Sverkzadacha (superobjective, supertask) is a key term in Stanislavsky’s system and, arguably, the most troublesome. His scattered remarks are ambiguous, metaphorical, and often contradictory, and his direct explanations are unacceptable when they run counter to the overall course of his teaching, promoting or even imposing general, flat formulas that easily turn into clichés. This essay...
The connection between Konstantin Stanislavsky and Jerzy Grotowski is often overlooked or underplayed because there are substantial distinctions between them in terms of practices and approaches. In Part I of this essay, I examine Grotowski’s reflections on Stanislavsky’s final experiments, which the Polish director considered to constitute the culmination of the System, as well as the starting...