Rehearsal protocols for Hamlet by William Shakespeare at the Second Moscow Art Theatre

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Notes

^1. The following is an edited and revised version of a literal translation by Nicky Brown, commissioned specially for TDPT. The protocols are published in Mikhail Chekhov: Literaturnoe nasledie: V. 2-h tomah. T. 2. Moskva, 1995. SS. 378–433 (Chekhov 1995, pp. 378–433). We are indebted to Kim Lane for providing permission to publish them here.

^2. It appears that Chekhov is referring to statements made by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko on 18 April 1923 during a meeting with the board of directors. [Original Russian editors' note]

³ [Editors' note] Chekhov is slightly mis-quoting here from the critic Vissarion Belinsky's article of 1838 ‘Hamlet, drama by Shakespeare. Mochalov as Hamlet’. Pavel Mochalov – a famous Russian actor (1800–1848).

^4. Shakespeare: ‘Whither wilt thou lead me? Speak! I'll go no further.’

^5. Shakespeare: ‘The time is out of joint.’

^6. Shakespeare: ‘’Now to my word: It is ‘Adieu, adieu! Remember me. I have sworn't.’

^7. Shakespeare: ‘’Tis now the very witching time of night.'

^8. See Introduction.

^9. The scene with the duel begins in front of the curtain with a conversation between Hamlet and Horatio, then the curtain opens to reveal the King and courtiers. [Original Russian editor's note]

^10. Vladimir Solovyev (1853–1900), Russian philosopher, theologian, poet, literary critic.

^11. Shakespeare: ‘Say, why is this? Wherefore? What should we do?’ and ‘I do not set my life at a pin's fee’.

^12. In the performance, the scene with the Spirit was resolved thus: ‘During the very first words of Bernardo's story, muffled bursts of sound begin to be heard in the air. These sounds, which fill the whole space along with beams of light which first flare up then fade away, accompany each appearance of the Spirit on stage. The sounds and the light intensify when his approach is imminent and fade away as he disappears. […] They resound all around, from all sides, and fill the whole space to the powerful rhythm of an unseen choir made up of male voices. Hamlet hears the story of this absolute outrage told phrase by phrase. He repeats it phrase by phrase, preserving their slow rhythm, melody and intonation. But at the same time his own exclamations, full of pain and horror, burst impetuously into the measured pace of the story’ MAT Museum, KS14087 [Original Russian Editors’ Note].

^13. Shakespeare: ‘I embrace it freely.’

^14. Shakespeare: ‘Give me your pardon, sir. I have done you wrong.’

^15. Shakespeare: ‘I charge thee speak!’ (Act I Sc.i).

^16. Shakespeare: ‘Ay, truly’ (Act III Sc.i).

^17. In the performance, the monologue ‘To be or not to be’ was resolved thus: ‘Hamlet makes his appearance in the background, on the right, behind a grating. Wrapped in a cloak, his head bowed, clasping his hands to his chest, he slowly and mechanically walks along the length of the grating. He is deeply absorbed in his own thoughts. After stepping over the threshold and taking two or three steps forward, he stops and raises his head. His hands fall down, having smoothed out the creases in his cloak. He slowly drops the words of the monologue, with pauses, with repetitions. It is possible to follow and feel the entire flow of his thoughts, their entire process. With an enormous yearning for peace, he says with his whole being: “To sleep…” During the course of the monologue you see how the thought moves on its own way and the words merely follow it’ (Act III Sc.i, l. 60). [Original Russian editor's note]

^18. Shakespeare: ‘The fair Ophelia! Nymph…’ (Act III Sc.i).

^19. Vasily Kachalov (real surname Shverubovich, 1875–1948); Ivan Moskvin (1874–1946); Leonid Leonidov (real surname Vol'fenzon, 1873–1941) all are famous actors of the Moscow Art Theatre.