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ENG: An Anthology of Ukrainian Drama

The second phase of the “Anthology of Ukrainian Drama” represents the golden age of the national theater. It marks the transition from depictions of everyday life to profound psychological drama and global modernism.

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This phase of the anthology showcases the “golden age” of Ukrainian theater, when playwriting finally shed its provincial character and rose to the level of the finest European examples.
Here is a detailed overview of each author’s contribution across four key areas:
1. Marko Kropyvnytskyi: Creator of a Theatrical ForceKropyvnytskyi was not only a playwright but also the “father” of the Theater of the Coryphaei. His plays (such as “Give Your Heart Freedom, It Will Lead You into Bondage”) were written by a man who knew the stage from the inside.
Significance: He made Ukrainian drama exceptionally vivid and emotional. Kropyvnytskyi combined deep folk traditions with sharp intrigue and musicality. His characters are not merely peasants, but vivid personalities with turbulent passions.
2. Ivan Karpenko-Karyi: Social Satire and TragedyHe elevated our drama to the level of serious philosophical analysis. His masterpieces (“The Landlord,” “One Hundred Thousand”) explore the dark sides of human nature—the greed for wealth and the loss of morality.
Significance: Karpenko-Karyi created the first “dramas of ideas” in Ukrainian literature. He showed how capitalism and the power of money destroy the traditional family and human dignity. This marked a transition from entertainment theater to theater that poses uncomfortable questions to society.3. Ivan Franko: Psychological Realism and *Stolen Happiness*Franko brought intellectual depth and realism to drama. His plays focus on internal conflicts, in which a person becomes a victim of circumstances or their own mistakes.
Significance: His play “Stolen Happiness” was revolutionary. It showed that there are no clear-cut villains in life—only people from whom life has “stolen” the chance to be happy. This marked a breakthrough toward true European psychological realism.
4. Lesya Ukrainka: World Modernism and IntellectThis is the highest tier of the anthology. Lesya Ukrainka transformed Ukrainian drama into an intellectual discourse on a global scale. Using imagery from antiquity and folklore (“The Forest Song,” “Cassandra”), she spoke of eternal truths.
Significance: She rejected purely domestic themes in favor of neo-romanticism and symbolism. Her texts are reflections on the freedom of the spirit, the artist’s duty, and the conflict between lofty dreams and the drudgery of everyday life. Thanks to her, Ukrainian plays came to resonate alongside the masterpieces of Ibsen and Maeterlinck.

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AuthorAnthology Ukrainian

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