ABSTRACT
AsearlyasJanuary1921Meyerholdhadmadeplanstoopena'theatrical technicalschool'attachedtohistheatre.Itwasdesignedtogiveactors methodicalinstructioninspeechandmovement'basedonthegeneral physicallawsoftechnology,asexpressedmostclearlyinphysics,mechanics, musicandarchitecture'.3WithMeyerhold'sresignationfromNarkompros, theschoolfailedtomaterialisebutnowattheHigherTheatreWorkshops thecurriculumwasverysimilar.AstherehadbeenatMeyerhold'searlier studios,therewerecoursesinsinging,voice,dance,fencing,boxing, acrobaticsandgymnastics,aswellasgeneralculturalandtechnological topics.However,forthefirsttime'biomechanics'featuredasadaily one-houractivitythatwasobligatoryforallstudents.Meyerholdpresented biomechanicsasthetheatricalequivalentofindustrialtime-and-motion study.Hecompareditontheonehandtotheexperimentsinthescientific organisationoflabourbytheAmericanFrederickWinslowTaylorandhis RussianfollowerGastev,andontheothertothetheoriesof'reflexology' developedbythe'objectivepsychologist'WilliamJamesandtheRussians, BekhterevandPavlov. 4Whenthefirstpublicdemonstrationofhisbiomechanicsexercisesor'etudes'wasgivenbyMeyerholdandh1sstudents on12June1922,hemadethefollowingpointsinhisintroductory lecture:
Inthepasttheactorhasalwaysconformedtothesocietyforwhichhisartwas intended.Infuturetheactormustgoevenfurtherinrelatinghistechniqueto
Biomechanics and Constructivism 17 3
the industrial situation. For he will be working in a society where labour is no longer regarded as a curse but as a joyful, vital necessity. In these conditions of ideal labour art clearly requires a new foundation ...
