----- Original Message -----
From: "Prof.Harai Golomb" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 1:16 PM
Subject: neoformalists: Chekhov working group -- first circular (sorry for multiple posting)
Dear Friends and colleagues,
It gives me great pleasure to let you know that
I am planning to organise a working group devoted
to the dramatic work and theatre legacy
of Anton P. Chekhov, under the auspices of
FIRT-IFTR (the International Federation for
Theatre Research), holding its next annual
conference in St Petersburg, Russia, between the
24th and 28th of May 2004.
Let me refer those of you who are not familiar
with IFTR, with its annual conferences and
multi-annual working groups, to the Federation's
website, http://www.firt-iftr.org where you can
find relevant information. In short, in our case,
the following points should be taken into account:
1. A working group devoted to Chekhov is
planned to be inaugurated in the venue and dates
specified above. May I remind you that 2004 is
the centenary of Chekhov's death, and IFTR's
annual conference happens to take place in Russia.
2. This is an initial Call for Papers, or rather
Call for Titles [and subtitles...] (if needed,
one sentence of explanation can be added to the
title, but no abstracts YET). All topics,
aspects, schools and approaches are potentially
welcome, provided that they deal with Chekhov's
dramatic and theatrical work and legacy;
Chekhov's stories can also be discussed, but only
in conjunction with a dramatic/theatrical aspect,
or in comparison to the dramatic/theatrical
corpus. However, when I receive a certain bulk of
titles, I may offer the authors (not to impose on
them!!) some modifications, to fit trends which
may emerge from those titles, and thus create
more focused sessions.
3. Without prejudice to this universal call, may
I offer a mere suggestion: perhaps you could
consider focusing on one of two general themes:
(1) The Cherry Orchard -- being Chekhov's last
play, whose centenary is also marked in 2004 --
and (2) "Chekhov and/versus..." i.e.,
comparing/contrasting Chekhov EITHER with a
general aspect, concept, technique etc. e.g.,
"Chekhov AND/Vs. Realism", OR with another
personality, e.g., "Chekhov AND/Vs. Ibsen". By
this I am not suggesting any actual wording of
the title, but a way of thinking about Chekhov
for the purpose of preparing a paper for the
Working Group. If a considerable number of
contributions is focused around 2-3 general
themes it could be easier to organise the
sessions thematically.
4. As usual in IFTR Working Groups, conveners
insist on abstracts, and sometimes full texts,
being supplied well in advance, to enable
the conveners to distribute such abstracts or
papers among all participants for reading well
ahead of the actual meetings. This way authors'
oral presentations can be shorter, followed by
longer and well-informed discussions. I would
like to suggest a deadline for titles on June 15,
2003, for abstracts on November 15, 2003, and
full texts (could be provisional drafts) on March
15, 2004. After hearing from you and considering
your responses, I will announce firm deadlines,
but these are not likely to differ considerably
from the ones I have just suggested.
5. The main, and probably sole, working language
of the group will be English. However,
considering the nature and venue of our topic,
special arrangements for prior translation into
English will be made for our Russian colleagues
who may prefer to present papers in Russian ONLY
IN THE INAUGURAL MEETING IN ST. PETERSBURG.. The
organisers have promised to take care of this
aspect. I must note that French, alongside
English, is an official working language of IFTR,
but almost all actual work in almost all existing
working groups is conducted in English.
6. The administrative part (registration,
accommodation, equipment for presentation, and
all other technical arrangements) is taken care
of by our St Petersburg hosts and by the relevant
IFTR bodies. The materials will be sent to those
of you who send titles to me in the same form and
the same time as it is sent to all participants
in the annual conference of IFTR and all its
working groups.
7. It is my intention to convene the Group
regularly, in a manner consistent with the
procedures of all IFTR working groups. The group
itself will decide, in its inaugural meeting in
St Petersburg, about its future. Usually, Working
Groups have their autonomous multi-annual agenda,
and convene in technical conjunction with IFTR's
annual conferences (i.e., at the same time and
place, but not necessarily sharing a theme with
the conference of the year). It is not imperative
for a group's status within IFTR that it should
convene every single year; it can decide to meet
in longer intervals. This is the autonomous
decision of the group and its convener(s).
8. A decision can be made to convene one session
or more jointly with another group (or more).
Specifically, I can foresee a joint session with
such existing working groups as "Theatre from
Page to Stage", "Performance Analysis", "The
Theatrical Event", and perhaps some others,
inasmuch as the thematic picture emerging from
your proposals, and from the papers offered in
those groups, would merit such cooperation; i.e.,
to what extent the aspects of studying Chekhov's
work that you propose would correspond to the
interests of other groups (e.g., performance
analysis), and to what extent such theme-oriented
groups would have Chekhov-related topics in their
agenda. I undertake to contact conveners of other
working groups to explore these possibilities.
Let me conclude that I see this as a unique
opportunity to pay our tribute to Anton Pavlovich
Chekhov and his stage legacy by establishing this
potentially ongoing collective research project.
Holding this gathering in Chekhov's centennial
year and in his native country is especially
appropriate for starting this venture. I hope all
of you can make the time for working towards this
meeting and for attending it.
Yours sincerely,
Harai Golomb
PS I would appreciate your acknowledgement of
this message (whether you intend to attend or
not), and your suggestion of names AND E-MAIL
ADDRESSES of people you think could contribute to
the group. Any name you suggest adding to my list
will be added and approached immediately.
______________________
Prof. Harai Golomb
Teaching in Three Departments at the
Faculty of Arts Tel-Aviv University
69978 Ramat Aviv, Tel-Aviv, ISRAEL.
Department of Theatre Studies,
Mexico Building,
Tel. [+972] (0)3 640-8612, Fax -6964;
Department of Musicology,
Music Academy Building,
Tel [+972] (0)3 640-8332, Fax -7358
Multi-Disciplinary ('Interart') Studies Programme
Mexico Building
Tel [+972] (0)3 6409004, Fax -9482
Home:
24, Netsach Yisrael Street,
64361 Tel-Aviv, ISRAEL
Tel [+972] (0)3 696-4720; Fax -9485
Mobile Phone: [+972] (0)54-264720
Major e-mail address:
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