Drivas 1

Nick Drivas

Aaron C. Thomas

Theatre History II

December 4, 2016

Word Count: 760

Synthesis and Exegesis 3: Stanislavsky: Uncensored and Unabridged

In S.M. Carnickes essay, she argues that Stanislavskys works were not represented and

exhibited to their fullest potential for multiple reasons. She goes on first to discuss that the

language barrier Stanislavsky faced led to his works being inaccurately represented initially. As a

Russian man, Stanislavsky was initially forced to write and publish his books in English in order

to alleviate financial difficulties and earn the most money possible. A financially smart short-

term decision, this choice in the longer term effected the quality of the perception of his works.

Carnicke describes the issue of the language barrier by saying: Stanislavsky as a writer is much

more dynamic than his English language guise. (Carnicke 32) He later did go back and publish

his works in Russian to which he credited these as the more definitive. Unfortunately, this

Russian Revision was never translated into English. (Carnicke 30)

After discussing the language barrier, she then goes to discuss the issue of publishing

rights with Stanislavskys works. Carnicke describes issues Stanislavsky had with publishers

forcing him to cut out crucial portions of his works, altogether shortening them. Carnicke

explains the publishing issue by saying: In the United States, commercial publishers rejected

subtle and complicated explanations of the experimental nature of acting, (Carnicke 23)

Stanislavskys compliance with the publishers once again roots back to his need for the money,

which in turn did sacrifice the integrity of the English works. Along with this, the publishing
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issues did contribute to the reasons why Stanislavsky returned to Russia to publish his works

with full integrity intact.

In a larger scheme issue, Carnicke expresses that the reign of Joseph Stalin drastically

affected the published works of Stanislavsky along with many other writers. In his reign, Stalin

issued a new and strict rubric for all writers to follow; once again sacrificing the intentions and

integrity of the works Stanislavsky simply wished to contribute. Carnicke then moves from this

large, national issue to the more internal issue Stanislavsky faced where his points had difficulty

being expressed in his words because they were ever changing and growing as he continued his

practice. He would say how his points were solidified one day, but what the next day brought

would completely alter his points from they were the day before. This, in turn, affected the

comprehension his followers had of his work. His ever-changing and evolving ideals made his

work quite difficult to follow and keep up with. Lastly, Carnicke makes great sense of the fact

that Stanislavskys works, at times, were overshadowed because he worked so closely with so

many other actors and acting teacher, and everyone would draw from his instruction and apply it

into their own lessons. Unfortunately though, like his initial English-written work, a lot of this

would become lost in translation and his lessons grew muddles as more and more others taught

his ideal to other who would then go and teach those to others as well. His philosophy is brilliant

and unparalleled in many aspects, but the complexity that comes with the brilliance of his works

makes conveying his ideas and knowledge very difficult both on paper and by spoken lesson.

After reading Carnickes essay, the importance of Stanislavsky is greatly instilled in the

reader. What seems most important for students to gain from Stanislavsky is that there is no

definitive right or wrong way to achieve successful acting. This can be proved by Carnickes

point that Stanislavsky philosophies were always changing, growing, and reshaping even at times
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on a daily basis. Carnicke leaves a great impression on the reader about the human race; in that,

the division of the human race creates miscomprehension and misunderstanding that was clearly

found in Stanislavskys initial English publications. Also, in terms of the human race, the

assertion of power onto one person can affect the masses tragically large and drastic ways. For

instance, the actions of Stalin affected the direction and integrity of Stanislavskys work along

with the developing works of so many others. This hindrance caused by one individual stunted

the growth of the art form and caused great road blocks for expressing the gained knowledge that

Stanislavsky grew that he only wished to share with others. It is unfortunate reality that was

faced, and that we still do face and encounter today. It is most important to follow in the steps of

Stanislavsky while utilizing what we know today, and continue to further and preserve the arts

by fighting against all that comes in its way.

Work Cited

Carnicke, Sharon Marie. "Stanislavsky: Uncensored and Unabridged." TDR (1988-) 1993: 22.

JSTOR Journals. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.