Between the Past and the Future”— the only conference of its kind dedicated to the study of theatre sources. The theme of the Conference was “Documents on the History of the Theatre in Book and Archive Collections.”

The articles by Russian and foreign authors cover a wide range of topics, from research on the book and archive collections of libraries and other institutions, to the review of the early 21st century theatrical bibliography. Authors also study the history of the formation of the national theatre, and the epistolary and literary heritage of personages in theatre. The book presents articles on the history of the creation of plays, theatre reviews in the pre-revolutionary press, debate over playwrights’ copyrights, and the contemporary need to record non-traditional types of memoirs in library archives. A number of articles cover little-known pages in the creative biographies of artists and directors.

Of particular interest are publications about the play by Solomon (Shloyme) Mikhoels The Builder (1919) and inscriptions in the Rare Book Collection of the RSAL.

Illustrations includes unique, heretofore unpublished photographs and documents from the collections of the RSAL and other institutions, as well as private archives.

The publication is addressed to historians; literary critics; specialists in libraries, museums, and the theatre; university professors; and students.

Documents on the history of the theatre in book and archive collections: The 12th International Academic Conference, The Theatre Book Between the Past and the Future / Russian State Art Library; comp. Ada Kolganova, (Moscow: Russian State Art Library, Tri Kvadrata, 2017), 368 pp.; incl. 8 pp. illus.