Meyerhold: A Revolution in Theatre (Studies Theatre Hist & Culture) [Paperback]

Edward Braun (Author)

Book Description

Series: Studies Theatre Hist & Culture | Publication Date: March 1, 1998

Edward Braun's acclaimed work on Meyerhold available for the first time in paperback Vsevolod Meyerhold began his career in theatre as an actor with the Moscow Art Theatre, and after a spell in the remote provinces, he returned to Moscow at Stanislavski's invitation and founded a new, experimental studio for the Art Theatre. This book takes us through Meyerhold's extraordinary life of experiment and discovery, describing his rehearsal techniques and exercises and provides an acute assessment of his continuing influence on contemporary theatre.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Legendary Russian theater director Vsevolod Meyerhold (1874-1940) led the revolt against naturalism and flouted Stalinist socialist realism with his avant-garde productions incorporating mime, constructivist sets, musical scores and formalized scenery. His scenic invention and use of cinematic techniques culminated in his 1926 staging of Gogol's The Government Inspector as well as reinterpretations of classics such as Pushkin's Queen of Spades. Braun, a drama professor in England, sees Meyerhold as a supreme director-poet for whom the theater was designed to shatter the audience's complacency. Decked out with 145 photographs of set reproductions, costumes and posters, Braun's vibrant study restores Meyerhold's radical legacy for contemporary theater. This revision of a work first published in 1979 draws on a wealth of newly discovered writings by Meyerhold, as well as KGB files released since 1989 that tell the full story of the director's arrest, torture and execution after being falsely labeled a foreign agent by Stalin.

Copyright 1995 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This revised and expanded edition of Braun's The Theatre of Meyerhold (Drama Bk., 1979) offers a fascinating study of the great Russian theater director. Braun (drama, Univ. of Bristol) has taken advantage of a wide range of new scholarship and a wealth of recently revealed writings and other material by Meyerhold himself, including rehearsal transcripts, production notes, and letters. Sadly, it is the 1989 release of KGB documents that enables Braun to offer a detailed account of Meyerhold's final months, from his last public appearance in 1939 to his execution in 1940. Braun's narrative style is clear and avoids unnecessary jargon, and 50 new illustrations enliven the text. This excellent, comprehensive appraisal of a unique theatrical career that has had broad, long-lasting influences on Western theater is recommended for all academic libraries with theater or Russian/Soviet studies programs.?Susan L. Peters, Emory Univ., Atlanta
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: University Of Iowa Press (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087745633X
• ISBN-13: 978-0877456339
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,850,558 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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