The theater has been widely called the most collaborative of the arts, involving the participation of playwrights, artists, directors, designers, musicians, actors, technicians, and even spectators. This seminar will explore the tension resulting from the collaborative nature of dramatic performance, as well as attempts to resolve this tension on the Russian stage. Readings will include a variety of plays, contemporary theories of drama and the theater, criticism, and reviews. In addition to reading the classics of the Russian dramatic repertoire (Griboedov, Pushkin, Gogol, Ostrovskii, Chekhov, etc.), we will also explore the role of drama and performance within Russian culture. All course readings will be in the original, and the seminar will be conducted entirely in Russian. Format: seminar. Requirements: active class participation, frequent short writing assignments, class presentations, and a final research project. Prerequisites: Russian 202 or permission of the instructor. No enrollment limit (expected: 3-5).