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Our Artistic Director Declan on Stanislavski

In 2008, our Artistic Director Declan Donnellan was invited to write the Introduction to a new translation of “An Actor’s Work” by Konstantin Stanislavski. Edited and translated by Jean Benedetti, Declan’s introduction speaks of Stanislavski’s obsessions, intuitions, and why his writings are still so important.

“The best Stanislavski story I know isn’t about an actor at all but about a dog. An actor had a dog. This dog used to come to rehearsals and, being rather lazy, would sleep in the corner all day long. Strangely, every evening, just before the actors were to finish, the dog would already be at the door, leash in mouth, waiting to be taken home. What astounded Stanislavski was that the dog would wearily haul himself to his feet several minutes before his master called him. Regular as clockwork, come the end of every rehearsal, the dog would trot to the door and wait there patiently. Now how could a dog possibly know that the rehearsal was over before anyone moved to the door? Finally Stanislavski figured it out. The dog could hear when the actors started talking like normal human beings again. The difference between the fake and the living was just as sharp as Pavlov’s bell.

Stanislavski was obsessed with life. When he uses the word ‘art’ it often reads as a code for ‘life’. This fusion is clear even in the title of his autobiography My Life in Art. His absolute priority was that the stage should flow with life. He hated empty effects and loved genuine vitality. He abhorred hollow gestures that pretend to breathe. He sought that curious mixture of discipline and spontaneity that characterises all good art.  Presumably this is why he continues to inspire us.”

Our Artistic Director Declan Donnellan – photography by Cristi Floriganță

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