Konstantin Stanislavsky was a Russian theatre director, based in The Moscow Art Theatre between 1890s and 1930s, most notably known for developing his System for actor training which focused on the individuality of a character, the main assumptions of which he outlined in An Actor's Work on Himself. In short, these included the idea of 'physical action' in which an actor was to express the inner qualities of a character - the way he feels, thinks and acts in specific situations - by preparing himself physically. Stanislavsky believed that the "line of the body and the soul are dependent on each other" (qtd. in Fischer 282). Wit this reciprocal influence of body on soul, and in turn soul on the body, Stanislavsky's System based all its exercises on two main assumptions.
Erika Fischer-Lichte outlines in History of European Drama and Theatre:
Vsevold Meyerhold was trained in Moscow Philharmonic Dramatic School and acted in numerous Moscow Art Theatre production, directed chiefly by Stanislavsky until 1902 when he left, dissatisfied with Naturalism and fascinated by Symbolism, in order to experiment new methods of acting. He developed the concept of 'stylized theatre' largely influenced by filming technique of montage, and in which the spectator also played an important role. We read in Fisher-Lichte that "he defined the basic elements of his anti-illusionist, 'stylised' theatre as mask, gesture and movement" (290). His system Biomechanics trained the actors in rhythmical movement repetitions to express emotions, which would be combined on stage with various machinery in order to produce an organic-mechanical entity. It is described in more detail in his own essay First Attempts at a stylized Theatre, and summarised in Phillip Zarilli Theatre Histories: "partly a synthesis of retrospectivism and futurism, constructivism [had] emotions and machines to produce engaging art" with the use of "platforms, ramps, slides, ladders and moving wheels" and an almost acrobatic control of actor's body (365). One of the most famous productions which combined all the above mentioned elements was The Magnanimous Cuckold.
Meyerhold's focus was on social relations rather than the individual. His theatre was in line with the Bolshevik's agenda, whom he joined after the Revolution of 1917. Soon after, in 1920, he proclaimed the 'October in the Theatre' and two years later set up his own company 'The Meyerhold Theatre'. Although initially very successful, his antagonism towards social realism was labelled by the Stalin regime as unfavourable to the Soviet government and after false accusations of espionage and brutal tortures in prison Meyerhold was executed by a firing squad in 1940.
The beginning of the 20th century saw an amazing amount of inventions in the fields of psychology, science and medicine, which greatly influenced both theatre makers. Fischer-Lichte outlines the most influential ones:
Max Planck's Quantum Theory; Albert Einstein's theory of relativity in On the Electrodynammics of Moving Bodies; Hugo de Vries' discovery of natural mutation; Sigmund Freaud's Interpretations of Dreams and The Origin and Development of Psychoanalysis; Ferruccio Busoni's Sketch of a New Aesthetic of Music; the first a-tonal music work by Schonberg; Picasso's Girls from Avignon; and Vassily Kandinsky's First Abstract Watercolour. (288-9)
The new thought had a profound effect on how the two great masters worked. The most important aspect of a play for Stanislavsky was the identity of characters. His actor would be trained to elicit psychological response from the audience, which was regarded in much the same was as readers of a play. Meyerhold, on the other hand, was interested in social relationships and a physicality of an actor to express the character's self. He thought of his audience as a "group of film goers whose social responses would help to transform the new Soviet nation" (Zarilli 380).
The new theatre inventions however were not so successful and immediately recognised. Because the social changes barely started, the experimental makes had difficulties in finding production houses or audiences appreciative of their ahead-of-time visionary projects. Nevertheless, those early inventions influenced artist in many fields - from playwright Bertolt Brecht to film maker Sergei Eisensteinset, and set a stepping stone for future developments in the 20th century theatre - from Jacques LeCoq in France, to Suzuki Tagashi in Japan to - probably the most known and influential - The Method in the United States which is still used in training especially of television and film actors in Hollywood.
Regarding my own preference towards the concept of theatre nowadays, I would be more inclined to enjoy Meyerhold over Stanislavski for political and aesthetic reasons. Theatre, music and various forms of art have always been the first means of self expression and communicating it to others, and therefore should be in reach of whoever finds it appealing regardless of their economical status. Despite Meyerhold was criticised for not being understandable for the working classes, his vision included everyone, rather than middle upper class bourgeois who find it appropriate to show up at a play. As for the latter, theatre is an art on its own and need to be reduced to a mere facilitator of literature. Hence, according to my humble opinion the post-dramatic performance is the essence of theatre with the ability to fulfil one's spiritual needs, the same way religion does for others.
Works Cited
Fischer-Lichte, Erika. History of European Drama and Theatre. London: Routledge, 2002.
Meyerhold, Vsevold. "First Attempts at a Stylized Theatre." The Twentieth Century Performance Reader. Ed. Michael Huxley, Noel Witts. London: Routledge, 1996.
Zarilli, Phillip B. Theatre Histories: An Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2010.
- the actor should present the role as an individual character, and
- the body of the actor is engaged in the total expression of the soul of the role and is able to do so because a relationship of exchange exists between the physical actions and their spiritual impulses. (282)
Vsevold Meyerhold was trained in Moscow Philharmonic Dramatic School and acted in numerous Moscow Art Theatre production, directed chiefly by Stanislavsky until 1902 when he left, dissatisfied with Naturalism and fascinated by Symbolism, in order to experiment new methods of acting. He developed the concept of 'stylized theatre' largely influenced by filming technique of montage, and in which the spectator also played an important role. We read in Fisher-Lichte that "he defined the basic elements of his anti-illusionist, 'stylised' theatre as mask, gesture and movement" (290). His system Biomechanics trained the actors in rhythmical movement repetitions to express emotions, which would be combined on stage with various machinery in order to produce an organic-mechanical entity. It is described in more detail in his own essay First Attempts at a stylized Theatre, and summarised in Phillip Zarilli Theatre Histories: "partly a synthesis of retrospectivism and futurism, constructivism [had] emotions and machines to produce engaging art" with the use of "platforms, ramps, slides, ladders and moving wheels" and an almost acrobatic control of actor's body (365). One of the most famous productions which combined all the above mentioned elements was The Magnanimous Cuckold.
Meyerhold's focus was on social relations rather than the individual. His theatre was in line with the Bolshevik's agenda, whom he joined after the Revolution of 1917. Soon after, in 1920, he proclaimed the 'October in the Theatre' and two years later set up his own company 'The Meyerhold Theatre'. Although initially very successful, his antagonism towards social realism was labelled by the Stalin regime as unfavourable to the Soviet government and after false accusations of espionage and brutal tortures in prison Meyerhold was executed by a firing squad in 1940.
The beginning of the 20th century saw an amazing amount of inventions in the fields of psychology, science and medicine, which greatly influenced both theatre makers. Fischer-Lichte outlines the most influential ones:
Max Planck's Quantum Theory; Albert Einstein's theory of relativity in On the Electrodynammics of Moving Bodies; Hugo de Vries' discovery of natural mutation; Sigmund Freaud's Interpretations of Dreams and The Origin and Development of Psychoanalysis; Ferruccio Busoni's Sketch of a New Aesthetic of Music; the first a-tonal music work by Schonberg; Picasso's Girls from Avignon; and Vassily Kandinsky's First Abstract Watercolour. (288-9)
The new thought had a profound effect on how the two great masters worked. The most important aspect of a play for Stanislavsky was the identity of characters. His actor would be trained to elicit psychological response from the audience, which was regarded in much the same was as readers of a play. Meyerhold, on the other hand, was interested in social relationships and a physicality of an actor to express the character's self. He thought of his audience as a "group of film goers whose social responses would help to transform the new Soviet nation" (Zarilli 380).
The new theatre inventions however were not so successful and immediately recognised. Because the social changes barely started, the experimental makes had difficulties in finding production houses or audiences appreciative of their ahead-of-time visionary projects. Nevertheless, those early inventions influenced artist in many fields - from playwright Bertolt Brecht to film maker Sergei Eisensteinset, and set a stepping stone for future developments in the 20th century theatre - from Jacques LeCoq in France, to Suzuki Tagashi in Japan to - probably the most known and influential - The Method in the United States which is still used in training especially of television and film actors in Hollywood.
Regarding my own preference towards the concept of theatre nowadays, I would be more inclined to enjoy Meyerhold over Stanislavski for political and aesthetic reasons. Theatre, music and various forms of art have always been the first means of self expression and communicating it to others, and therefore should be in reach of whoever finds it appealing regardless of their economical status. Despite Meyerhold was criticised for not being understandable for the working classes, his vision included everyone, rather than middle upper class bourgeois who find it appropriate to show up at a play. As for the latter, theatre is an art on its own and need to be reduced to a mere facilitator of literature. Hence, according to my humble opinion the post-dramatic performance is the essence of theatre with the ability to fulfil one's spiritual needs, the same way religion does for others.
Works Cited
Fischer-Lichte, Erika. History of European Drama and Theatre. London: Routledge, 2002.
Meyerhold, Vsevold. "First Attempts at a Stylized Theatre." The Twentieth Century Performance Reader. Ed. Michael Huxley, Noel Witts. London: Routledge, 1996.
Zarilli, Phillip B. Theatre Histories: An Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2010.