Theatre Arts Research Articles

Stanislavsky, Portraiture, and Theatrical Photography

ABSTRACT In an age when Russian artists painted flamboyant portraits of leading actors in their roles, Konstantin Stanislavsky chose to be portrayed mostly in street clothes and by drawing and photography. This was in keeping with his theatrical aesthetic, playing down the actor’s personality and avoiding declamatory histrionics. Photography had recorded Russian theatre from the late nineteenth century and a thriving market for actor portraits flourished in big cities. The Moscow Art Theatre was dedicated to preserving its productions via photography, even as Stanislavsky noted the medium’s inability to capture the life of a performance.

Cyberformance and Children’s Theatre: a Contextual Examination of the Janelle and Joella Paradigm

This article identifies cyberspace as an alternate theatre environment for audiences to see performances. There is no doubt that the internet has had a tremendous influence on human society; the interconnectedness and easy access to information and resources which it enables is a testament to this. Theatre artists have recently tapped into cyberspace to create content for an expanding online audience. This article explores how performance can enhance children's theatre in this digital space. It examines the concept of children’s theatre and defines children-centered online content as performance. The article broadens the definition of "liveness" in cyberformance to include not just live events but also pre-recorded content that engages viewers continuously. It analyzes three videos from Janelle and Joella, two sisters addressing children's issues online. This content is positioned within the framework of children-for-adult children’s theatre and identified as cyberformance. It highlights the videos' themes and presentation styles as exemplary of children’s theatre. Also, the attributes of performance, which are interconnectedness, liveness, and engagement, were established within the Janelle and Joella children’s theatre paradigm. The article concludes on the note that cyberformance offers a veritable platform for the continuous exploration of theatre.

KUNQU MUSIC THEATRE IN YANGZHOU IN THE 18TH CENTURY

This study focuses on the development characteristics of the traditional Kunqu opera in the Yangzhou theatre in the 18th century, particularly in the context of the emergence of the owery genre (huabu). The author identi es parallels in the historical cycles of the development of the owery genres and contemporary Chinese opera and suggests several recommendations for incorporating traditional techniques into modern productions to popularise Kunqu music theatre. The aim of this study is to deeply explore the history, culture, and art of the Yangzhou theatre and its in uence on Chinese theatrical art, as well as its value and inspiration in contemporary theatrical art. Furthermore, the study provides practical recommendations for presenting and developing the Yangzhou theatre.

Counter-colonial unfoldings of cubism in Latin America: The works of Wifredo Lam, Fernando de Szyszlo, and Francisco Matto

The exceptional cubist configuration is often thought of as a French movement. Nevertheless, beneath the geographical label lies a hidden truth: an art that arises in Paris but relies on the cooperation of artists, critics, and art historians of various nationalities. On the one hand, the channels by which cubism established transatlantic dialogues and exchanges in different moments were diverse and in other periods. For example, by direct contact of Modern Latin American artists with the movement, art students and painters that attended the French academies, and distinguished visitors related to the movement. On the other, as in other regions, cubism circulated in Latin America, catalyzing different artistic approaches and practices that, despite sharing the same origin, resulted in a manifold of proposals and plastic forms. The cubist influence in Latin America was not strong enough to break with previous cultural traditions. In a similar way to how Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque assimilated the lesson of African sculpture, Latin American artists also dialogued with the so-called primitive cultures of their regions, maintaining and resizing their original symbolic and mythical value. Artists such as Tarsila de Amaral (Brazil), Cándido Portinari (Brazil), José Cúneo (Uruguay), Emilio Petorutti (Argentina), Diego Rivera (Mexico), among many others, assimilated its morphological aspect. But other artists understood cubism as a way of thinking. They assimilated its structural dimension, such as Wifredo Lam (Cuba), Francisco Matto (Uruguay), Joaquín Torres García (Uruguay), and Fernando de Szyszlo (Peru), among others. With a theoretical frame following the considerations of Carl Einstein, Daniel- Henry Kahnweiler, and Vincenc Kramář, three art theorists who tackled cubism from different angles and in terms of man’s active participation in the creation of a new, more dynamic view of the world, this paper approaches the works of Wifredo Lam, Fernando de Szyszlo and Francisco Matto, privileging the way they deal with space and their dialogue with local ancestral traditions in the context of modern societies.

The Stanislavsky System of Actor Training and Piano Performance: The Need for Interdisciplinary Applications

ABSTRACT This article presents the need to address common performance challenges faced by university-level piano performance majors by adapting techniques from the acting System of Konstantin Stanislavsky, a Russian actor, director, writer, and founder of the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT) who lived from 1863 to 1938. The common performance challenges addressed in this study are performance anxiety, physical tension in performance, interpretation challenges, and stage presence – the “visual rhetoric” of piano playing. Because the impact of Stanislavsky’s methods on piano pedagogy and performance is not widely understood, this study also gives background and context for the influence of Stanislavsky on a generation of Russian-born and other influential pianists and teachers who became part of the American system of piano pedagogy in the first half of the twentieth century. The article provides support and context for i) the four performance challenges addressed in the study from writings in the field of piano performance and pedagogy, and ii) provides an overview of the Stanislavsky’s acting System, outlining what Stanislavsky described as a lifelong process of learning and implementing his theory of performance. Finally, this article explores iii) the relationship between acting (particularly the methods of Stanislavsky) and piano performance through statements and writings by pianists and pedagogues including Theodore Leschetizky, Heinrich Neuhaus, George Kochevitsky, Rosina Lhévinne, Sviatoslav Richter, and Arthur Rubinstein.

Assessing Teaching Facilities for Theatre Arts Education at the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

Assessing Teaching Facilities for Theatre Arts Education at the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

Literature as a Vehicle of Mystery: On Jerzy Grotowski’s Writing

Jerzy Grotowski (1933–1999), who is considered to be one of the greatest theater artists of the 20th century, frequently expressed his ambivalent relation to words, repeating that any true knowledge has to be obtained by practice. However, all his life he created and published texts. The volume collecting them all in print runs to 1131 pages. Scholars interpreting his art (e.g. Krzysztof Rutkowski, Zbigniew Osiński) and his close collaborators, like Ludwik Flaszen, frequently times underlined the importance of Grotowski’s writings, stressing a special function literature played in this artist’s research. Following their recognitions, partly polemizing with them, one can formulate some basic assumptions concerning the character and functions of Grotowski’s writing and its relation to the main aspects of contemporary literature. This was the man of theater appears to be also an aware creator of a literature paradoxically closely related and working for mystery beyond words.

Theatrical art of North Ossetia during the period of cultural modernization of the 1920–1930s

Theatrical art of North Ossetia during the period of cultural modernization of the 1920–1930s

Katie N. Johnson. Racing the Great White Way: Black Performance, Eugene O’Neill, and the Transformation of Broadway

This book offers a meticulously researched exploration of the performance histories of Eugene O’Neill’s two major “race” plays, demonstrating how these performances negotiated and challenged racism in the theatre and society at large. Its target audiences include scholars of American theatre, Black studies, and global theatre, as well as theatre artists.

SITI Company

After 30 years of groundbreaking work, the SITI Company leaves behind a landscape changed by their presence. Their lasting legacy includes a challenge to how theatre is conceived and executed, a remarkable contribution to the way in which theatre artists hone their craft, and an infl uential example of how a theatre ensemble can thrive.

ТЕАТР ӨНӨРҮНДӨГҮ КӨРКӨМ ОКУУНУ ОКУТУУНУН АЙРЫМ МАСЕЛЕЛЕРИ

The article discusses some issues of teaching art education in the theatrical arts. I must say that there is very little research on the great values of the Kyrgyz people, including theatrical art. Generally speaking, we all know that our culture ‒ these are literature, theater, cinema, fine arts, folk art, etc.B. It should be recognized that there are very few works published in the form of special books, except for articles published on the pages of periodicals devoted specifically to this theatrical art. Today, art reading education is in demand not only in the theatrical sphere, but also in various spheres of society, in the field of culture and television. Thus, it is safe to say that by improving the teaching of art education in higher and secondary educational institutions, we will contribute to the moral education of the younger generation, improving aesthetic taste. Creating conditions for solving such research tasks, making efforts, and carrying out scientific activities is a requirement of time.

The Peculiarity of Nikolai Kochergin’s Creative Method in Illustrations to Chinese Fairy Tales

The article is devoted to the study of the creative heritage of Nikolai Mikhailovich Kochergin (1897—1974) in the field of illustrating Chinese fairy tales. The relevance of the topic is conditioned by the insufficient degree of study of the artist’s heritage in this area with the general interest of practitioners and art theorists in book illustration for children’s literature in the 20th century.The aim of the article is to theoretically comprehend the artistic heritage of N.M. Kochergin on the basis of revealing the originality of the artist’s creative method of illustrating Chinese fairy tales. The following tasks are solved: to trace the creative path of N.M. Kochergin, in particular, his work in the field of illustrating literature of Eastern and Asian countries; to make a list of illustrated editions of Asian fairy tales by the artist; to reveal the influence of traditions of Chinese Gohua art on the artist’s work, specifically to study the compositional solution, the use of diffused perspective, other expressive means; to analyze the methods of stylization of images and symbols of Chinese culture and folklore in illustrations.The presented research allows not only to determine the originality of N.M. Kochergin’s creative method of illustrating Chinese fairy tales, but also to identify the specificity of representation of Chinese culture for Russian readers. This problematic can contribute to the emergence of a holistic view of the synthesis and integration of Chinese art and culture in the Russian and world artistic process. The article studies illustrations by N.M. Kochergin for such editions of Asian fairy tales as “Chinese Folk Tales” (1953), “Ten Little Friends” (1954), “The Yellow Stork and the Mountain of the Sun” (1954), “The Liu Brothers” (1955), “Persistent Yun Su” (1955), “Fairy Tales of the Peoples of Asia” (1959).

Impact of Theater Arts Participation on High School Students

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of theater arts participation on high school students. Materials and Methods: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Participation in theater arts has been shown to enhance students' academic performance, with improvements in reading comprehension, verbal skills, and overall academic achievement. This is attributed to the discipline, memorization, and comprehension skills that theater activities demand. Additionally, involvement in theater arts fosters critical thinking and creativity, encouraging students to approach problems and situations from multiple perspectives and think outside the box. Beyond academics, theater arts participation positively affects students' social and emotional development. It helps build self-confidence and self-esteem as students perform in front of audiences and receive feedback on their work. Theater also promotes teamwork and collaboration, as students must work closely with their peers to produce successful performances. This collaborative environment helps students develop strong communication skills and a sense of empathy, as they must understand and convey different characters' emotions and motivations. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Constructivist learning theory, social learning theory and arts integration theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the impact of theater arts participation on high school students. In practice, schools should actively incorporate theater arts into core academic subjects through interdisciplinary projects that promote creative expression alongside academic learning. From a policy perspective, it is crucial for educational policymakers to prioritize funding for arts education programs, recognizing their significant role in enhancing academic performance.

Our Princes are in Borrowed Robes: Significance of Expressed Costume Choices by Selected Ghanaian Playwrights

The playwright’s work remains the blueprint upon which all other theatre artists build their craft. This positions playwrights as indispensable artists in theatrical discourse. While some playwrights express specific costume demands in their texts, others leave it to theatre directors and designers to decipher the appropriate costume choices for the plays. The former suggests a stylistic feature by some playwrights; however, less visibility appears to be given to this phenomenon in Ghanaian theatre scholarship. What the significance and implications are for both the costume designer and playwrights is the subject of this exploration. Employing a qualitative approach, this paper samples three Ghanaian playwright educators and their costume choices and examines the dramatic significance of their choices. The findings of the study revealed that the rationale for expressing costume choices was to project major characters, and that the necessity to create special characters, create impression, as well as scene changes and time, all influenced character costume choices. The significance of costume choices was to project a rich tapestry of cultural identity and characters and enforce themes, while the implications of such costume choices were to support costumiers, make issues easier for them and the playwright, and encourage them to be more creative. Ultimately, this study contributes to scholarship on costume usage in theatrical discourse.

ADVERSARY CULTURES: THE CASE OF “RELATIONAL AESTHETICS” AND PARTICIPATORY PRACTICES

By applying Bourdieu’s theory of capital on the relational art and participatory practices, the following essay aims to explore the issue of autonomy of arts as introduced by Theodor Adorno while determining the social mechanism under which these practices operate. The purpose of this particular research represents an attempt to achieve an understanding of the relations of power under which relational art practices operate by applying Bourdieu’s theory of capital while at the same time examining the idea of “autonomy of arts” as it was introduced by Theodor Adorno in the late 90’s. As the research is conducted by an artist, it will inevitably be influenced by the empirical as well as the theoretical references applied to the artistic field. However, it is clear that from a disciplinary angle, relational art is directly engaging with society hence it does not only imply terms related to aesthetics, history and theory of arts. The research borrows notions from human sciences such as political philosophy, sociology and anthropology. It is also important to note that one of the main objectives of this research represents a nuanced and sincere clarification of the position from which relational art operates as well as an analytical exercise of the practices as well as its mechanism of infiltration and interaction in the world. Given the neo liberal capitalist structure, can arts gain at least relative autonomy? As I find myself working in the field of socially engaged art, I find it very important as a practitioner to be able to step outside my own field and acquire the role of the observer while analysing as objectively as possible my own position. The research applies the qualitative method as it examines a particular case study while it imports concepts from different fields. The first part of the article indicates the potential of the relational arts in acquiring a relative autonomy, while the second part contests its intentions and set of positions in realising its promise by applying Bourdieu’s theory of capital. The scope of the research is far from comprehensive as several theories that intersect with the field, as well as projects, are not being analysed while a lot of Bourdieu’s writings are left outside. Still, the essay recognises the influence of authors like Claire Bishop, Roland Barthes, Walter Benjamin, Guy Debord, Theodor Adorno, Hannah Arendt, Giorgio Agamben, Terry Smith, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard as well as other historians and art theoreticians.

Digital Transformation in An Attempt to Revitalize Kabuki Theater Arts

Digital Transformation in An Attempt to Revitalize Kabuki Theater Arts

The mediametaphor of contemporary Ukrainian theatre (based on specialised printed publications of the period of Independence)

Introduction: Theatre, as an art form, is intricately intertwined with the contemporary media landscape, playing a crucial role in shaping cultural and social values, and influencing the perception and interpretation of significant societal events.Objectives: The relevance of this study is determined by the need to explore the mediametaphor of theatre as an instrument defining images, ideas, and concepts transmitted through the media space. The aim of the research is to uncover the significance of mediametaphor in Ukrainian theatre based on periodicals created during the Independence era: “Kino-Teatr”, “Ukrainskyi Teatr”, “Proscenium”, “Teatralna Besida” and “Teatr Plus”.Methods: The article is grounded in theoretical methods such as analytical, content analysis, comparative, and generalisation methods.Results: The research results indicate that the media space allows theatre arts to connect with the audience through various formats, including video transmissions, interactive online performances, and social media. These formats are characteristic of media communication in theatrical centers in all major cities of the country: in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro. This expands the possibilities of communication and interaction for the audience with the theatrical process, shaping their understanding and perception of art. In this context, the mediametaphor of theatre becomes an instrument defining images, ideas, and concepts conveyed to the audience through the media space.Conclusions: The article makes a significant contribution to the scientific literature on theatre journalism and cultural studies, broadening the understanding of these concepts in the modern Ukrainian context

The Art of Theater in Japan on Korean Atomic Bomb Victims : With a Focus on Shinya Eiko’s One-Person Plays

The Art of Theater in Japan on Korean Atomic Bomb Victims : With a Focus on Shinya Eiko’s One-Person Plays

History of the development of theater architecture: (5th century BC – beginning of the 20th century)

The article analyzes the stages of formation and development of theater architecture (from antiquity to 1900) in accordance with the evolution of culture, historical, social and economic development of human society. A description of the technologies of the theater building of different eras, its design and construction norms are presented. The authors made an attempt to explain the evolution of architectural styles of theater buildings from ancient times to modern times. It helps to understand the influence of cultural, technological and social factors on architectural decisions. The impact of the development of architectural styles in the construction of theaters of different eras on cultural heritage is also considered. The authors emphasize the need for a comprehensive coverage of the importance of considering the architectural features of theater buildings as part of the cultural heritage of various peoples and eras. For this purpose, the authors reviewed architectural masterpieces that have become symbols of their cities or countries. The authors separately considered the issue of technical progress in the construction of theaters at different times. This part of the article is devoted to explaining the technological innovations that influenced theater architecture, such as improved acoustics, lighting, and construction methods. Also, the authors of the article reviewed modern trends in the use of materials and energy-efficient solutions. The article analyzes the relationship between the development of theater architecture and social aspects, such as changes in audience tastes, the role of theater in society, and the reflection of political and cultural trends in buildings. The authors of the article attempted to determine the influence of theater architecture on modern architecture and society. In particular, an overview of the influence of the heritage of outstanding architects of theater buildings and their contribution to the development of architecture in general is made. The article shows that the expansion of the typological structure of the architecture of various theaters created the prerequisites for a variety of compositional schemes and a fundamentally different presentation of architectural tasks. Different city-building conditions, typological foundations and individual characteristics of the theater led to the appearance of new buildings that contrast in their structure, style and means of artistic expression. Historical experience shows that theater architecture is as inexhaustible as theater art, as inexhaustible and complex multi-meaning concept of theater.

Vsevolod Meyerhold: Life in the Rhythm of Epochs

This article deals with the personality of V. E. Meyerhold as a multifaceted national genius, whose legacy remains an inexhaustible source of knowledge about theatre art. The stages of his more than forty-year creative path still require attention and study. The author’s aim is to draw a human and creative-professional portrait of him against the background of the social changes of the period, the development of his directorial ideas, which were his real life (the idea of the studio, stage constructivism, the combination of horizontal and vertical movements, the actor’s progression from gesture and movement to image). The author’s task is to determine the peculiarities of his public position after October 1917, to highlight the most significant events in Meyerhold’s life and creative work in the 1920s and 1930s, and to explain the reasons for the harsh criticism to which he was subjected. The author of the article uses the method of historical reconstruction of the theatrical process in connection with his personal fate.