Welcome.

The Stanislavski Centre at Rose Bruford College is a unique initiative within the UK to create a home for both academic research and practice/performance events based upon the work of Konstantin Stanislavski. The Centre, which is located within the college’s Learning Resources Centre, houses a core collection of books and other printed material (mostly in the Russian language), a photographic archive of more than 200 images and a small collection of material on video and DVD (please see our gallery for archive excerpts), most of which relate to Stanislavski’s own productions at the Moscow Art Theatre. The Routledge/Theatre Arts Archive, core research material for Routledge’s new Stanislavski edition is also housed in the Centre.

Originally conceived by Professor Jean Benedetti (former principal of the College, an internationally renowned expert and author of several major books on Stanislavski’s work), the Centre has hosted a series of important lectures, workshops and other events (please see the events page), and is currently planning a future programme of workshops, lectures, performances and master-classes. Scholars may gain access to the collection for research purposes by prior arrangement (please see the access page).

News

Uta Hagen workshop – October 2010 (actual date TBC).
For our first event of the new academic year, The Stanislavski Centre will welcome Canadian actor, director and teacher Kelly Handerek who will present a workshop exploring some aspects of Uta Hagen’s approach to actor training.
“Through the consideration of Uta Hagen’s vision the human technique of each individual actor can express a detailed and living understanding of self in the character. Examined and recreated self-observation allows the actor an awareness to awaken a relaxed and truthful connection to craft. Our work will explore:
-how our ‘expectations’ and ‘adjustments’ open the actor to feel and express the infinite changes in self.
-why ‘listening’ and ‘talking’ teamed with our ’inner and outer objects’ ‘animate’ and touch our deep responsiveness.
-When we find occupation and ‘particularize’ our acting goals we enliven the ‘physical’ and ‘psychological’ senses in self.”

Kelly Handerek B.F.A. B. ED. M.F.A. Professor. (University of Regina, Saskatchewan, CANADA.)
An actor, director, teacher and playwright Kelly’s work travels between new play development, musical theatre and classic text. Past Artistic Director of “The Grand Theatre” London, ONTARIO. As an actor he moves from ensemble parts to lead roles across major Regional Theatres and Independent companies. He also enjoys teaching master classes and adjudicating in Acting, Voice and Directing. As a director his work is noted from the Stratford Festival of Canada, The Banff Centre and the National Arts Centre to the Globe Theatre and the Grand.

Stanislavski Journal, call for contributors
The Stanislavski Journal
A new electronic journal co-produced by
The Stanislavski Centre, Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance
and
The State Academy of Theatre Arts, St Petersburg

seeks contributors for the first issue, to be published in Spring 2011.

The first issue, with the topic Stanislavski and the contemporary theatre, will be co-edited by Professor Alexander Chepurov and Dr Paul Fryer.
We are now seeking contributions for this first issue, which might cover contemporary responses to or the legacy of Stanislavski’s teaching, the influences of that teaching on 20th/21st century theatre-makers, the disciples of Stanislavski, Stanislavski’s influence upon the electronic media, use of Stanislavsk’s approach in contemporary teaching/training, etc.
The Journal will be published bi-lingually, in both English and Russian.
Contributors may propose to include photographic and other illustrative material, subject to copyright clearance.

The deadline for proposals is Monday 2nd August 2010, with a final deadline for completed submissions of Monday 31st January 2011.
The first issue will appear in May 2011.
Potential contributors should submit an abstract (approximately 500 words) of their proposed submission, by email to Dr Paul Fryer (paul.fryer@bruford.ac.uk).

Stanislavski Journal announced
The Stanislavski Centre has announced the forthcoming publication of a new ejournal, in collaboration with The State Academy of Theatre Arts, St Petersburg, Russia. The jounal will aim to draw together a range of international scholarship and all material will be published bi-lingually in both Russian and English.
The Centre has confirmed an Editorial Advisory Board:
Prof. Nesta Jones (Rose Bruford College)
Prof. Maria Shevtsova (Goldsmiths, University of London)
Prof. Bella Merlin (University of California)
Prof. Simon Trussler (Rose Bruford College)
Prof. Brian Singleton (Trinity College, Dublin)
Prof. Christopher Baugh (University of Hull)
Prof. Nickolay Pesochinsky (St Petersburg Academy)
Prof. Alexander Chepurov (St Petersburg Academy)
Prof. Sergei Tcherkasski (St Petersburg Academy)

Dr John Matthews (Rose Bruford College) will serve as reviews editor.

The first edition of the journal is planned to appear in Spring 2011, and will focus on Stanislavski and the Contemporary Theatre. We will shortly be issuing a call for contributors.

Professor Laurence Senelick honoured
Professor Laurence Senelick of Tufts University, a member of the Stanislavski Centre Advisory Board, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A highly distinguished scholar, Professor Senelick has just published an anthology in the Library of America series: The American Stage: Writing on the Theater from Washington Irving to Tony Kushner.

Research Fellowship awarded
Dr John Matthews, Lecturer in Contextual Studies at Rose Bruford College, has been awarded a research fellowship within the Stanislavski Centre for 2010/11. The fellowship will enable Dr Matthews to work on a number of publication projects.

Stanislavski day at Rose Bruford College Research Symposium, 2010
The Stanislavski Centre sponsored a number of important events during the Rose Bruford annual Research Symposium on 14th April.
Teaching Stanislavski – a panel session lead by Professor Kathy Dacre (RBC), with contributions from members of the research team, addressed the issues raised in our Palatine-funded report. The report is available from the Publications page, and will shortly be published on the Palatine website.
Chekhov’s Theatres – a presentation by Professor Christopher Baugh (University of Hull) launched our new research project which will explore the theatre spaces with which the playwright was most closely associated.
From Stanislavski’s psychologic realism to Vasile’ev’s abstract conceptualism ( a development of the “System) – a presentation by Alessio Bergamo, the Rome-based teacher and theatre director.
A workshop on Chekhov’s The Seagull – led by the distinguished director, Ian Rickson (formerly artistic director of The Royal Court Theatre).
On the harmfulness of tobacco – a specially-commissioned performance of Chekhov’s monologue, by Philip Lowrie.