Question and Answer Session

1903 photo of the Moscow Art Theatre stage.

Recorded during a symposium on the Moscow Art Theatre, held at the United Nations Plaza, speakers answer questions from the audience about Stanislavski's method of acting. According to an October 26th, 1964 article in the New York Times, the speakers visiting from the Soviet Union are:

Victor Manyukov, Theater Director and Teacher
Vladimir Prokofyev, Historian and Theoretician
Angelina Stepanova, Actress
Vasily Toporkov, Actor

Unfortunately, these recordings contain only segments from the day's discussion. In the first recording from this day of the symposium, the speaker announces that there is a small number in attendance and proposes to have an informal discussion with the audience instead of a lecture. Actor and Director Robert Lewis asks questions about how to weave internal and external practice into a performance.

The next tape contains the last few seconds of the afternoon session, and the remainder of the tape is blank. It has been omitted from the public access copy.

The third tape begins with a discussion between Stella Adler and a panelist [Victor Manyukov?] on when an actor needs direction and at what point they are fully immersed in the character. An audience member [Maria Pescata?] asks a question about the styles of directors working at the Moscow Art Theatre after Stanislavski, particularly Vsevolod Meyerhold. Another audience member asks Vasily Toporkov for clarification on the use of emotional memory.

Translations by Tanya Derugeen and Ross Levroff.


Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection


WNYC archives id: 151041
Municipal archives id: T7009