Odessa magazine "Theatre" (1922): genesis, genre system, content

Abstract

Background. The introduction of the NEP (New Economic Policy) contributed to the activation of artistic processes that required theoretical understanding, as reflected in periodicals of the 1920s. Theatre magazines of this period became platforms for discussing theatrical trends and shaping the cultural discourse of the day. One such magazine was the Odessa publication "Theatre", which requires thorough scientific research.

The purpose of the article is to clarify the genesis, highlight the genre system, and examine the content of the journal "Theatre" (Odessa, 1922). To achieve this, the text and visual content of the Odessa journal "Theatre" for 1922 were analysed.

Methods. The study used the descriptive method, the method of analysis, synthesis, and generalisation.

Results. 4 issues of the journal "Theatre", published in 1922, were analysed, including the text and visual content of the publication. It was found that the journal "Theatre" covered not only theatrical but also cinematic topics. Information about cinema was presented minimally, due to the magazine's orientation towards theatre-related content, as evidenced by its name, and also due to the lack of active development of Ukrainian cinema in 1922.

Conclusions. Despite the difficult conditions of its existence, the magazine "Theatre" was a centre of unity for the creative and intellectual community and played a significant role in the formation of theatrical critical thought. This is evidenced by the variety of genres through which theatrical topics were covered in the publication. At the same time, cinematic topics occupied a secondary place and were represented mainly in the form of short information messages and film advertisements.

The content of the magazine "Theatre" had a distinctly text-centric nature and was structured according to headings with different names; the visual component was minimal and limited to three photographs and one drawing.