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Overview
Synopsis
Anìsya, the second wife of a Russian peasant, succumbs to the charms of NikÃta, a laborer on her farm. With NikÃta’s mother Matryóna, she plots to murder her sickly husband, claim his money, and marry NikÃta. However, Anìsya’s idyllic vision of a life with NikÃta is destroyed when her new husband begins to drink heavily, verbally and physically abuse her, and pursue liaisons with village girls (including Anìsya’s own stepdaughter). When the girl becomes pregnant, NikÃta, Anìsya, and Matryóna venture further into metaphoric darkness in order to save themselves from village judgment. But their lies cannot go on forever; despite the power of darkness, the truth always comes to light. A superb example of Russian Naturalism, Leo Tolstoy’s The Power of Darkness is a haunting and symbolic psychological exploration of what is most dark in human nature.
Show Information
- Book
- Leo Tolstoy
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 5
- First Produced
- 1886
- Genres
- Drama, Tragedy
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- 1880s, Russia, village
- Cast Size
- large
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Theatre, Includes Adult, Late Teen, Child, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Early Teen, Elderly Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Female |
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Lead |
Male |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Female |
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Ensemble |
Either Gender |
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Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
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Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress