PRESENTATION OF PROBLEMS OF UKRAINIAN DRAMA AND STAGE ART IN IVAN FRANKO’S PUBLICATIONS ON THE PAGES OF THE MAGAZINE “KURJER LWOWSKI”

Abstract

The article deals with Ivan Franko’s publications about the Ukrainian drama and stage art on the pages of the magazine “Kurjer Lwowski”. I. Franko, as a historian, critic, theorist of the Ukrainian theater, made a huge contribution to its formation and functioning. Kamenyar’s theater-cultural heritage requires a deep, comprehensive and impartial investigation. Among lots of Polish-language publications in which the writer published his articles, the most interesting publication is the magazine “Kurjer Lwowski”. According to schoolars, there are about 900 different and multi-genre articles, notes, reviews, satires etc. Articles on the establishment and functioning of the Ukrainian theater make up a significant part of the work of the Ukrainian journalist. I. Franko-critic, during the years 1888-1897, proffered a large number of performances not only of Ukrainian but also foreign playwrights. Among them: performances of I. Borakovskiy, I. Kotlyarevskiy, M. Kropyvnitskiy, S. Gulak-Artemovskiy, M. Starytskskiy, Panas Myrnyi, M. Yanchuk, K. Vanchenko, N. Kibalchich, A. Stechinskiy, G. Tseglinskiy, K. Ustijanovich, O. Ogonovskiy, W. Shakespeare, G. Ibsen and others. In addition, the publicist constantly acquainted the Polish reader with the repertoire of the Ukrainian theater, informed about the activities of the society “Teatr ruski”, responsible for the organization and activities of the theater. Franko paid special attention to the problems of its functioning. A peculiar Franko’s method is to attract a foreign public to the problems of the development of the Ukrainian theatre in general. Ivan Franko dreamed of such a theater, the aesthetic influence of the art of which will wake up the empathy of the viewer and leads him to spiritual purification, which is the essence of the theatrical plan. The art of theater is synthetic, because its artistic image arises due to the synthesis of drama, architecture, painting, sculpture, music, and actor’s skills. The feature of the theater, which distinguishes it mainly from all types of art, is that the viewer has the opportunity to become a witness of the process of artistic creation, to observe the creation of an artistic image with his own eyes. The writer was deeply aware of this, and therefore he set quite high demands on the formation of the Ukrainian theater, which, in his understanding, should be related to the comprehension of the artistic heritage of the past, with the creative search for theatrical figures which philosophically comprehend the world and attempt to reveal the moral and psychological state personality A number of the critic’s reviews on plays and performances of the Ukrainian theater have been analyzed in the article. The main aspects of the issue of “theatrical intrigue” and its effect in the drama and on the stage are investigated. I.Franko’s main ideological and aesthetic principles in theatrical criticism are determined. Franko’s description of the problem of the evolution of folk drama is described.

Keywords

• dramaturgy
• review
• theater critic
• theater
• scene
• figure