A Director's Guide to Stanislavsky's Active Analysis

James Thomas, Professor and Graduate Officer at Wayne State University, Detroit, is a graduate of St. Ambrose College (BA), Villanova University (MA), and the University of Texas at Austin (PhD). He came to WSU from Florida State University, where he was Associate Dean of the School of Theatre. His most recent directing credits include Marriage, The Seagull, The Inspector General, and Death of a Salesman at the Hilberry Theatre, and The Skin of Our Teeth, A Flea in Her Ear, and Ah-Wilderness! at the Bonstelle Theatre. His publications include Script Analysis for Actors, Directors and Designers, The Art of the Actor-Manager: Wilson Barrett and the Victorian Theatre, and translations of The Joy of Rehearsal, The Craft of Rehearsal, and Beyond Rehearsal by Russian director Anatoly Efros. He is also Director of the department’s Summer Study Abroad Program with the Moscow Art Theatre School.

Preface
Introduction
PART 1: A DIRECTOR’S WORK WITH ACTIVE ANALYSIS
I. Choosing the Play
II. Director’s Plan: General Challenges
III. Director’s Plan: Action Analysis
IV. An Introductory Conversation with Stanislavsky about Active Analysis
V. Active Analysis in Rehearsal
VI. Further Active Analysis and Testing
VII. Conclusion: Rehearsal Realities
PART 2: ACTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PLAY AND THE ROLE, by Maria Knebel
Preface
I. General Principles of Active Analysis
II. Details are Important
III. Main Advantages of Active Analysis
IV. Beyond Etudes
V. Active Analysis Compared to the Method of Physical Actions
VI. Conclusion
Bibliography