The Meyerhold Theatre (TIM). Four playbills.

[Moscow, Tashkent], [Tip. PP OGPY; Tipo-lit. sh.o.n.d. SNK SSSR], [1932].
8vo, each [4] pp.

In good condition, worn, some corners dog-eared, small stains.

Rare playbills for the Meyerhold Theatre. One of 1 000 and 3 000 copies printed. 

The Meyerhold Theatre, named after its founder Vsevolod Meyerhold (1874-1940), was a pioneering Soviet theatre that championed avant-garde and experimental performances. Established in Moscow, the theatre was renowned for its innovative staging techniques and bold reinterpretations of classical and contemporary plays. Despite its artistic success, the theatre faced political opposition during Stalin's regime, ultimately leading to its closure in 1938. 
These playbills were prepared for the following performances: 'The Forest' (based on A. Ostrovsky's play; premiere night – January 19, 1924), 'The Mandate' (play by Nikolai Erdman; premiere night – April 20, 1925), 'Roar, China!' (play by Sergei Tretyakov; premiere night – January 23, 1926), and 'The Government Inspector' (based on N. Gogol's play; premiere night – December 9, 1926).
The first three playbills were issued for the Meyerhold Theatre tour in Tashkent (the Uzbek SSR), and the last one was for a Moscow performance. This tour marked the debut of five actors who had studied at Meyerhold's own school. The leading actors, including Meyerhold's wife Zinaida Reich, Sergey Martinson, and Erast Garin, also participated.
Sergei Tretyakov's play 'Roar, China!', directed by Meyerhold's student V. Fyodorov, became one of the most famous and successful productions in the history of Soviet theatre. It was performed in many cities across the Soviet Union and theatres around the world. This playbill includes an excerpt from Nikolai Bukharin's article, published in 'Pravda' on February 2, 1926. Bukharin, once Stalin's chief ally, was ousted from the Politburo in 1929 after opposing Stalin's policy of collectivization. He remained Stalin's leading political opponent until his execution in 1938. After his death, his name was banned, and his books were either placed in special library sections or destroyed. Sergei Tretyakov, the author of the play, was arrested and executed in July 1937.
In the early 1930s, during Stalin's campaign against all avant-garde art and experimentation, the Meyerhold Theatre was proclaimed antagonistic and alien to the Soviet people. It was closed on January 7, 1938, and Vsevolod Meyerhold was arrested on June 20, 1939. Shortly afterwards, his wife Zinaida Reich was murdered in their apartment. Meyerhold was executed on February 2, 1940.

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