Travel has been limited but thanks to two professors, you can study away this winter from the comfort of your own home
Two Ohio State Lima theatre professors have created online modules to teach the public about the significant role that the arts and cultural institutions have had in preserving culture and traditions in the Baltics and Central Europe during difficult times.
The modules are part of a series of eight funded by Ohio State’s Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies, or CSEEES. Each module is a self-contained unit of instruction that can be used by individuals or as part of a unit of teaching for K-12 students. The modules are free to use.
In her web- and text-based module, “Baltic Tenacity: Survival and Preservation of the Baltic Cultures through the Years of the Russian Empire and Soviet Union,”
Dr. Maria Ignatieva offers a broad introduction to the history and culture of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania during the Soviet occupation and the countries’ fight for independence. It also includes short surveys of Baltic folklore, literature, music, and theatre to demonstrate how Baltic culture strengthened the nations’ dream of sovereignty.
“These three modules tell the cultural history of the three states, and their cultural survival and preservation of the national culture during the Russian Empire when they were imperial provinces, during years of independence between the two world wars, and during the time of Soviet occupation,” said Ignatieva, the Martha W. Farmer endowed professor of theatre at Ohio State Lima
Ignatieva has been learning about theatre in the Baltic region her entire life, beginning with the reminisces of her mother and grandparents about Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Her grandfather worked there as an actor in the Lithuanian Russian Drama Theatre from 1946-1956. As a student at the Theatre Institute in Moscow, Ignatieva began her exploration of the culture and history of three unique European republics that were occupied by the Soviet Union after World War II – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
“Even with the imposed Russification and Sovietization upon them, the three cultures resisted in any possible ways they could, not officially, but through preserving their cultural traditions in art, dance, annual folklore festivals, and theatre,” Ignatieva said.
When the countries gained their independence between 1989 and 1991, Ignatieva continued to follow their development, teaching a graduate seminar about Baltic and Russian theatres along the way.
Associate Professor of Theatre Dan Matthews has created a video module that explores Czech and Slovak scenography, as well as history and culture. “Czech and Slovak Theatrical Stage Design of the 20th Century” shows how the unique Czech and Slovakian love of theatre has been a key part of these two countries' cultures.
“In theatre, we tell stories and create worlds in meaningful and powerful ways. It’s an incredible tool, if used well. It can preserve history and spur change,” Matthews said. “The events of the Czech and Slovak cultural and national journeys in the 20th century are especially poignant if we want to learn from history.”
Most of Matthews classes at Ohio State Lima run a full semester and dive deep into the subject matter. The CSEEES module was a chance to do something a little different. He had fun distilling lectures and lessons from his university courses into 40 minutes for the high school and community college audiences the program is built for.
“Building this module brings a truly interesting part of the theatre world to a larger audience,” Matthews said. “The way theatre has meshed with society and politics in Central Europe is incredible.”
Matthews plans to build more modules that are open sources of education.
* * *
Maria Ignatieva is the Martha W. Farmer endowed professor of theatre at Ohio State Lima. She is a specialist in Russian theatre history and contemporary Russian theatre. She founded the Theatre for Young Audiences program on campus. Learn more about her at her faculty page.
Dan Matthews is an associate professor of theatre at Ohio State Lima and specializes in theatre design. He also serves as the coordinator of the campus’ Education Away program. Learn more about Matthews at his faculty page.