Papers by James Thomas
Russian Theatre in Practice, 2019
Anatoly Efros (1925–1987) belongs to that special group of Russian artists
and intellectuals who ... more Anatoly Efros (1925–1987) belongs to that special group of Russian artists
and intellectuals who contributed to the era between the early 1950s and
early 1960s known as ‘The Thaw’. The name came from Ilya Ehrenberg’s
eponymous novel of 1954, comparing the atmosphere of the era to climatic
change. Prompted by the succession of moderate leader Nikita Khrushchev
after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, the Thaw era witnessed a recovery of
cultural freedom after a prolonged period of chilling censorship. It awakened
a desire to rediscover authentic Russian imagination instead of its Sovietized
surrogate, to escape from Stalin’s wearisome ideas and stereotypes in art
and literature and to feel confident original creative work was possible once
again. Anatoly Efros was one of the leading creative figures of the Thaw era.
His life and work not only contributed to the hopes of that era but also left
an important legacy.
O n 16 October 1884 a surprising and unconventional production of Hamlet open ed at London's Prin... more O n 16 October 1884 a surprising and unconventional production of Hamlet open ed at London's Princess's Theatre on Oxford Street. The play's producer and star was Wilson Barrett, a romantic actor w ho had achieved his fame chiefly in various forms of literary melodrama.
Dmitry Krymov is a Russian artist w ho has developed an international reputation through work tha... more Dmitry Krymov is a Russian artist w ho has developed an international reputation through work that combines images from paintings, poems, prose, plays, music and popular culture to create phantasmagorical, one-of-a-kind performances. Following no obvious linear narratives and no literary dramaturgy as such, the images built up on Krymov's stage may be seen as dynamic montages. Montages because they combine visual and aural elements from various sources; dynamic because they are constructed literally before our eyes. O f special interest is the fa c t that his perform ance style developed along aside of, and emerged from , his approach to teaching scenography, w here designers actually devise and execute the performances. KEYWORDS painting scenography Chagall montage Moscow Art Theatre Russian art Demon: A View from Above was a career-defining production for Krymov and for the past six years has been performed regularly to sold-out houses at the School of Dramatic Art (a multi-form production venue in Moscow). For Demon, art historian Maria Punina said, 'Krymov has collected all the best discoveries and ideas contained in Untold Fairy Tales, Donkey Flote and Auction, and taken them to a new level' (2009: 45). In this work, the associative, three-dimensional, active poetics of Krymov's laboratory was realized in its full potential. Moreover, he added a new spatial dimension that allowed this performance to develop a unique manner of visualizing stage events. A few introductory remarks will provide necessary biographical context and point to the influence of his teaching and scenography on the development of his innovative production style. For a fuller account of Krymov and his body of work, see my earlier article (Thomas 2011). Krymov was bom in 1954 in Moscow, the only child of famous parentsdirector Anatoly Efros (1925-1987) and theatre critic Natalia Krymova (1930-2003). He graduated with specializations in Scenography and Theatre Technology from the Moscow Art Theatre School in 1976, after which he worked primarily in support of his father's performances. Following Efros's death in 1987 and for the next twenty years, Krymov designed for a range of directors and theatres throughout Russia, Europe and Japan. In 1990, amid the economic meltdown accompanying the collapse of the Soviet Union, he left theatre behind and turned to the art world for a living. For the next twelve years, his distinctive neo-impressionist paintings and drawings were shown in Russia, France, England, Germany, Israel and other countries. His paintings can be seen in many collections, including the Tretyakov Gallery and Pushkin Fine Arts Museum in Moscow, the State Art Museum and State Theatrical Museum in St. Petersburg, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Vatican Museum, and the World Bank Collection in Washington, DC.
Books by James Thomas
About A Director's Guide to Stanislavsky's Active Analysis, 2016
A Director's Guide to Stanislavsky's Active Analysis describes Active Analysis, the
innovative re... more A Director's Guide to Stanislavsky's Active Analysis describes Active Analysis, the
innovative rehearsal method Stanislavsky formulated in his final years. By uniting 'mental
analysis' and 'études', Active Analysis puts an end to the problem of mind-body dualism
and formalized text memorization that traditional rehearsal methods foster.
The book describes Active Analysis both practically and conceptually; Part One guides the
reader through the entire process of Active Analysis, using A Midsummer Night's Dream
as a practical reference point. The inspiration here is the work of the Russian director
Anatoly Efros, whose pioneering work led the way for a reawakening of theatre in post-
Soviet Russia. Part Two is the first English translation of Maria Knebel's foundational
article about Active Analysis. Knebel was hand-selected by Stanislavsky to carry his final
work forward in unadulterated form for succeeding generations of directors and actors.
The Art of the Actor-Manager: Wilson Barrett and the Victorian Theatre
Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1984.
Translations by James Thomas
"The Joy of Rehearsal: Reflections on Interpretation and Practice" by Anatoly Efros
Peter Lang Publshers, 2006, 2011.
"The Craft of Rehearsal: Further Reflections on Interpretation and Practice" by Anatoly Efros
Peter Lang Publishers, 2007.
Peter Lang Publishers, 2009.
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Papers by James Thomas
and intellectuals who contributed to the era between the early 1950s and
early 1960s known as ‘The Thaw’. The name came from Ilya Ehrenberg’s
eponymous novel of 1954, comparing the atmosphere of the era to climatic
change. Prompted by the succession of moderate leader Nikita Khrushchev
after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, the Thaw era witnessed a recovery of
cultural freedom after a prolonged period of chilling censorship. It awakened
a desire to rediscover authentic Russian imagination instead of its Sovietized
surrogate, to escape from Stalin’s wearisome ideas and stereotypes in art
and literature and to feel confident original creative work was possible once
again. Anatoly Efros was one of the leading creative figures of the Thaw era.
His life and work not only contributed to the hopes of that era but also left
an important legacy.
Books by James Thomas
innovative rehearsal method Stanislavsky formulated in his final years. By uniting 'mental
analysis' and 'études', Active Analysis puts an end to the problem of mind-body dualism
and formalized text memorization that traditional rehearsal methods foster.
The book describes Active Analysis both practically and conceptually; Part One guides the
reader through the entire process of Active Analysis, using A Midsummer Night's Dream
as a practical reference point. The inspiration here is the work of the Russian director
Anatoly Efros, whose pioneering work led the way for a reawakening of theatre in post-
Soviet Russia. Part Two is the first English translation of Maria Knebel's foundational
article about Active Analysis. Knebel was hand-selected by Stanislavsky to carry his final
work forward in unadulterated form for succeeding generations of directors and actors.
Translations by James Thomas