Prologue

Prologue The myth that the Eastern World is ignorant of the latest devel­ opments in the theatre of the West is simply that— a myth. The Slavs and the people living in Eastern Europe are quite aware of what is happening in the West. They translate the latest plays and criticism and produce a number of the better works written by contemporary Western dramatists; they are well-informed. It is rather the West that has denied itself knowledge of the East, claiming differences in language, ideology and cultures as barriers to understanding. Undoubtedly more research must be done, especially by Western scholars interested in the theatre. This special issue and others like it is only a beginning, but a necessary beginning. Our universities and drama schools, in conjunction with Slavic Departments — which, by the way, have done little to develop Slavic programs other than Russian— must train personnel necessary for meeting the chal­ lenge that Eastern Europe offers. Edward J. Czerwinski August, 1969 Prague, Czechoslovakia 146 ...