The Coast of Utopia

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The Coast of Utopia
Written by Tom Stoppard
Characters Alexander Herzen
Vissarion Belinsky
Ivan Turgenev
Mikhail Bakunin
Date of premiere 27 June 2002
Setting pre-revolutionary Russia
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The Coast of Utopia is a 2002 trilogy of plays by Tom Stoppard, focused on the philosophical debates in pre-revolutionary Russia between 1833 and 1866. The plays are entitled Voyage, Shipwreck, and Salvage, and the entire trilogy totals nine hours in length.

The trilogy received its world premiere at the Olivier auditorium of the National Theatre in London in 2002, directed by Trevor Nunn, where it was performed in repertory. Voyage opened on 22 June[1], Shipwreck on 8 July[2], and Salvage on 19 July[3], and the run finished on 23 November 2002 [4]. It was performed to full houses and received critical praise; however, revivals are likely to be infrequent due to the enormous cast and immense technical resources required.

The trilogy had its American premiere in 2006, directed by Jack O'Brien at the Vivian Beaumont Theater in Lincoln Center, New York City, where it closed on May 13, 2007. The cast includes Tony Award winners Brían F. O'Byrne, Richard Easton, Jennifer Ehle and Billy Crudup, along with Ethan Hawke, Josh Hamilton, Martha Plimpton, David Harbour, Jason Butler Harner and Amy Irving.

The trilogy has also been performed in Russia; it opened at Moscow's Russian Academic Youth Theatre in October 2007, where it was directed by Alexey Borodin.

The play holds the record for the most Tony Awards ever received by a non-musical production, scooping 7 awards at the 2007 ceremony, including best play, best direction, best featured actor, best featured actress and all three design awards (costume, lighting and scenic). Stoppard told Vanity Fair he wrote much of the play during repeated listenings of the Pink Floyd song "Comfortably Numb".[5]

Contents

[edit] Cast and roles

Many of the principal actors play different roles in each of the three plays. This table indicates the roles played by the main actors in both the original London production, New York production and recent Moscow production.

Actor in London, 2002 Actor in New York, 2006 Actor in Moscow, 2007 Voyage Shipwreck Salvage
Stephen Dillane Brían F. O'Byrne Ilya Isaev Alexander Herzen Alexander Herzen Alexander Herzen
Eve Best Jennifer Ehle Nelly Uvarova Liubov Bakunina Natalie Herzen Malwida von Meysenbug
Will Keen Billy Crudup Evgeny Redko Vissarion Belinsky Vissarion Belinsky
Guy Henry Jason Butler Harner Alexey Miasnikov Ivan Turgenev Ivan Turgenev Ivan Turgenev
Douglas Henshall Ethan Hawke Stepan Morozov Mikhail Bakunin Mikhail Bakunin Mikhail Bakunin
John Carlisle Richard Easton Viktor Tsymbal Alexander Bakunin Leonty Ibayev Stanislaw Worcell
Charlotte Emerson Martha Plimpton Ramilya Iskander Varenka Bakunina Natasha Tuchkova Natasha Ogareva

[edit] Awards and Nominations

[edit] Tony Awards

  • Win/Best Play
  • Nomination/Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play (Brían F. O’Byrne)
  • Win/Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play (Billy Crudup)
  • Nomination/Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play (Ethan Hawke)
  • Win/Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Jennifer Ehle)
  • Nomination/Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play (Martha Plimpton)
  • Win/Best Direction of a Play (Jack O'Brien)
  • Win/Best Scenic Design of a Play (Bob Crowley & Scott Pask)
  • Win/Best Costume Design of a Play (Catherine Zuber)
  • Win/Best Lighting Design of a Play (Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, and Natasha Katz)

[edit] Drama Desk Awards

[edit] References

  1. ^ Stoppard, Tom (2002), Voyage: The Coast of Utopia part I, London, United Kingdom: Faber and Faber, ISBN 0-571-21661-7 
  2. ^ Stoppard, Tom (2002), Shipwreck: The Coast of Utopia part II, London, United Kingdom: Faber and Faber, ISBN 0-571-21663-3 
  3. ^ Stoppard, Tom (2002), Salvage: The Coast of Utopia part III, London, United Kingdom: Faber and Faber, ISBN 0-571-21665-x 
  4. ^ Royal National Theatre. Productions - The Coast of Utopia: Voyage. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  5. ^ http://www.broadway.tv/broadway-features-reviews/Stoppard's-Rock-N-Roll-Connection www.Broadway.TV article "Stoppard's Rock-n-roll Connection"]


[edit] External links


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Tony Award for Best Play

Proof (2001) · The Goat: or, Who Is Sylvia? (2002) · Take Me Out (2003) · I Am My Own Wife (2004) · Doubt: A Parable (2005) · The History Boys (2006) · The Coast of Utopia (2007)
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The Coast of Utopia · Rock 'n' Roll
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