Anatoly Efros (1925-1987) one of the most admired and original directors of post-war Russia
directed at the Central Children's Theatre Malaya Bronnaya Theatre Lenkom Theatre Moscow Art
Theatre and Taganka Theatre and elsewhere including the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis and
the Toen Theatre in Tokyo. He taught directing at the State Institute for Theatre Training and
wrote several influential books. His productions received numerous awards for creative
excellence. In The Joy of Rehearsal his best-known work Efros illuminates the dynamics of the
director's creative work. He discusses the process of considering future plays rehearsing them
and evaluating the results. Devoted to the principles of Konstantin Stanislavsky and Michael
Chekhov and inspired by the ideas of Bertolt Brecht Efros also considers the practice of
rehearsals and other features central to professional creative work. His productions of
Shakespeare Moliere Chekhov and other classics were major events for those who looked to the
theatre for social significance as well as aesthetic experience. Theatre students and
professionals will benefit from the insights gained as Efros writes about his unique vision for
the modern theatre.
