Cultural anthropology and "oral history" method in the context of the contemporary theater studies (through the example of articulation of Odessa city myth in the creativity of Musical Comedy Theatre named after M.Vodyanoy)

Abstract

The purpose of the work. This article is dedicated to the problem of implementation of cultural anthropological strategy and the method of oral history in the modern theater studies. The author tries to show how this method can be appropriate and useful in the context of the research of creative activity of Odessa Musical Comedy Theatre named after M.Vodyanoy and its correlation with the Odessa urban myth and urban identity ("odesskost"). Methodology. The methodological basis of the research is the anthropological developments of well-known anthropologists – M.Koul, K.Fox, T. Richardson, as well as the basic concepts of the leading Anglo-American experts in oral history (P.Tompson, L.Shopes, J.Moyer and I. Rety). Scientific novelty. The above-mentioned strategy and methods are used for the first time in the context of the similar material. It is emphasized, that due to their indispensability and importance it became possible to investigate not only the relationship of the theater and the Odessa urban myth, but to make a detailed reproduction of fleshed-out picture of the past – the history of development and formation of the Musical Comedy Theater on the background of the general history of the Soviet and modern Odessa, to discover new facts from the biography of actors, to reconstruct performances, withdrawn from the theater playbills, еtc. Conclusions. The author comes to the recognition of the effectiveness of the proposed strategies and methods, as well as the understanding of the research perspective of the issue.