Arbuzov, Aleksei Nikolaevich

Arbuzov, Aleksei Nikolaevich 

Born May 13 (26), 1908, in Moscow. Soviet Russian playwright.

Arbuzov graduated from a theatrical school in Leningrad and began publishing in 1930. His works include the plays The Long Way (1935), Tania (1939), City at Dawn (1941; new edition, 1957), Cottage on the Outskirts (1943), Years of Wandering (1954), Irkutsk Story (1959), Lost Son (1961), Somewhere Someone Waits for Us (1962), My Poor Marat (1965), and Night Confession (1967). The basic theme of these plays is the formation of the spiritual makeup of Soviet youth as well as the formation of Communist morality. The play European Chronicle (1953) deals with the ideological diversity of the European intelligentsia. The search for new dramatic forms, a lyrical and romantic mood, a certain melodramatic quality, sharpness of plot conflicts, and free composition characterize Arbuzov’s writing.

WORKS

P’esy. Moscow, 1957.
Teatr: P’esy. Moscow, 1961.

REFERENCES

Vladimov.G. “K sporu o Vedernikove.” Teatr, 1954, no. 12.
Rabiniants, N., and V. Sergeev. “Stanovlenie lichnosti: Zametki o dramaturgii A. Arbuzova.” Zvezda, 1955, no. 8.
Karaganov, A. “Siuzhet—vremia.” Oktiabr’, 1960, no. 5.
Rudnitskii, K. “A. Arbuzov.” In his book Portrety dramaturgov. Moscow, 1961.
Kagarlitskii, Iu. “Chto zhe takoe melodrama?” Teatr, 1962, no. 8.
Mann, Iu. “Khudozhestvennaia uslovnost’ i vremia.” Novyi mir, 1963, no. 1.