Where Have All the Women Gone? On the Absence of Feminine Agency in Contemporary Productions of the Original Boris Godunov

Abstract

ABSTRACT The rejection of Boris Godunov for the lack of a female part led Modest Musorgskii to revise the opera to include the historical character of Marina Mniszech. The resulting “Polish” Act has been received with mixed feelings. Bias against it is one of the reasons behind the contemporary surge of interest in the original 1869 version of the opera, as testified to by productions at the Mariiinski Theater, the Bavarian State Opera, the Royal Opera House, and the Paris Opéra. The return to the original Boris has a side effect, however, which is precisely the one the selection committee of the Imperial Theaters warned against: it represents a world devoid of female agency. In the otherwise significant production created by Ivo van Hove for Paris, this omission sits uncomfortably with the social and political values that have been articulated most clearly in the #MeToo campaign. Since Musorgskii provided an alternative, the experience of the original Boris Godunov in actual performance might stimulate a renewed interest in what has been left out. Considered from the standards of the #MeToo movement, the part of Marina Mniszech becomes significant as a reminder of the active role played by women in the historical events represented on stage. The part also resonates with the contemporary #MeToo analysis of gender roles. The character of Marina combines a desire for female autonomy with submission to patriarchal forces and could offer interesting material for a stage production that addresses the story from a modern awareness of gender roles. A comparison with van Hove’s take on Schiller’s Mary Stuart demonstrates that such awareness may be creatively productive.