ABSTRACT
In helping to formulate the role of the director in early twentieth-century Russian theatre practice, Meyerhold was instrumental in articulating the need for a director’s explication – the unique understanding of a production, often equated in Anglophone contexts as the director’s vision. While students and other directors often asked Meyerhold to give them unambiguous insight into his explication process, he was adamant that it was a uniquely creative act. Yet, he made clear that the creation of the explication is intricately linked to the overall structuring of the production. In this essay, the authors trace the development of the explication within a collaboratively created production in order to analyse how Meyerhold’s legacy informs contemporary theatre practice. In doing so, the explication process is placed within the context of broader arguments around the role of the director and the purpose of a director’s vision.
