Without a Dowry and Other Plays

A collection of plays from one of Russia's most important writers of the 19th century.

Translated from the Russian and with an Introduction by Norman Henley

A contemporary of Turgenev, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy and precursor to Chekhov, Alexander Ostrovsky was a keen sociological observer, often exposing abuses of power, landing him in trouble with the censors again and again. He wrote forty-seven original plays and began the tradition of acting today associated with Stanislavsky. Ostrovsky's plays were written with performance in mind and with a masterful use of colloquial language. To this day they are a much-performed part of the Russian repertory.

This volume collects four of Ostrovsky's key plays, each from a different decade—A Profitable Position, An Ardent Heart, Without a Dowry, and Talents and Admirers, and is rounded out by the translator's introduction, an afterword for each play, an extensive bibliography, and complete list of Ostrovsky's works.