BAM’s upcoming production of The Old Woman, adapted from a short story by Daniil Kharms, is part of a renewed interest in the work of the OBERIU (“Union of Real Art”), the early 20th century Russian avant garde collective founded by Kharms and Alexander Vvedensky. Brutally censored and repressed in Stalinist Russia, the group published no work, but staged absurdist performances and readings that had a profound impact on Russia’s literary and dissident tradition (Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot describes the group as “Vvedensky’s students and heirs”). Now, a new effort to publish and translate Kharms’ and Vvedensky’s works is bringing their voices to American audiences, and shedding new light on their importance, especially in Russia’s present cultural climate. Tonight’s discussion of the legacy of the OBERIU features Matvei Yankelevich, translator of Today I Wrote Nothing: The Selected Writings of Daniil Kharms (Overlook Press); Mark Krotov, the book’s editor at Overlook; and Eugene Ostashevsky, editor of Oberiu: An Anthology of Russian Absurdism and co-translator with Yankelovich of Alexander Vvedensky: An Invitation For Me To Think (New York Review Books). Their discussion is moderated by respected Russian translator Ian Dreiblatt.

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