In 1977, Nina Vance and seven other American theatre directors were invited by the Soviet Ministry of Culture to visit the Soviet Union and attend contemporary Russian Theatre in Moscow and Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). A decision was made to produce the play Echelon, written by Mikhail Roschin and premiered at the Moscow Sovremennik Theatre at the Alley Theatre. It was the first time a Soviet director was invited to recreate with American actors a play performed for Soviet audiences. The correspondence, telegrams, contracts, and memos in this subseries document the effort by the Alley Theatre to premiere Echelon at the Alley Theatre.