Diction of the Russian Theater Actor (Late 18th - 19th Centuries) as a Reflection of General Aesthetic Conditions and of the Time Itself
In this article the author considers materials of theatre practitioners, critics and actors of the Russian theater related to the problem of actor's diction expressiveness during the late 18th - 19th centuries. It was found that in this era the actor's stage speech / diction patterns depended on the theatrical aesthetics of the time. The facts analyzed in this research helped to identify that the concepts of “diction” and “recitation “often used as if they were synonyms, which did not contribute to the detailed analysis of the technical side of speech. Since the actor's speech work was not always supported by its artistic component, prompters were often used. But the plotted vector was a living word on the stage, and this promoted the need to establish a stage speech technique as an integral part of acting.