Authors

Alesia Mankouskaya¹;  ¹ UCL SSEES, UK

Discussion

This paper investigates the theatrical culture of the 17th-century Eastern Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, with particular attention to the intermezzos embedded in Academic Drama performances. These short, often humorous interludes, performed in vernacular languages, bridged the more solemn and rhetorically rich acts of academic plays. The intermezzos found in the Orsha Codex reflect the complex linguistic and cultural milieu of the eastern territories of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Polish researcher Julian Lewański characterised their language as a "Ukrainian-Belarusian-Polish mélange," a description that underscores the polyglot environment of the region.Intermezzos represent an early form of national dramaturgy, predating the more formally recognised literary traditions of later centuries. Their use of vernacular languages, particularly Belarusian, situates them as pivotal in the development of national identity through theatrical expression. These intermezzos were performed at the intersection of popular and elite culture, blending the pedagogical aims of Academic Drama with the humor and relatability of folk performance.

Despite their significance, intermezzos have only begun to receive sustained scholarly attention in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The Orsha Codex, as a key source for understanding these works, provides valuable insight into the cultural and linguistic dynamics of Early Modern Eastern Europe. My research explores how these performances navigated the dual pressures of imperial linguistic assimilation and local cultural preservation, highlighting their role in the articulation of Belarusian cultural identity within a polyethnic Commonwealth.

By analysing the Orsha Codex intermezzos, this paper contributes to the broader study of Early Modern theatre in Eastern Europe, emphasising their ethical and political dimensions.