Volkonskii, M.N.: The African Princess (Vampuka)

Title

Printsessa afrikanskaia (Vampuka), “Novoe vremia”, 08 (21).09.1900, 8812, p. 2

The African Princess (Vampuka)

Keywords

Summary

The play consists of two acts and was firstly published in the newspaper Novoe vremia (1890); it was later slightly altered and staged at the satirical theatre Krivoe zerkalo (1908). The beautiful Vampuka, an African princess, is in love with a young man called Lodyre. Unfortunately, the Ethiopians are searching for her, as their king, Strofokamil, wants to marry her after having killed her father. In the end, Vampuka’s personal guard reveals himself to be a white man disguised as a black savage: he reminds Strofokamil that the Europeans have conquered Africa and lets Vampuka and Lodyre marry.

Bio

Mikhail Volkonskii was a playwright, novelist, and author of short stories, often signing his works with the pseudonym Anchar Mantsenilov. Born in Saint Petersburg, he was the editor of the journal “Niva” from 1892 to 1894. A sympathiser of monarchic movements, especially after the 1905 revolution, he wrote historical novels and several satirical plays for the opera.

Sources

M. Poliakov, Russkii teatr v krivom zerkale parodii, in Russkaia teatral’naia parodiia XIX-nachala XX veka, ed. by M. Poliakov, Moskva 1976, p. 6-39;

N. Buks, Zametka o negritianskoi motivy v dramaturgii russkikh kabare 1910-kh godov, “Slavic Almanac”, 2011 (17), 2, p. 163-169.

A.F.