Stanislavsky and place: Siting performance internationally
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Jonathan W. Marshall: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5296-6075
David Shirley: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5367-1647
Abstract
Stanislavsky and Place offers a new approach to actor training and theatrical direction by investigating Stanislavsky’s question to his actors of “Where?” the action that they perform (and what preceded it) took place. This book explores how place functions beyond mere location in theatrical practice, addressing politics, colonialism, conflict and resistance through the lens of Stanislavsky’s work. Featuring contributions from leading scholars Jonathan Pitches and Bella Merlin alongside diverse practitioners, the collection examines multiple dimensions of place-based performance. Essays analyse an Australian production of Ibsen’s Enemy of the People addressing environmental concerns; perspectives from Australian First Nations and Settler-descent artists; Russian concepts of place that shaped Stanislavsky’s approach; and the groundbreaking site-specific Vanya Project that incorporated local environments and embodied responses. The book also investigates how actors and mise-en-scène become emplaced, while examining concepts of displacement in multimedia performances that position character-actors simultaneously in multiple locations, particularly in modernist narratives like Kafka’s. Throughout these varied contributions, place emerges as a richly ambiguous and often contested tool for understanding theatrical experience, offering fresh perspectives on Stanislavsky’s enduring influence on contemporary performance practice. Stanislavsky And… is a series of multi-perspectival collections that bring the enduring legacy of Stanislavskian actor training into the spotlight of contemporary performance culture, making them ideal for students, teachers and scholars of acting, actor training, and directing.
Keywords
Stanislavsky, theatre practice, actor training, performance studies, site-specific performance, place and space
Document Type
Book
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
Stanislavsky and Place: Siting Performance Internationally
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
Copyright
subscription content
First Page
1
Last Page
125
Comments
Marshall, J. W., & Shirley, D. (Eds.). (2026). Stanislavsky and place: Siting performance internationally. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003609902