Elena Kovalskaya (russian: Елена Ковальская) is a Russian theatre critic, curator, and teacher. She teaches the history of foreign theatre at the
Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS), and directs a master's program there in
social theatre
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives from ...
.
Until she resigned in protest at the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, she was artistic director at the
Meyerhold Theatre and Cultural Center (TsIM).
Life
Kovalskaya graduated in theatre science from GITIS. From 1999 to 2012 she was a reviewer for the magazine ''
Afisha
''Afisha'' ''( rus, link=no, Афиша — "Poster")'' was a Russian entertainment and lifestyle magazine published from April 1999 to December 2015 in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and 12 other Russia's major cities. In its peak years ''Afishas re ...
'', and from 2006 she curated the
Lyubimovka New Playwrights Festival.
[
From 2012 she and Victor Ryzhakov created an educational project, 'The School of Theater Leader', at the Meyerhold Center. In 2013 she was appointed art director at the Meyerhold Center.][ At the start of 2019 Kovalskaya was interviewed about her hopes and fears for the arts in 2019. She looked forward to the official Year of Theater in Russia, and the coming of the ]Theatre Olympics
The Theatre Olympics is a non-profit organisation that promotes theatrical exchange where dialogue between different theatremakers, irrespective of ideological, culture and language differences is encouraged. The primary output of the organisatio ...
to Saint Petersburg. "It looks like the government is trying to tame the obstinate theater with carrots and sticks."
In 2020 Kovalskaya became director of the .[
When the Russian military invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kovalskaya resigned her position as director of the state-owned Meyerhold Center in protest. She wrote that it was "impossible to work for a murderer and receive salary from him".]
Works
* ''Novaja drama : [pʹesy i statʹi ; zamoe zametnoe javlenie na sovremennoj russkoj scene''. (''tr. "New Drama; the most notable statement on the modern Russian stage"'') Saint Peterburg: Seans, 2008.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kovalskaya, Elena
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Russian theatre critics
Curators from Moscow
Russian theatre directors
Russian drama teachers
Women theatre directors
Russian women curators
Russian women critics
21st-century women educators
21st-century Russian educators