New-York tribune., 1922-11-19
Guilds New
Director Will
Make Debut
The Lucky One Is First
Producing Efort Here of
Tfacetior Kornisarjevsky

ster tomorrow night the results Of
che direeSoriai methods OF Theodor
komisarjevsky will be revealed TO an
American audience for tho FIRST time.
Mr. Komisarjevsky, the Theater Guilds
new director, arrived in this country
Just toe late to stage Capek's ar. u.
R.v In addition 20 the Milne play he
VIII work with Joseph Schildkraut in
ibsen's "Peer Gynt," which will prob
ably be the Guild's third production OF
the season, and he will be responsible
for the staging Of yae organizations
production until the end of the season.
a spare, dark, bald-headed man sat
IN his basement Office at the Garrick
Theater, mapping out plans for his
qrst stage work in America. Russia,
France, italy and England had all seen
his productions. Bernard Shaw had
praised him for his management of
the Stage Soeiety's performances in
London. But what did the average the
atergoer know OF thia man, Konisar-
jevsky. who had come with his the
cries of acting and direction to tho
Theater Guild? So 1t was for the on
lightenment OF the non~proSessional
theatergoer that Mr. Komisarjevsky
patiently offered bits Of biographical
data concerning himself.
Theodor Komisarjevsky was born In
italy of Rdssian parents. His father
was singing at La Scala, In Milan, so
that he spent much of his youth In
italy. The new director studied in
Russia and then went TO the University
of Freiburg, where he interested him
self in literature, philosophy and art.
Back TO Russia he went TO start his
esreer in the thester, joining his sis.
ter's theaters the Petrograd Dramatic
Theater, where he designed settings
and assisted in production. This as
sociation. starting in 1905, tasted for
five years, when the theater was closed
following the death of his sister.
Il was then offered an engagement as
producer with the Moscow Art The
ster. but refused It," MIR. Koraisar-
jevsky said. "Stanislavsky has def
mite system. My system differs from
MS. so, naturally, l think bis is wrong,
Do. not misunderstand me. The Mos
cow Art Theater is beautiful organi-
aation, q strong organization. But IL
you join it you must lose syeur indiyid-
aality or you cannot go on with it.
Being young man at the time the of
fer was made. did not feel that was
ready to give up my individuality.
Five years ago ! received another Of
fer, but refused that too"
Instead Of associating himself with
the Moscow Art Theater, Mr.. Komi-
sarjevsky became director in the i'm
periai theaters in. Moscow, working in
the Grand Theater, which presented
opera and ballet, and the Moscow Lit
tie Imperial Theater. At this time he
was also directing a modern private
theater. In 1914 Mr.. Komisarjevsky
opened his own theater in Moscow in
conjunction with his dramatic school.
It was a sort of studio theater where
experiments in new art were carried
on. The Russian director explains that
Inc work done was just the opposite of
that which the Moscow Art Theater
was doing. Expressionistic plays were
presented, new authors were brought
forward and the plays of Shakespeare
and Shaw were produced in an original
manner. His work in the theater in
Moscow was not interrupted by the
war or the revolution.
When the imperial theaters became
state theaters under the Soviets. Mr.,
Konisarjevsky, who had retained his
connection with them while he was
carrying on his own work, was elected
chief director of the Grand Theater.
"From the point Of view Of art the
revolution was ail right" ne explained,
but there we're other difficulties"
For the Everyman Theater, an or
ganization like the American Theater
Guild, except that It has no subscrib-
ers, he put on two plays, Ibsen's "Johu
Gabriel Biorkman" and "The Race
With the Shadow play from the
German by Wilhelm Won Scholz, which
Reinhardt produced at the Theater Tri-
buna, in Berlin. He designed the
scenes for and produced "The Jest" at
the Comedy Theater, in London, in Sep
,tenber of last year. For the London
Stage Society he staged Chekhov's
t'Uncle Vanya," pirandeilo's "Six Char
acters in Search of Author" the play
which Brock Pembarton is now present.
ing at the Princess Theater. and Knut
Hamsun's Eat the Gates of the King
dem
The method of acting and the method
Of production are dictated by the play"
Mr. Komisartcvsky explained. "The
same technique cannot be maintained
throughout ones work. The produe-
tion---that is. the acting, the scenery
and the other things which enter-must
me in harmony and must suggest the
came thing.
II think that acting Is an art. II it
10 an art it is 8 sort of creation. The
Moscow Art Theater thinks acting is a
sort Of imitation ard repetition OF
ones experiences in lifs. IL it is ilni-
sation, it isn't art. The training of
~, - a