마가렛 웹스터의 셰익스피어와 미국무대

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the contribution of Margaret Webster's production of Shakespearean drama in the United States between 1937 and 1953. This paper recovers the facts of the actors and director's essential art as revealed in Webster's practice through examination of her writings, eye-witness accounts, and other primary resources. Her theory and practice of staging Shakespeare are closely related to her early training and experiences in England, at the Old Vic as well as her apprenticeship with the Ben Greet Players. One significant experience was her study with Harcourt Williams at the Old Vic. Williams had been influenced by Harley Granville-Barker and William Poel, and all three believed that Shakespeare was best served by a loyalty to his text, and by a swift staging without interruption of set changes. The attributes of quick scene progression and of moving action were typical of Webster's productions on a proscenium stage. Another aspect of her direction was the quality of acting. When productions in the nineteenth century were designed to reveal the histrionic genius of the leading actor, Webster's ensemble, playing with a close concern for the minor parts, was a hallmark of her production. Webster worked on the New York stage for over a decade and during this time became a major director of Shakespearean drama. She surrendered a lucrative position in New York to tour the country with Shakespeare on wheels and brought the great playwright to people who had never before seen a Shakespearean play. Most of her productions achieved a high standard of excellence, because of her sound sense of Shakespearean theatre. Her productions between 1937 and 1953 represented a major contribution to Shakespearean theatre in the United States.