Cited by 4Theatre and Performance StudiesPsychology of Development and EducationAcademic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 28 of the 28 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 49 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.

From the proscenium: The influence of Konstantin Stanislavski and the psychology of acting in Vygotsky’s work

Open access

Abstract

This article connects linguistic, theoretical, and methodological aspects of Stanislavski’s work with Vygotsky’s quest to develop a new psychology.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This historical/conceptual article argues that Vygotsky’s psychological theory, especially his late work, was shaped by his early theater criticism and his engagement with Stanislavski’s acting system and the GAKhN psychology-of-the-actor circle. It traces shared vocabulary and concepts to suggest Stanislavski’s practical system informed Vygotsky’s theoretical program.

Key findings

  • Vygotsky’s theater writing drew on Stanislavskian language; the authors count 14 mentions of Stanislavski in available reviews, notes, and lectures from 1917–1924, and note that Vygotsky wrote over 80 essays in Gomel, mostly theatrical reviews.
  • Liubov Gurevich consulted Vygotsky in 1929 about Stanislavski’s terminology, alongside Chelpanov and Ekzemplyarsky; Vygotsky also had access to an extended draft of *An Actor’s Work* before his later reformulation of psychology.
  • The article identifies conceptual parallels between Stanislavski and Vygotsky: action as primary, an action–belief–truth sequence, super-objective/supertask, through-action, *perezhivanie*, and “bits and tasks” as an analytical unit.
  • It argues that Vygotsky’s “crisis in psychology” and his later unified psychophysiological approach resemble Stanislavski’s system, with GAKhN collaborations as a key intellectual context.

Methods

  • Historical and conceptual analysis using archival evidence, close readings of translated Vygotsky texts, Stanislavski’s *An Actor’s Work* in Benedetti’s translation, and secondary scholarship.
  • Sources include Vygotsky’s theater reviews, GAKhN-related records, correspondence, and later psychological writings; there is no empirical sample or statistical analysis.
  • The authors synthesize biographical and textual connections to support their interpretive argument about influence.

Limitations

  • The paper does not state limitations. Evident from the text: the argument is interpretive and relies on circumstantial archival links; hedges such as “we argue,” “may have,” and “likely” indicate that direct causal influence cannot be proven.
  • Translation and archival constraints are evident: the authors note that translations may sacrifice style for fidelity, that Russian originals are provided only when needed, and that the analysis depends on available archives.
  • No empirical data, systematic coding, or tests of alternative explanations are presented.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1177/09593543231200680

Cites

28 of 28 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

40 Own interpretation · 30 Sources not found · 18 No basis given · 15 No full text of the sources · 2 Not checked yet

Show all 40 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 31
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 47
65 of 65

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

Show all 26 references

Research works printed but not linked: 16

  1. Freud S., 1957, The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud: Vol. 14. On the history of the psycho analytic movement, papers on metapsychology, and other works, 159
  2. Gudkova V. V., 2019, Teatral’naia sektsiia GAKhN: Istoriia idei i liudei, 1921–1930
  3. Gurevich L., 1927, Творчество актера: О природе художественных переживаний актера на сцене: Опыт разрешения векового спора
  4. Lowe V., 2009, Lev Vygotsky: One man’s legacy through his life and theory
  5. Luriia A. R., 1992, Ape, primitive man, and child: Essays in the history of behaviour
  6. Sobkin V. S., 2015, КОММЕНТАРИИ К ТЕАТРАЛЬНЫМ РЕЦЕНЗИЯМ ЛЬВА ВЫГОТСКОГО
  7. Stanislavski K., 1936, An actor prepares
  8. Stanislavski K., 1948, Building a character
  9. Vygotsky L. S., 1922, Наш понедельник, 8
  10. Vygotsky L. S., 1923, Полесская правда, 4
  11. Vygotsky L. S., 1936, Психологии сценических чувств актера, 197
  12. Vygotsky L. S., 1987, The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky: Vol. 1. Problems of general psychology, 39
  13. Vygotsky L. S., 1997, The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky: Vol. 3. Problems of the theory and history of psychology, 109
  14. Vygotsky L. S., 1999, The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky: Vol. 6. Scientific legacy, 237
  15. Vygotsky L. S., 1994, The Vygotsky reader, 99
  16. Yasnitsky A. (2012). The complete works of L. S. Vygotsky: PsyAnima complete Vygotsky project. PsyAnima: Dubna Psychological Journal, 5(3), 144–148. http://psyanima.su/journal/2012/3/2012n3a6/2012n3a6.2.pdf

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Metadata

Authors
Pelfrey, G. L., Glassman, M., Kuznetcova, I., & Tilak, S.
Affiliations
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • Akita International University (JP)
Corresponding author
Pelfrey, G. Logan
Venue
Theory & Psychology
Published
2023-11-03
Volume
34
Issue
1
Pages
67-89
ISSN
  • 0959-3543 (ISSN-L)
  • 1461-7447
OpenAlex
W4388292051
Cited by
4
References
26
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2
FWCI
11.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Theory & Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PhilPapers (PhilPapers Foundation) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Visual Arts and Performing Arts › Theatre and Performance Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Psychology of Development and Education
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › General Psychology › Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology
Keywords
Konstantin Stanislavsky, Vygotsky, Soviet theatre, history of psychology, archival sources

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