For almost a decade the play, a depiction of the corruption of Soviet ideals and the gulf between teachers and students, was forbidden on stage in the Soviet Union. Only recently has ”Dear Elena Sergaevna,” a 1982 drama by Lyudmilla Razumovskaya, been seen where it is set. Now it`s in Chicago in a Victory Gardens presentation, the first appearance outside the Soviet bloc by Moscow`s Spartacus Square Theatre.
Among the Soviet Union`s most controversial dramatists, Razumovskaya likes to plunge desperate characters into violent showdowns and no-win situations. In ”Elena” the clash is between Elena Sergaevna, a powerful and stubborn teacher, and the students who want her to alter the grades on their final exams. To win out-and thus improve their careers and avoid being drafted to die in Afghanistan-they employ bribes, deceit, even violence against their ”dear” teacher.
Razumovskaya (pictured in inset), who is in Chicago for this dramatic occasion, understands why her play was prohibited. Razumovskaya (speaking through a translator): ”It`s a brutal portrayal of events the government denied could happen; it uncovers deep social conflicts which until recently the Soviet government tried to cover up. The play addresses broader problems than the students` school troubles.”
To Razumovskaya the play is a moral dilemma brought to life. ”It`s a conflict between two irreconcilable views of life: the idealistic outlook of Elena Sergaevna and the pragmatic, opportunistic one of the students. These young people are unfortunately very cynical, without moral values. My sympathies are with Elena, though I`m not one of those authors who directly blames her characters. I can see the roots of the students` problems but I think everyone is responsible for his deeds. It`s impossible to justify one`s immorality because of the state of the world.”
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”Dear Elena Sergaevna” runs though June 24 at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave.;
871-3000. (A simultaneous translation is provided.)
