Playwriting in Russia

An interesting item on The Guardian Theatre Blog by Noah Birksted-Breen on contemporary playwriting in Russia.

In Russia, things happen at two extremes: plays are either staged in their first draft or the playwright hands over the play and then nervously turns up on press night to see what has happened to it. There are famous legends of times when a director has cut up the play – bits are missing or the beginning is now in the middle. The culture of new writing, of knowing how to support a writer from first draft to performance, still doesn't exist in Russia.