The American Career of Maria Ouspenskaya (1887-1949): Actress and Teacher.

276 Pages·2017·11.37 MB·English

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LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School
1999
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Pamela Sue Heilman
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Heilman, Pamela Sue, "The American Career of Maria Ouspenskaya (1887-1949): Actress and Teacher."
(1999). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 6890.
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THE AMERICAN CAREER OF MARIA OUSPENSKAYA (1887-1949)
ACTRESS AND TEACHER
A Dissertation
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the
Louisiana State University and
Agricultural and Mechanical College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in
The Department of Theatre
by
Pamela Sue Heilman
B.A., Rocky Mountain College, 1980
M.A., The Ohio State University, Columbus, 1989
May 1999
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
UMI Number: 9925531
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DEDICATION
This work is dedicated to my pare, nts,
Glenn and Mary Helen Heilman
in appreciation of their constant love and support.
ii
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many persons deserve acknowledgment for their
assistance with this study. Many thanks to my committee
members, Les Wade, Femi Euba, and Bill Demastes, who have
always supported my theatre studies. Thanks also to Dale
Moffitt, Ron Willis, and Nellie McCaslin, who assisted
with my research.
I am especially indebted to Gresdna Doty and Bill
Harbin, who both had a hand in directing this dissertation.
Dr. Doty guided me through the early phases of this
project, assisting me with research and the early stages
of writing. Dr. Harbin kindly agreed to handle the arduous
task of editing my document when I started to write again
after a long delay. His steady encouragement and
insightful comments were deeply appreciated. To both
Dr. Harbin and Dr. Doty, I offer my heartfelt gratitude.
I feel lucky to have worked with you.
I would also like to thank the many friends and family
members who have given their support during this long
writing process. They include Maxie, Mary C., Mary B.,
M. K., Cindy, Lori, Steve, Shawn, Ashley, the Reddochs,
and the members of University Presbyterian.
I am most indebted to my parents, Glenn and Mary
Helen Heilman. Even when times got tough, they continued
to offer their love and encouragement. I feel blessed
to have them as my parents. Thank you, Mom and Dad.
iii
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TABLE OF CONTHSTS
DEDICATION............................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...................................... iii
ABSTRACT ..........................
V
CHAPTER
1 INTRODUCTION ...................................1
2 THE RUSSIAN BEGINNINGS ........................ 12
3 THE HISTORY AND PRACTICES
OF THE MAT AND THE FIRST STUDIO ...............34
4 COMING TO AMERICA: THE MAT TOURS
AND EARLY YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES .......... 74
5 THE TWENTIES: THE AMERICAN LABORATORY
THEATRE AND ACTING IN NEW YORK...............101
6 THE THIRTIES: THE MARIA OUSPENSKAYA SCHOOL
OF DRAMATIC ARTS, BROADWAY ACHIEVEMENTS,
AND EARLY FILM WORK ..........................151
7 THE FORTIES: THE HOLLYWOOD SCHOOL
AND THE MOVIES .............................. 190
8 CONCLUSION .................................. 250
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................ 257
APPENDIX .............................................262
VITA .................................................264
iv
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ABSTRACT
This study examines the career of Maria Ouspenskaya
(1887-1949) in American theatre from 1923-1949, and it
assesses her significance in American theatre history.
The primary sources for this study were newspapers, the
Maria Ouspenskaya Collection in the University Library
at UCLA, and the Ouspenskaya clipping file in the Billy
Rose Collection at the New York Public Library for the
Performing Arts.
Prior to moving to the United States, Ouspenskaya
acted and taught at the Moscow Art Theatre, where she
studied with Konstantin Stanislavsky, who had developed
a new form of actor training known as the "System." In
America, Ouspenskaya first taught System techniques to
students at the American Laboratory Theatre in New York,
working with Richard Boleslavsky. She later taught at
the Neighborhood Playhouse and her own schools in New
York and Hollywood. She also acted in six Broadway plays
and twenty movies. Admired as a character actress, she
received two Academy Award nominations.
The findings of this study reveal that Ouspenskaya
was a highly respected and influential theatre artist
during her years in America. Her acting consistently
received praise from both critics and colleagues, and
her stage and film roles provided a rare opportunity for
the general public to view performance by a former student
v
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of Stanislavsky. More important, Ouspenskaya taught the
System to hundreds of students, who, in turn, carried
the new technique to the stage, film, radio, and
television. Former Lab students Stella Adler, Harold
Clurman, and Lee Strasberg brought their new knowledge
to Broadway via the Group Theatre in the 1930's. Strasberg
later taught his own version of Ouspenskaya's teachings,
the controversial "Method," at the Actor's Studio in the
1950's and 1960's, thereby introducing Stanislavsky's
System to a new generation of actors.
Ouspenskaya' s work as both an actress and a teacher
significantly influenced and reformed American acting
technique. She deserves recognition in theatre history
for her important contributions to performance and actor
training in the United States.
vi
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