Meyerhold, Eisenstein and Biomechanics

The late Alma Law was coeditor of Slavic and East European Theater. The late Mel Gordon was a former professor of dramatic art at the University of California at Berkeley.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgments      Introduction      Part I. Meyerhold and Eisenstein1. Meyerhold: From Actor to Revolutionary Director      2. Meyerhold: From Biomechanics to the Triumph of Socialist Realism      3. Eisenstein: From Engineer to Revolutionary Filmmaker      Part II. Biomechanics4. Introduction      5. Biomechanical Exercises      6. Description of the Exercises      7. Program of Studies      Part III. Documents8. Meyerhold on Biomechanics      Biomechanics of Vsevolod Meyerhold by M. Korenev      The Biomechanical Laboratory by M. Korenev      Principles of Biomechanics by M. Korenev      Meyerhold Demonstrates a Biomechanical Exercise by Erast Garin      The Actor of the Future and Biomechanicr by V.-Es.      Biomechanics According to Meyerhold by Ippolit Sokolov      Taylorism on the Stage by Arkady Pozdnev      Project: Profile of the Actor Graduating from the Meyerhold State Theatre School      Promptbook for “The Magnanimous Cuckhold”      9. Eisenstein on Biomechanics and Expressive Movement      Notes on Biomechanics by Sergei Eisenstein      Principles of Movement in Our Theatre by Sergei Eisenstein      What Is a “Raccourci” and What Is a Pose? by Sergei Eisenstein      At Rehearsals of “The Wiseman” by Aleksandr Levshin      Expressive Movement by Sergei Eisenstein and Sergei Tretyakov      On Recoil Movement by Sergei Eisenstein      Lecture on Biomechanics, March 29, 1935, by Sergei Eisenstein      10. International Accounts of Biomechanics      An Interview with Meyerhold at the Theatre of the Revolution by Lancelot Lawton      How Meyerhold Trains his Actors by John Martin      Biomechanics in Meyerhold’s Theatre by André Van Gyseghem      Notes on Biomechanics by Lee Strasberg      Notes on Eisenstein’s Lectures, 1934, by Marie Seton      A Biomechanical Session by Harold Clurman      Part IV. AppendicesGlossary of Biomechanical Terminology      Notes      Selected Bibliography      Index

“useful...a helpful sourcebook”—Choice; “the subject of this book is of enormous importance to an understanding of twentieth century Russian and Soviet art, culture and especially theatre...the book will be welcomed by both theatre scholars and practitioners, and especially by those who wish to go beyond the usual actor training syllabus, and engage with something which will challenge and stimulate in equal measure”—Revolutionary Russia; “this is a sourcebook which gathers a wide range of previously unavailable material...Law and Gordon’s analysis will make a significant contribution to the ongoing process of re-evaluating the role of Biomechanics in the past as well as in the future”—Theatre Research International; “this panorama illustrates the lasting relationship between Eisenstein and Meyerhold”—International Theatre Informations