The Russian dramatist Aleksandr Nikolaevich Afinogenov (1904-1941) mixed lyricism, melodrama, and comedy in his portrayals of average Russians in everyday pursuits.

On April 4, 1904, near Ryazan, Russia, Aleksandr Afinogenov was born. His father was a railroad worker, an active Communist, and, after the Revolution, a writer. Aleksandr grew up in proletarian surroundings during the consolidation of proletarian ideology. The characters in his plays often come from the proletariat and reflect that point of view. Afinogenov was too young to take part in the Revolution, which began in 1917. He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Journalism in 1924.

His first play, Robert Tim, was performed in 1924. During the 1920s Afinogenov's creative writing took second place to his political activity. He joined the Communist party in 1922 and soon became a leader of Proletcult, the organization for the development of proletarian culture. Afinogenov's task was to train playwrights and actors and disseminate proletarian...