This book focuses on the analysis and interpretation of the first volume of the book An Actor’s Work by Konstantin Stanislavsky.
This volume is the only part of his planned major work on theatre art that he was able to finish and authorise before his death. Its highly edited variant has long been known as ‘An Actor Prepares’ in the English-speaking world. Tomasz Kubikowski explores Stanislavsky’s material not only as a handbook of acting but also as a philosophical testament of Stanislavsky, in which he attempts to contain his most essential experiences and reflections. This book explores the underlying theme of ‘survival’ in its various meanings, from professional to existential; and the mechanisms and actions we attempt to survive.
This study will be of great interest to students and scholars in theatre and performance studies.
1 The Final Monologue 2. The Rite of Passage 3. Survival, Rehearsed 4. Into the Subjunctive 5. The World of One’s Own 6. Adaptations, War Games, and Holidays
Biography
Tomasz Kubikowski is a theatre and performance studies scholar, Professor at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw, and Literary Director of the National Theatre in Warsaw.
''Stanislavsky's achievements for the theatre are so enormous that they invite a great variety of approaches. Tomasz Kubikowski's book responds to the invitation with novel theoretical research.'' Maria Shevtsova, Professor Emerita of Drama and Theatre Arts, Goldsmiths, University of London
