Power, Protest, and Daringness: Snapshots from a Century of Russian and East European Theater

Activity Type: 
Teacher Training--Area Studies
Promo Image: 
Presenter: 
Alisa Ballard Lin
Date: 
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 - 18:30
Event Status: 
As Scheduled
Contact Person: 
Sandra Grudic
Contact Email: 
sgrudic@fas.harvard.edu

This webinar is the fifth in a six-part series, The Arts of Eastern Europe and Eurasia, designed to help K-14 educators integrate Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European arts into their classrooms. It explores the influential and enduring role of theater in this region, where theatergoing remains an ordinary, affordable, and deeply valued cultural practice. From the collapse of empires during World War I to the repressions of the Communist era, and from the transformations of a globalized Europe to Russia’s ongoing war against a NATO- and EU-aligned neighbor, theater has consistently served as a resilient artistic and political force. Led by Dr. Alisa Ballard Lin, the session highlights several theatrical productions that reveal the dynamic intersection of art and politics over the past century. Each production has been selected for its accessibility and pedagogical value, with translated plays, photographs, video materials, and scholarly commentary readily available for classroom use.

Please join us for an engaging and practical session filled with insights, resources, and inspiration for bringing the rich theatrical traditions of Eastern Europe into your teaching.

UCIS Unit: 
Center for Russian East European and Eurasian Studies
Non-University Sponsors: 
“Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies
Harvard University”
“Center for Russia
East Europe
and Central Asia
University of Wisconsin-Madison”
“Center for Russian
East European
& Eurasian Studies
University of Kansas”
“Center for Slavic
East European and Eurasian Studies
The Ohio State University”
Eurasian and Eastern European Studies
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill”
“Robert F. Byrnes Russian and East European Institute
Indiana University”
“Russian
and Eurasian Center
University of Illinois
Urbana-Champaign”
World Regions: 
Russia/Eastern Europe
Is Event Already in University Calendar?: 
No