The Director and the Superobjective in Stanislavski's System

Recorded during a symposium on the Moscow Art Theatre held at the United Nations Plaza, the speakers discuss the director's role in producing a play. 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 [not present for this recording?]

Prokofyev begins by describing how this modern approach to directing shifted from an actor-centered model to a more holistic and collective method of production. According to Stanislavski's teachings, a director must help the actors find a super objective that drives their characters actions and motivations. The actors give life to the intention of the author and the playwright.

Next Stepanova reminisces on practical impressions she gained from working with different directors. She considers a quote from Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko that "a director must die within the actor," and describes working with him. He preferred to ask questions rather than instruct the actors on exactly what to do in a scene.

The session concludes with questions from the audience on identifying the super objective in a production.

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 151816
Municipal archives id: T1583