Author Description

This Book Combines: An Introduction To Meyerhold's Life; An Explanation Of His Theoretical Writings; An Analysis Of His Masterpiece Production 'revisor, Or The Government Inspector'; And A Comprehensive Description Of The 'biomechanical' Exercises He Developed For Training The Actor. 1. A Life Of Contradictions -- Apprenticeship (1874-1905) -- St Petersburg (1906-17) -- Meyerhold And The Revolution (1917-22) -- The Meyerhold Theatre (1922-31) -- The Death Of Meyerhold And His Theatre (1932-40) -- Meyerhold Today -- 2. Meyerhold's Key Writings -- Don't (always) Believe What You Read! -- The Key Theoretical Principles -- Naturalism -- Stylisation -- Rhythm And Music -- The Mask -- The Grotesque -- Biomechanics And The Actor Of The Future -- Chaplin And Eisenstein: A Theory Of Montage -- 3. Meyerhold's Key Production: The Government Inspector -- Gogol's Challenge -- Meyerhold's Response -- Nikolai Gogol: The Comet -- Gogol's Government Inspector -- Meyerhold's Government Inspector -- 4. Practical Exercises -- Practice: The Living Link With Meyerhold -- So What Are The Basic Skills Of A Biomechanical Actor? -- The Exercises -- Skills-based Exercises -- Back To The Basic Skills -- Improvisation Exercises -- Work On Text -- Conclusions -- Bibliography -- Books And Articles -- Films And Videos. Jonathan Pitches. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [155]-158) And Index.