back in the USSR
I am currently in a workshop led by Vyacheslav Dolgachev (we call him Slava, which ironically means "word" in Russian), who used to direct for the Moscow Art Theatre, now runs his own theater (the Moscow New Drama Theatre), and seems to take every possible opportunity to teach acting.
For those of you with lives outside the theatre, Constantin Stanislavski is one of the fathers of western acting theory and directing. If you take any worthwhile acting course, you will hear his name many, many times. He co-founded the Moscow Art Theatre, partly to give his friend Anton Chekhov a place to produce his plays. (His Wikipedia article is quite good if your thirst for knowledge has not been quenched.)
So Slava is a big deal. He is also adorable, entertaining, and Russian. His cutest moments are when he speaks English and checks every third word with his interpreter before saying it to us. He and his interpreter are fascinating to watch, even when they are not talking to us. They have this almost tangible connection, they move and speak as one, they anticipate each others movements and thoughts. All actors care about is behavior, practically, and these two have some of the most captivating behavior I have ever seen. I am a little jealous, to be honest!
Slava is as close to Stanislavski as I will ever get. Theatrically, he is a direct descendant. He approaches things completely different than any other acting coach/director I have worked with, which is part of the beauty of the experience. Working with as many people as possible only makes you a stronger, better, more versatile performer.
For those of you with lives outside the theatre, Constantin Stanislavski is one of the fathers of western acting theory and directing. If you take any worthwhile acting course, you will hear his name many, many times. He co-founded the Moscow Art Theatre, partly to give his friend Anton Chekhov a place to produce his plays. (His Wikipedia article is quite good if your thirst for knowledge has not been quenched.)
So Slava is a big deal. He is also adorable, entertaining, and Russian. His cutest moments are when he speaks English and checks every third word with his interpreter before saying it to us. He and his interpreter are fascinating to watch, even when they are not talking to us. They have this almost tangible connection, they move and speak as one, they anticipate each others movements and thoughts. All actors care about is behavior, practically, and these two have some of the most captivating behavior I have ever seen. I am a little jealous, to be honest!
Slava is as close to Stanislavski as I will ever get. Theatrically, he is a direct descendant. He approaches things completely different than any other acting coach/director I have worked with, which is part of the beauty of the experience. Working with as many people as possible only makes you a stronger, better, more versatile performer.