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Overview

Synopsis

Alexander Bakunin has made an idyllic life in the Russian countryside. His four beautiful daughters are on their way to successful marriages, and his son, Michael, has joined the prestigious Russian cavalry. But, when Michael returns home from St. Petersburg with a newfound interest in philosophy, it signals an abrupt turn in the fortunes of the Bakunin family: Michael’s over-attachment to his sisters, his radical ideas, and his group of socialist revolutionary friends infiltrate Alexander’s home, and the family begins to unravel.

Stoppard’s sprawling family drama jumps back and forth through time and place, giving audiences snapshots of the day-to-day struggles of the Bakunin family, while only alluding to the devastating highs and lows. The first act of Voyage focuses primarily on the experiences of the Bakunin sisters, while the second act moves the narrative to the Moscow revolutionaries, with Michael as the conduit between the two worlds. Both acts span the same 11-year period, between 1833 and 1844.

Voyage is the first of Stoppard’s Coast of Utopia trilogy (Voyage, Shipwreck and Salvage), which all take place in pre-revolution Russia. With a total run-time of over nine hours and seventy characters, the Coast of Utopia trilogy is a daunting theatrical cycle, and has been performed to great acclaim throughout the USA and Russia. In 2007, the play and its performers won a total of seven Tony awards.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
2002
Genres
Drama, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Russia, 19th Century
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
None
Dancing
None
Ideal For
College/University, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Elderly, Adult, Young Adult, Late Teen, Early Teen Characters

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Alexander Bakunin

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Liubov Bakunin

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Varenka Bakunin

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Michael Bakunin

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Vissarion Belinsky

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Varvara Bakunin

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Tatiana Bakunin

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Alexandra Bakunin

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Nicholas Stankevich

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Alexander Herzen

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Miss Chamberlain

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Baron Renne

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Semyon

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Ivan Turgenev

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Sazanov

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Ketscher

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Nicholas Ogarev

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Polevoy

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Mrs Beyer

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Natalie Beyer

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Chaadaev

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Shevyrev

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Katya

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Alexander Pushkin

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Dyakov

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Ginger Cat

Featured

Male

Silent

Ensemble

Ensemble

Either Gender

Silent

Songs

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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

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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