Abstract
The article analyzes the content of a discussion concerning the terminology of a new branch of the humanities — the science of theatre arts — that is signifcant nowadays. This discussion, held in 1925–1928, took place within the Theatre section of the State Academy of Art Sciences (SAAS). All members of the Theatre section (L. Gurevich, I. Novikov, N. Volkov, etc.) took part in it; V. Sakhnovskii, a wellknown theatre leader and director, and P. Iakobson, recently graduated from the Philosophy Dept. of Moscow University, were the main opponents. Though both of them had as their point of departure shared ideas regarding the methodology of theatre studies, they nonetheless adhered to different scientifc traditions. Despite his background as a philosopher, Iakobson was attracted by formal analysis of theatre as an integral art phenomenon, sought to elucidate its structure, to fnd some defnitions that might help one “catch” the vague object. In particular, he declared that “gesture is the main element of theatre” and that “analysis of gesture could open up the total object of theatre”. Paradoxically, the professional theatre director Sakhnovskii spoke as a philosopher, underscoring the highest destiny of theatre as a manifestation of humanity's spiritual (“divine”) nature. Members of the Theatre section prepared to publish a Terminological Dictionary: they identifed the main terms to be included in it, clarifed their methodological positions, and specifed the meaning of words intended to become terms. They discussed different conceptions of theatre, the spatial and temporal aspects of this kind of art, the meaning and role of elements that comprise theatrical action; they also discussed whether in principle it is possible (or impossible) to record a performance, etc.