Meyerhold Speaks/Meyerhold Rehearse

Book excerpt: Russian theatre director, Vsevolod Meyerhold, has been called the Picasso of modern theatre. A ceaseless experimenter with new forms and techniques and the leader of an aesthetic revolution, he left no body of theoretical writings. What takes their place are the reminiscences and confessions made in conversations with pupils and friends, some of which were recorded by Aleksandr Gladkov during his years of close association with Meyerhold. This book aims to capture the essence of Meyerhold's personality and temperament as revealed in the director's own informal comments about his rich, varied experiences. His notes, made at rehersals, present Meyerhold in action.