Theatre
The Misunderstood Civilization
Криворазбраната цивилизация
Dobri Voynikov · 1871
Synopsis
At the home of Hadji Kosta, a rich merchant, the mother, Zlata, the daughter, Anka, and the son are won over by the fashions of Europe championed by Doctor Margaridi, an apostle of superficial progress who courts Anka. The father tries to keep his family together and to defend the customs of the country, while Mityu, a shy boy, loves the girl. The comedy sets those who blindly imitate the foreigner against those who hold to what is Bulgarian, and mixes the speech of Ottoman Bulgaria.
Context
The play was published in Bucharest in 1871, during its author's Romanian exile. It mocks the blind imitation of Western fashions, a question debated in the years leading up to independence, and also touches on the roles of men and women and on customs. Still in the repertoire of Bulgarian theatres, it was adapted in 1974 by Bulgarian television as a musical, directed by Hatcho Boyadjiev to music by Detcho Taralejkov. Stoyan Tchaprazov translated it into English for Slavica Publishers, with the support of the PEN/Heim fund in 2023.
Who it is for
A short, lively comedy that plays on the mixed speech of the period; an English translation is announced, and no French edition has been found.
Prizes and reception
His most popular work, which marked a milestone in Bulgarian theatre and remains one of the most frequently performed comedies in the country.