Overview
Synopsis
Alexander Herzen, political activist and revolutionary, surrounds himself with like-minded members of the new Russian intelligentsia at his home outside of Moscow. However, his son needs medical attention, and so he and his wife Natalie make the fateful decision to relocate to Paris, where the unrest that will become the French Revolution is nearly at boiling point. Alexander must strike a balance between protecting his family and supporting the revolution in western Europe, which he believes will start the fire of revolution that will reach his comrades in Russia. However, as heartbreak and tragedy begin to mount, Alexander must ask himself if the revolution they dream of can be real, or if it is merely an impossible “utopia.”
Shipwreck is the second of Stoppard’s Coast of Utopia trilogy, which all take place in pre-revolution Russia. With a total run-time of over nine hours and 70 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
- Book
- Tom Stoppard
- 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, Germany, France, 19th Century
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Child, Mature Adult, Late Teen Characters
Context
The Coast of Utopia trilogy (Voyage, Shipwreck, and Salvage) is Tom Stoppard's epic re-telling of the stories of the Russian radicals who wrote, philosophized, and inspired revolution between 1833 and 1868. The plays are based on extensive research into the period, and most of the more than 70 characters are based on actual historical
to read the context for The Coast of Utopia: Shipwreck and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
ACT ONE
It’s the summer of 1846, and a group of friends have rented a summer house in Sokolovo, outside of Moscow. Natalie Herzen - wife of the upstart revolutionary Alexander Herzen - sits with Nicholas Ogarev, who is reading to her. Also at the house is aspiring novelist Ivan Tugenev, Alexander’s friend Nicholas Ketscher, a historian called Granovsky, and Natalie and Alexander’s children: Sasha, Tata, and Kolya. Natalie and Ogarev discuss matters of the heart, including the estrangement
to read the plot for The Coast of Utopia: Shipwreck and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
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|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Non-singer |
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
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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