Master and Man (play)

Master and Man is a one-act play by Mikhail Bulgakov, completed in 1932 but not published or staged during his lifetime. It is a stage adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novella of the same name (written in 1895), Master and Man.

Bulgakov's play retains the core narrative elements of Tolstoy's story, focusing on the relationship between a wealthy landowner (the master) and his peasant worker (the man) as they journey into a blizzard-stricken landscape. The plot centers on their struggle for survival, highlighting themes of social inequality, moral redemption, and the potential for empathy in the face of death.

While faithful to the original narrative, Bulgakov's dramatic version necessarily condenses the story and reinterprets it through the lens of theatrical performance. The play format allows for a more direct presentation of dialogue and character interaction, and it emphasizes the visual and auditory aspects of the unfolding drama. The play would likely explore the psychological states of the characters through acting choices, stage direction, and potentially symbolic staging.

The play was rediscovered and first published posthumously. Its initial reception, and its subsequent performance history, are less extensively documented than some of Bulgakov's other, more well-known dramatic works like The Master and Margarita or The Days of the Turbins. However, it remains a significant adaptation, offering a theatrical interpretation of Tolstoy's classic tale.