April in Paris: Theatricality, Modernism, and Politics at the 1925 Art Deco Expo by Irena R. Makaryk (review)

Describing in fascinating detail the 1925 Art Deco Expo that put Russia on the map, April in Paris takes into account the enormous effort required to set the stage for more than fifteen million French and foreign visitors who attended the fair. The rich intellectual and artistic scene of Paris made it the perfect locale for the exhibition to present the spirit of the early twentieth century with all its scientific, economic, and technological advances. Focusing mainly on Russia's contribution to the fair, the book considers the significance of the theater during this challenging political moment between the West and the USSR. Drawing from previously unexplored archival documents, the seven chapters delve into theater arts from a cross-cultural and inter-disciplinary perspective and examine the ways in which Russia showcased new and exciting representations of theatricalized spaces to the world. Both engaging and informative, April in Paris offers the reader the ultimate experience: to go back in time as if strolling through the Grand Palais and the numerous pavilions which presented their diverse national achievements and ambitions. The chapters dedicated to the impressive Soviet theater exhibits from models to maquettes emphasize Russia's treatment of the relations between space and time, and explore the country's remarkable contribution to the fair with new technologies at the fore, particularly the influence of electricity. Original and thought-provoking, the vivid descriptions along with stunning black-and-white and color illustrations highlight the new modern era, with the final chapter looking forward to the 1926 New York Exposition and the 1939 New York World's Fair. Overall, the book provides much food for thought and engages in a lively cultural debate for aesthetic change, pointing out how the fair exceeded all expectations by the more than two dozen participating countries. The extensive notes and bibliography provide a rich resource for further study in the field and offer a panorama of information for those who would like to delve further into the social, cultural, and political impact of the prestigious international 1925 exhibition. This book will not only tempt readers who have an appreciation for twentieth-century theater arts, costume design, and art exhibitions, but will also appeal to those readers with a keen interest in modernist art, history, and culture.