Edward Gordon Craig: A Vision of Theatre [1° ed.] 9789057021251, 9057021250

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EDWARD GORDON CRAIG

Contemporary Theatre Studies A series of books edited by Franc Chamberlain, Nene College, Northampton, UK

Volume 1 Playing the Market: Ten Years of the Market Theatre, Johannesburg,

1976-1986 Anne Fuchs Volume 2 Theandric: Julian Beck's Last Notebooks Edited by Erica BUder, with notes by Judith Malina Volume 3 Luigi Pirandello in the Theatre: A Documentary Record Edited by Susan Bassnett and Jennifer Lorch Volume 4 Who Calls the Shots on the New York Stages? Kalina Stefanova-Peteva Volume 5 Edward Bond Letters: Volume 1 Selected and edited by Ian Stuart Volume 6 Adolphe Appia: Artist and Visionary of the Modern Theatre Richard C. Beacham Volume 7 James Joyce and the Israelites and Dialogues in Exile Seamus Finnegan Volume 8 It's All Blarney. Four Plays: Wild Grass, Mary Maginn, It's All Blarney, Comrade Brennan Seamus Finnegan

Volume 9 Prince Tandi of Cumba or The New Menoza, by J. M. R. Lenz Translated and edited by David Hill and Michael Butler, and a stage adaptation by Theresa Heskins Volume 10 The Plays of Ernst Toller: A Revaluation Cecil Davies Volume 11 Edward Bond Letters: Volume 2 Selected and edited by Ian Stuart Volume 12 Theatre and Change in South Africa Edited by Geoffrey V. Davis and Anne Fuchs Volume 13 Anthropocosmic Theatre: Rite in the Dynamics of Theatre Nicolds Nunez, translated by Ronan Fitzsimons and edited, with a foreword, by Deborah Middleton Volume 14 Edward Bond Letters: Volume 3 Selected and edited by Ian Stuart Volume 15 'Pulp' and Other Plays by Tasha Fairbanks Edited by Gabriele Griffin and Elaine Aston Volume 16 Art into Theatre: Performance Interviews and Documents Nick Kaye

Please see the back of this book for other titles in the Contemporary Theatre Studies series

EDWARD GORDON CRAIG A VISION OF THEATRE Christopher Innes York University, Ontario, Canada

I~ ~~o~1~;n~~~up LONDON AND NEW YORK

Copyright © 1998 The Taylor & Francis Publishing Group.

Reprinted 2004 By Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN Routledge is an imprint ofthe Taylor & Francis Group Transferred to Digital Printing 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any

information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Every effort has been made to trace the ownership of all copyrighted material in this book. In the event of any questions about the use of any material, the author, while expressing regret for any inadvertent error, will be happy to make the necessary acknowledgment in future printings.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Innes, C. D. (Christopher D.) Edward Gordon Craig: a vision of theatre. - 2nd ed. (Contemporary theatre studies; v. 28) 1. Craig, Edward Gordon, 1872-1966 - Criticism and interpretation I. Title 792'.092

ISBN 90-5702-125-0 ISBN 90-5702-124-2 Cover illustration: "Wretched Lovers," Acis and Galatea. Courtesy of the British Library. Title page photograph: Gordon Craig with his model stage, Moscow, 1910. Publisher's Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original may be apparent.

CONTENTS Introduction to the Series List of Illustrations Acknowledgments

vii ix xi

1.

Prologue: The argument

2.

Scene changes: Victorian theater, an acting career, and points of departure

11

3.

A rising action: Design and movement

37

4.

Problem drama: Texts and performers

71

5.

A play of ideas: Principles, theory, and an Obermarionette

101

6.

Toward a new theater: Masques, screens, and a Hamlet

129

7.

The theater of the future: Scene, puppets, and a religious festival

175

8.

Final bow: A school and the printed word

205

9.

Curtain call: Craig's vision and contemporary theater

215

Programme notes: Craig on theater

223

10.

1

Edward Gordon Craig, 1872-1966: A theatrical chronology

309

Notes Select Bibliography Index

315 333 335

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INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES

Contemporary Theatre Studies is a book series of special interest to everyone involved in theatre. It consists of monographs on influential figures, studies of movements and ideas in theatre, as well as primary material consisting of theatre-related documents, performing editions of plays in English, and English translations of plays from various vital theatre traditions worldwide. Franc Chamberlain

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

iii Gordon Craig with his model stage, Moscow, 1910. xii Gordon Craig with a marionette, Florence, 1914. 18 Letterhead for the Gordon Craig Company, 1894. 19 Craig as Hamlet, 1897. Scene drawings (by B. Partridge) of Irving's 1888 21 and 23 Macbeth, with Craig's commentary. 29 Godwin's production of Helena in Troas, 1886. 32 Herkomer's "moon-mechanism." 34 Herkomer's adjustable proscenium. Stage plan for Dido and Aeneas, act I, Hampstead 40 Conservatoire, 1900. 42 A Witch, Dido and Aeneas. 45 Diagrams of scenery and lighting systems for Dido and Aeneas. 47 A Mourner, Dido and Aeneas. 48 Blocking diagrams for Dido and Aeneas, act 2, scene 1. 51 Costume designs for Dido and Aeneas. 53 "Wretched Lovers," Acis and Galatea. 54 "The Shadow," Acis and Galatea. 56 Stage plan for Acis and Galatea, act 1. 57 The chorus, Acis and Galatea, act 1, Great Queen St. Theater, 1902. 58 Stylization for Acis and Galatea 60-61 Costume designs for The Masque of Love. 65 "Behold, oh mightiest of gods," The Masque of Love. Blocking diagram for "Behold, oh mightiest of gods," The Masque 68 of Love, Coronet Theater, 1901. 69 Ballet choreography from Moynet's Trucs et Decors. 73 The shepherds, Bethlehem. 74-75 Notes for the procession of the kings, Bethlehem. 80 Stage plan for Bethlehem, The Imperial Institute, 1902. 82 Laurence Housman's cartoon of Craig. 84-85 Stage layouts for The Vikings, Imperial Theater, 1903. 88 Costume design for The Vikings. 89 Set design for The Vikings, act 2. 92 The Vikings, act 1. 95 The Vikings, act 4.

x

List of Illustrations

Set design for the church scene, Much Ado About Nothing. Scenes from The Pretenders, Copenhagen, 1926. Costume designs for Acis and The Vikings. Set design: Hamlet/Macbeth. Isadora Duncan. Designs for masks from Dido and The Masque of Love. Design for The Masque of Hunger. The final scene, The Masque of Hunger. The Steps, fourth mood. Model screen scene with Black Figures, 1907. Patent specifications for the screens. Stage plan for act 2 of The Merchant of Venice, 1911. Ellen Terry with the screens for The Merchant of Venice, 1911. Design for Hamlet, act 1, scene 2, 1908. St~ge plan for act 1 of Hamlet, 1906. The Actors' scenes in Hamlet. Claudius, Gertrude, and Hamlet, Moscow Art Theater, 1912. Stage plan and elevation for Hamlet, act 1, scene 3. Model for Hamlet, act 2, scene 1. Model for Hamlet, act 3, scene 3. Models for act 4 of Hamlet. Model for the final scene of Hamlet. The final scene as presented on the Moscow Art Theater stage. Design for the opening of Macbeth. Two diagrams from Serlio's Architettura. The Asphaleia System. The first design for Scene, 1906. An early model of Scene with silhouettes. Black Figures. The church at Giornico. The model for The St. Matthew Passion. Scene design for The St. Matthew Passion. Scenic effects on the model for The St. Matthew Passion. Craig's title page for a play for marionettes

98 103 104-5 107

114 124-5 135 136 140

142 144-5 147

148 151 154 156-7 160-1

164 165 165 166-7 170 171

172 178 182

184 187 188 195 197

198 200-1 299

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The original version of this study could not have been completed without the active cooperation of many institutions and individuals. It was undertaken while some of Gordon Craig's collaborators and colleagues were still available as a resource. Their information and insights were invaluable; and the present book is no less indebted to their assistance. In particular, Edward Craig opened his personal archives to me, answered many questions about his father's work, and was generous in offering advice and criticism. He also provided many of the photographs, which are reproduced again here. Peter Fozzard gave me the considerable benefit of his experience in organizing the centennial exhibition of Craig's designs, while Arnold Rood not only allowed me to work with his Craig collection (now in the London Theatre Museum) but also shared his wide knowledge of Gordon Craig. I remain deeply grateful for their help and encouragement. Since the documents and visual materials relating to Craig's life and work have been widely dispersed, neither the original nor subsequent research for this book could have been accomplished without the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, as well as York University. In addition, the directors and staffs of the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, the Harry Ransome Humanities Research Center at Austin, Texas, and the University of California at Los Angeles were unfailingly helpful. My thanks are due to the following for permission to reproduce photographs and designs as illustrations: the Bibliotheque Nationale, the Harry Ransome Humanities Research Center, the British Library, UCLA, the Novosti Press Agency, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and Helen Craig, as well as both Edward Craig and Arnold Rood. For the original version Robert Craig generously gave permission to use copyrighted material in the Edward Gordon Craig, CH, Estate; and with equal generosity Ellen T. M. Craig has given permission to include additional material in this new edition - to both of whom I am, and remain, extremely grateful. Christopher Innes Toronto, 1995

Gordon Craig with a marionette, Florence, 1914.

1 PROLOGUE: THE ARGUMENT

Gordon Craig is one of the key figures in the development of modern theater. His influence in the early decades of the century was crucial; and his vision of what theater might become continues to inform the work of some of the leading theater-artists today. But, in addition to the intrinsic significance of his ideas, any attempt to explore Craig's visionary concepts offers a particular challenge in terms of theater-studies. In a physical art such as theater, theory does not exist independent of the object, and can only be validated on the stage. Yet performance is notoriously transitory and evanescent. If theory depends on practice, how can it be evaluated when there is no opportunity to experience the stage-performances on which it is based? In a very real sense the past is unavailable; and Craig's case is particularly difficult, since he mounted relatively few productions. However, for these there happens to be a considerable amount of detail that has been preserved. This is partly because Craig was intensely aware that he was attempting something completely new, which meant that he recorded his aims and made notes on his rehearsals - partly because he was continually attempting to find financial backing for his ideas, and so commented extensively on what had been achieved - partly b~cause he became involved in writing and publishing theatrical journals, which led him to keep any material that might serve as a resource for articles - and partly because of the centrality of design in his work (costume and set designs being one element of theater that does provide physical evidence). In addition, since Craig had persuaded the theater-world of the time that his work was revolutionary, reviews of his productions were remarkably detailed. Thus it becomes possible to reconstruct to a large degree what actually occurred on the stage, and even (taking into account not only reviews, but correspondence with and by his collaborators) audience response. One of the intentions of this study is therefore to demonstrate how productions from the past can be reconstructed, by combining evidence from promptbooks, designs, rehearsal notes, stage-photographs, programmes, correspondence and newspaper reviews. The aim is to show what Craig achieved on the stage, and to relate this to his theories, in order to evaluate his vision of theater - but also to provide a model for theater-studies: what might be called an archeology of performance.

2

Edward Gordon Craig

At the same time the task demonstrates some of the problems in doing this even for modern theater, since such material tends to be scattered. Indeed, in the case of Craig this is particularly acute. Although he collected and preserved so much of the necessary evidence, historical circumstances have spread it widely across the world. Craig not only worked in Germany, Russia and Italy, as well as England, but he also spent the latter part of his life in France. And when in old age and impoverished, he was negotiating the sale of his collection with American University libraries, the French government declared his work a "national treasure" and forced a sale (for a considerably lower price) to the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. As a result, Craig would offer pieces from his collection to the admirers who visited him at his house in Venice. These included American scholars such as Arnold Rood, and enthusiasts such as Norman Philbrick. In addition, Craig had two families of children - one legitimate, although he had abandoned them at the turn of the century; and one from a "common-law" marriage - and he died without making a will. The children of his second marriage, who had participated in his work and cared for him in his final illness, but would have had no legal claim to inheritance, packed up several trunkloads of material; and shipped them out of France before declaring Craig's death. These papers and documents were then sold piecemeal to various archives in the U.S. So, although the Bibliotheque Nationale claims to hold "the Craig Collection", in actuality a large amount of important material, particularly relating to Craig's theatrical plans, is in the Humanities Research Center at Austin, Texas, or at the University of California in Los Angeles. Other material created by Craig is at the London Theater Museum (to which the Rood collection has also been donated), in the British Library, in the Harvard Theater Library at Boston, or in Stanford (where the Philbrick collection has gone). There is also a collection of Craig's designs in Japan, and material relating to his work with Stanislavski in Moscow. This means that in order to build up a picture of any given production, material must be collated from widely separated sources; and the task is further complicated because Craig recorded his ideas in three different series of hand-written books: "Daybooks" for general thoughts and plans, "Notebooks" for specific concepts, and "MS books" as well as Sketchbooks. For instance, the prompt book, original set and costume designs for, say, Craig's 1901 production of Handel's Acis and Galatea are at the BN. However, the "Daybook" for that period is in the HRC, while the "Notebook" is at UCLA, who also have stage photos. Other photos are in London, together with newspaper reviews and background material on the theater of the time, while related correspondence is in three of the different archives.

Prologue

3

This, in a sense, is quite appropriate, since Craig was an internationalist, as well as having a diverse career, which covered almost every area of theater. In 1890, at the age of eighteen, Gordon Craig was hailed as the most promising young actor in England. Ten years later he had turned his back on the conventional stage and devoted himself to a vision of theater so radical that it seemed to have no place for the actor at all. His work as a director established techniques that have become axioms of modern stagecraft, but his theories were so extreme that they had little chance of being accepted or even understood. He was an enigma from the first, and for almost a century has been one of the most fought-over names in world theater. He was one of the innovators who shaped the development of modern theater, yet the exact extent of his influence is almost impossible to measure. His early productions introduced revolutionary techniques of lighting and new principles of grouping and scene design that are now accepted without question. Yet these productions had little direct impact. Practically no other theatrical reformer saw them and the information to reconstruct them has only recently become available. Craig was a leader without clearly identifiable followers, yet a magnet for almost all who reacted against realistic staging; a director with only seven mature productions he could call his own, who denied that even these were true examples of his theatrical concept. He was a founder-member of the new movement that included Copeau and Jouvet, Appia and Reinhardt, Tairov and Vaktangov, Poel and Granville-Barker - but unlike those others, who have won general recognition, Craig has never commanded any critical consensus. From the first, his work either attracted exaggerated praise or was rejected out of hand. On the one side, artists such as Yeats hailed him as a theatrical messiah. Indeed, by 1931 his early collaborator, Martin Shaw, could fairly claim that Craig was "acknowledged by most people on the continent ... to be the most significant force in the theatre today." On the other, standard source books on twentieth-century staging tend to dismiss his work t£ju*£»iKjcu*AL*a **r i^CU^al, M umc /\f- cLu ctftA**Lp~XccEh^ An Tlttef /Vjtv T G i^ /•nlVi a# Q& SK kO t. A .. {