Futurist Theatre in the Artand Political Space of Ukraine

Abstract

The paper examines the origins and artistic practice of futuristic theatre in Ukraine during the 1910s and 1920s. Aesthetic postulates of the Italian futuristic theatre as compared to theatrical manifestos of Ukrainian futurists were analyzed. The study allows to draw a circle of artistic personalities involved in futuristic experiments in Ukraine and abroad, whose creative activity was interconnected and who considerably influenced each other. Also discussed are eloquent examples of Ukrainian futuristic performances ofsuch various genres as performative action, dramatic, opera and ballet performances. Particular attention is paid to the futurists’ engagement in politics and the negative consequences of their opportunistic approach to artistic processes.