"Embodying Gilgamesh: BIOMECHANICS, the Physical Actor Training Method": A lecture and demonstration by Vladimir Rovinsky December 11, 2009

Biomechanics is the system of actor training developed by legendary Russian director Vsevolod Meyerhold in the 1920s as the study of the body in motion. The method was created by Meyerhold as an alternative to Konstantin Stanislavsky's system, which was predicated on the style of realism. Meyerhold's directorial style utilized grotesque, expressionistic models and decidedly non-realistic artistic approaches. Biomechanics was designed by him to train actors for this kind of work, however, it works also as a tool for focusing physical energy and thus is useful to an actor preparing for work in any theatrical language.

The Embodying Gilgamesh Research Collaborative is studying Biomechanics as well as several other physical approaches to acting as a way of creating new methods for staging "ancientness". The fruits of this study will be applied toward the premiere of a new play based on the epic of Gilgamesh and presented by Theatre Novi Most in September 2010.

This public sharing will include a brief lecture about Meyerhold and the method he created, slides and video of his company from the 20s and 30s in Russia and a live demonstration by Mr. Rovinsky and members of Theatre Novi Most who are training in the method. Mr. Rovinsky trained in Biomechanics with Alexei Levinsky who trained with Nicolai Kustov, Meyerhold's assistant. He recently directed The Lucky Event by Slawomir Mrozek at The Theatre Commediens in St. Petersburg (2000) and appeared in his own creation, Jasper Johns with Skewed Vision Theatre in 2008. Vladimir is also co-founder of Theatre Novi Most for which he has directed or performed in four world premieres. He most recently played Mayakovsky in the Theatre Novi Most production, M2.

Official Website: http://www.ias.umn.edu/collabs09-10/EmbodyingGilgamesh.php