Theatre Studios: A Political History of Ensemble Theatre-Making

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Theatre Studios explores the history of the studio model in England, first established by Konstantin Stanislavsky, Jacques Copeau and others in the early twentieth century, and later developed in the UK primarily by Michel Saint-Denis, George Devine, Michael Chekhov and Joan Littlewood, whose studios are the focus of this study. Cornford offers in-depth accounts of the radical, collective work of these leading theatre companies of the mid-twentieth century, considering the models of ensemble theatre-making that they developed and their remnants in the newly publicly-funded UK theatre establishment of the 1960s. In the process, this book develops an approach to understanding the politics of artistic practices rooted in the work of John Dewey, Antonio Gramsci and the standpoint feminists. It concludes by considering the legacy of the studio movement for twenty-first-century theatre, partly by tracking its echoes in the work of Secret Theatre at the Lyric, Hammersmith (2013–2015). Students and makers of theatre alike will find in this book a provocative and illuminating analysis of the politics of performance-making and a history of the theatre as a site for developing counterhegemonic, radically democratic, anti-individualist forms of cultural production. Cover Endorsements Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of figures Acknowledgements Introduction: ensemble theatre-making and the theatre studio tradition The emergence and development of theatre studios Theatre studios and ensemble theatre-making Remnants, practices, models: the organisation of this book SECTION 1: The London Theatre Studio (1936–1939) and the Old Vic Theatre Centre (1947–1952) 1. Remnants of the London Theatre Studio and the Old Vic Theatre Centre 1953: the seeds of a new theatre establishment ‘Transforming themselves from role to role’: the flowering of English acting after the LTS and OVC Patterning behaviour: Saint-Denis’ Cherry Orchard (RSC, 1961) The fruits of the LTS and OVC: the Royal Court and RSC studios 2. Practices of the London Theatre Studio and the Old Vic Theatre Centre Visionary paternalism: Copeau and Saint-Denis The London Theatre Studio: ‘genuine theatre productions’ ‘A school of acting’: training at the LTS LTS Productions: ‘a permanent company’? The Old Vic Theatre Centre: ‘wedding cake’ or arch? The Old Vic Theatre School: ‘a firm technical basis’ The Young Vic and the EXP: the studio that never was 3. Models of practice in the London Theatre Studio and the Old Vic Theatre Centre Pragmatism and vanguardism at the LTS and OVC Gender and hierarchy at the LTS and OVC SECTION 2: The Chekhov Theatre Studio (1936–1942) 4. Remnants of the Chekhov Theatre Studio From making theatre to training actors: Chekhov’s technique after the CTS Studio-schools: Learning and teaching Chekhov after the CTS The CTS and mainstream acting: Paul Rogers in The Homecoming (1965) and Beatrice Straight in Network (1970) 5. Practices of the Chekhov Theatre Studio The CTS curriculum: technique, artistry, and social purpose ‘Art must be based on technique’: exercises at the CTS The rhythmical gesture: ‘our fundamental form’ Atmosphere: the ‘feeling which does not belong to anybody’ Progressive collaborations? Sketching performances at the CTS Collaborating with the author: performances by the CTS The end of the CTS 6. Models of practice in the Chekhov Theatre Studio Chekhov and his studio: the material of performance and the problem of hegemony Atmospheric politics: a model of radical practice from the CTS SECTION 3: Theatre Workshop (1945–1963) 7. Remnants of Theatre Workshop 1955: the end of Theatre Workshop’s studio phase 1963: Oh what a lovely war of the roses! 8. Practices of Theatre Workshop, 1945–1955 Was Theatre Workshop a studio before 1955? Wayfaring, bricolage, and response-ability: Theatre Workshop in 1948 9. Models of practice in Theatre Workshop The counterhegemonic project of Theatre Workshop Direct action: anarcho-syndicalism and the making of Uranium 235 Developing theatrical standpoints: Johnny Noble and A Taste of Honey Conclusion: why do theatre studios matter? Lessons from the past Studio practice in the present: Secret Theatre at the Lyric, Hammersmith (2013–2015) ‘Shaping something into something’: Secret Theatre Shows 2 and 5 Bibliography Index