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A portrait of Konstantin Stanislavsky by Valentin Serov.

Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavsky (Russian: Константин Сергеевич Станиславский) (January 17 [O.S. 5 January] 1863 – August 7, 1938), was a director and acting innovator, responsible for a great deal of the acting technique used during the 20th century, all over the world. Image File history File links Acap. ... Image File history File links Stanislavsky File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Stanislavsky File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Self-portrait, 1880ies Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (Russian: Валентин Александрович Серов) (1865 - 1911) was a Russian painter. ... is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Old Style or O.S. is a designation indicating that a date conforms to the Julian calendar, formerly in use in many countries, rather than the Gregorian calendar, currently in use in most countries. ... Year 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... A theatre director is a principal in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a play by unifying various endeavors and aspects of production. ...

Stanislavsky was born Konstantin Sergeyevich Alexeyev in Moscow to a wealthy family in 1863. He came from a prosperous Russian family who manufactured gold and silver braiding for military decorations and uniforms. Marie Varley, his grandmother, was a touring French actress and the only member of his family from an artistic background. Stanislavsky had eight siblings, who joined the young boy in creating elaborate theatricals on birthdays and holidays. The family created its own amateur theatre and Stanislavsky frequently acted in these miniature shows, usually meant for birthdays or holidays. At eight years old, Stanislavsky became interested in the circus, and often directed and starred in his own imaginary circuses. Another passion for the young Stanislavsky was puppetry, where he put on scenes from The Corsair and The Stone Guest. With puppetry, he learned to hone in on his love of detail--a quality Stanislavsky would incorporate in his directing later on in life with the Moscow Art Theatre. At fourteen, Stanislavsky started what would be numbers of notebooks filled with observations, aphorisms and problems. As a blossoming actor, Stanislavsky would dress as a tramp and go down to railroad yards, or disguise himself as a gypsy. Konstantin took a firm decision, despite the opposition of his father, to study theatre. For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ... A puppeteer is a person who manipulates a puppet or marionette, either by the use of strings, wires or their hands, for a stage production or film. ... The Corsair was a semi-autobiographical tale about a pirate written by Lord Byron, which was extremely popular and influential in its day (it sold ten thousand copies on its first day of sale. ... The Stone Guest is a poetic drama by Aleksandr Pushkin based on the Spanish legend of Don Juan. ... The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1897 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. ... Look up Gypsy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Career to Moscow Art Theatre

In 1881, Stanislavsky studied at a conservatory in Moscow, where he was taught how to act by imitation. Weeks later and unfulfilled, Stanislavsky went to study at the Maly Theatre, where he learned to rehearse well, appear fresh during performances, and extract energy from the other stage players, rather than the audience. However Stanislavsky's enlightenment came mostly from his encounter of Italian master actor Tommaso Salvini's portrayal in Othello. Stanislavsky thought Salvini was a "tiger of passion," full of truthfulness, power, artistry, graceful movement and perfection. Stanislavsky shaved his goatee and trimmed his moustache like Salvini and, at twenty-five, adopted the name Stanislavsky, unsurprisingly similar to Salvini's name. Stanislavsky's inspiration would mostly come from the desire to please an audience- a quality that would give him great despondency when those needs weren't being met. Stanislavsky acted in romantic bon vivants in slightly risque French farces and eventually funded the Society of Art and Literature in 1888, where he gained experience of aesthetics and stagecraft. At the Society, Stanislavsky hired the director Alexander Fedotov to establish and teach Stanislavsky and his theatre. Fedotov taught Stanislavsky many things such as extracting character models from real people rather than other actors' interpretations, using opposing character traits (for example, "a good guy discovering his evil traits"), and using many relaxation techniques. Stanislavsky had his fair share of problems during these years: he resorted to stage clichés, he had inspiration problems, and he was sometimes overwhelmed with too many theories, making him self-conscious. It was at this time that he wed his love, Masha Perevoshchikova, which he cited as a great benefit for his acting. When the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen's German theatre troupe visited Russia, Stanislavsky did not admire the acting or the content matter of the productions that much, however, Stanislavsky adored the realism of the design and costumery as well as the discipline of the rehearsal which is yet another example of Stanislavsky extracting what he likes about certain theories and practices, and discarding the rest. Stanislavski began attaining a reputation throughout Moscow as a modern and innovative director with such productions as Uriel Acosta, Othello (where Stanislavski travelled to Venice for costumes and artifacts) and The Bells. In 1897, the Society had a slew of failed productions and unmotivated actors. It was then that critic, teacher and dramaturg Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, conversed with Stanislavsky for 18 hours about their problems with modern theatre and their desire to create what would be known as the Moscow Art Theatre. Year 1881 (MDCCCLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Knipper Theatre, Kniper Theatre or Knieper Theatre (Russian: Театр Карла Книпера) was the venue of a German theatrical troupe led by Karl Kniper which performed in Saint Petersburg beginning in 1777. ... Tommaso Salvini Tommaso Salvini (born January 1st, 1829 in Milan - died December 31st, 1915 in Florence), Italian actor. ... Othello and Desdemona by Alexandre-Marie Colin. ... For the toll-free telephone number see Toll-free telephone number Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Uriel Acosta (1585–1640) was a philosopher from Portugal. ... Othello and Desdemona by Alexandre-Marie Colin. ... For other uses, see Venice (disambiguation). ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Bells The Bells is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko (Владимир Иванович Немирович-Данченко in Russian) (December 11(23), 1858 - April 25, 1943, Moscow) was a Russian theatre director, writer, pedagogue, and playwright, who co-founded the Moscow Art Theatre with his more famous colleague, Konstantin Stanislavsky, in 1898. ... The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1897 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. ...

The Moscow Art Theatre

In 1897 he co-founded the Moscow Art Theatre (MKhAT) with Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, but the theatre started operating in 1898. The first production MAT produced was the critically acclaimed and previously censored Czar Fyodor by Alexei Tolstoy. Anton Chekhov's The Seagull was performed. Initially Chekhov did not grant Danchenko's request to perform the play because he wanted a more experienced troupe to perform it. Stanislavksy beautified and innovated Chekov's script, and it created shock in the audiences. According to The Stanislavsky Technique: Russia, by Mel Gordon, "his detailed realism transformed the most commonplace scene into an orchestrated display of minute effects... something modern had been born." The MKhAT had created what became known as psychological realism. Psychological realism embodied hidden conflicts within relationships, which exposed that which is so embedded in everyday life. Chekhov never liked the rendition of his play, but the rest of the audience, and the rest of the world, started to like the work of the MKhAT. It was then that the MKhAT became known as the House of Chekhov as they produced Chekhov's melancholic plays like Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. The Moscow Art Theatre became a venerable institution and opened up classes in dance, voice and fencing. During the Russo-Japanese War, the group traveled to Germany and Eastern Europe, where they were so admired that one German playwright called them "artistic divinities." Parades were made in their honor, as the Europeans never saw such brilliant theatre. Upon returning to Russia, Stanislavsky fell into an artistic crisis, where his acting and directing became erratic, as he professed his lack of fulfillment and inspiration. He went to Finland with his wife to vacation, and came back to give birth to his acting system that would change what it means to be an actor. 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Moscow Art Theatre is a theatre company in Moscow, Russia, founded in 1897 by Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. ... Vladimir Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko (Владимир Иванович Немирович-Данченко in Russian) (December 11(23), 1858 - April 25, 1943, Moscow) was a Russian theatre director, writer, pedagogue, and playwright, who co-founded the Moscow Art Theatre with his more famous colleague, Konstantin Stanislavsky, in 1898. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Aleksei Nikolaevich Tolstoi (Russian: Алексей Николаевич Толстой) (January 10, 1883 (December 29 1882 (O.S.)) - February 23, 1945), nicknamed the Comrade Count, was a Soviet Russian writer who was most famous for science fiction and historical novels. ... Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (Russian: , IPA: ) was a Russian short story writer and playwright. ... Chekhov in an 1898 portrait by Osip Braz. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anton Chekhov (left) and Maxim Gorky in Yalta. ... The Three Sisters are three volcanic peaks of the Cascade Range, located near the town of Sisters, Oregon. ... Bust of Anton Chekhov at Badenweiler, Germany The Cherry Orchard (Вишнëвый сад or Vishniovy sad in Russian) is Russian playwright Anton Chekhovs last play. ... Combatants Russian Empire Montenegro[1] Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov â€  Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo The Russo–Japanese War (Japanese: Nichi-Ro Sensō, Russian: , Chinese: , February 10, 1904 – September 5, 1905) was a conflict that grew out of the rival imperialist ambitions of...

Stanislavsky's System

Stanislavsky's System focused on the development of realistic characters as well as stage worlds. In order to create an ensemble of actors all working together as an artistic unit, he began organizing a series of studios in which young actors were trained in his system. At the First Studio of MAT, actors were instructed to use their own memories in order to naturally portray a character's emotions. In order to do this, actors were required to think of a moment in their own lives when they had felt the desired emotion and then replay the emotion in role in order to achieve a more genuine performance. Stanislavski soon observed that some of the actors using or abusing Emotional Memory were given to hysteria. Although he never disavowed Emotional Memory as an essential tool in the actor's kit, he began searching for less draining ways of accessing emotion, eventually emphasizing the actor's use of imagination and belief in the given circumstances of the text rather than her/his private and often painful memories. Emotional memory in acting is an element of the Stanislavski System or Method Acting, an approach to acting. ... Hysteria is a diagnostic label applied to a state of mind, one of unmanageable fear or emotional excesses. ...

The Stanislavsky System, is a systematic approach to training actors to work from the inside outward. This system is at some point different from but not a rejection of what he states earlier in Affective Memory. At the beginning, Stanislavsky proposed that actors study and experience subjective emotions and feelings and manifest them to audiences by physical and vocal means - Theatre language. While his System focused on creating truthful emotions and then embodying these, he later worked on The Method of Physical Actions. This was developed at the Opera Dramatic Studio from the early 30s, and worked like Emotion Memory in reverse. The focus was on the physical actions inspiring truthful emotion, and involved improvisation and discussion. The focus remained on reaching the subconscious through the conscious. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Emotional memory in acting is an element of the Stanislavski System or Method Acting, an approach to acting. ... Theatre Language are the spoke words and actions by the actors, that the playwright assigns in a performance. ...

Stanislavsky survived the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the Russian Revolution of 1917, with Lenin apparently intervening to protect him. In 1918, Stanislavsky established the First Studio as a school for young actors and wrote several works: those available in English translation include: An Actor Prepares, Building a Character, Creating a Role, and the autobiography My Life in Art. ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ( Russian: Влади́мир Ильи́ч Ле́нин  listen?), original surname Ulyanov (Улья́нов) ( April 22 (April 10 ( O.S.)), 1870 – January 21, 1924), was a... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Hello people This book by Stanislavski is a good read. ... My Life in Art is the autobiography of the legendary Russian director Konstantin Stanislavski. ...

Stanislavsky always thought of his system as if it were a table of contents for a large book which dealt with all aspects of acting. His final work, now known as The Method of Physical Actions (see Stanislavsky System) , is in no way a rejection of his early interest in sense and affective memory. At no time did he ever reject the notion of emotion memory; he simply found other means of accessing emotion, among them the absolute belief in given circumstances; the exercise of the imagination; and the use of physical action. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

Legacy

Stanislavsky had different pupils during each of the phases of discovering and experimenting with a Universal System of acting. One such student, Ryszard Bolesławski, founded the American Laboratory Theatre in 1925. It had a tremendous impact on American acting, when one of Boleslawski's students, Lee Strasberg, went on to co-found The Group Theater (1931-1940) with Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the first American acting company to put Stanislavsky's first discoveries into theatrical practice. Boleslawski had been in Stanislavsky's class when experimenting with Affective Memory. Stanislavsky's theory later evolved to rely on Physical Action inducing feelings and emotions. Affective Memory is applied in Stanislavsky's System but not as much so as in Lee Strasberg's Method. Ryszard BolesÅ‚awski Ryszard BolesÅ‚awski (*February 4, 1889 - † January 17, 1937),was a Polish film director, actor and teacher of acting. ... Lee Strasberg (November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American director, actor, producer, and acting teacher. ... Harold Edgar Clurman (September 18, 1901 – September 9, 1980) was an Jewish-American theater director and drama critic, most famous for his work with New York Citys Group Theater. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Stella Adler, the only American to study with Stanislavsky, was taught the Method of Physical Actions in Paris for five weeks in 1934. With this new knowledge she came to Lee Strasberg and introduced to him the new Method of Physical Actions. Strasberg understood the differences but rejected the Method of Physical Actions. He believed that acting was recollection of emotion. Adler said of Strasberg: "He got it all wrong." Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress, and for decades was regarded as Americas foremost acting teacher. ...

Among the actors who have employed Stanislavsky's System in some form are Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Harvey Keitel, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Warren Beatty, Robert Duvall, Johnny Depp, Sidney Poitier, Jessica Lange, William Hurt, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, Jane Fonda, Henry Fonda, Benicio Del Toro, Mark Ruffalo, Vincent D'Onofrio, Kate Winslet, Adrien Brody, Denzel Washington, Elizabeth Taylor, Hillary Swank,Sarah Nahapiet, Anthony Hopkins, and Sean Penn. Nicholson as Wilbur Force in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). ... Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962), was a Golden Globe Award-winning American actress, singer, model and pop icon. ... For the film, see James Dean (film). ... Marlon Brando, Jr. ... Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 - July 23, 1966) was an American Academy Award-nominated actor known by the stage name of Montgomery Clift. ... Harvey Keitel (born May 13, 1939) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor from New York City. ... Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was an Academy Award-nominated American movie actor, nicknamed The King of Cool.[1] He was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s due to a popular anti-hero persona. ... Paul Leonard Newman (born January 26, 1925) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Cannes Award, and Emmy Award-winning American actor and film director. ... Henry Warren Beatty (born March 30, 1937), better known as Warren Beatty, is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director. ... Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award and four-time Golden Globe winning American film actor and director. ... Johnny Depp (born John Christopher Depp II[2] on June 9, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky) is an Academy Award-nominated and SAG Awards-winning American actor and for his performances in the films Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Whats Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994... Sir Sidney Poitier KBE, (IPA pronunciation: ) (born February 20, 1927), is an Academy Award-winning Bahamian American actor, film director, and activist. ... Jessica Phyllis Lange (born April 20, 1949) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress. ... William Hurt (born March 20, 1950) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Robert Mario De Niro Jr. ... Alfredo James Pacino (born April 25, 1940) is a renowned and influential Academy Award, four time Golden Globe, AFI, two time BAFTA, Emmy Award, and two time Tony Award-winning American stage and film actor who played such iconic roles as Michael Corleone in The Godfather Trilogy and Tony Montana... Gene Hackman (born Eugene Allen Hackman[1] on January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Kevin Spacey (born July 26, 1959) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor (film and stage) and director. ... Jane Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. ... Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was a highly acclaimed Academy Award-winning American film actor, best known for his roles as plain-speaking idealists. ... Benicio Monserrat Rafael Del Toro Sanchez (born February 19, 1967, in San Germán, Puerto Rico) is an Academy Award winning Puerto Rican actor. ... Ruffalo in Just Like Heaven, 2005 Mark Alan Ruffalo (born November 22, 1967 in Kenosha, Wisconsin) is an American actor who has received critical acclaim for his film work. ... Vincent Phillip DOnofrio (born June 30, 1959) is an American actor and producer. ... Kate Elizabeth Winslet (born October 5, 1975) is a five time Academy Award-nominated Emmy Award-nominated BAFTA, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Award winning English actress. ... Adrien Brody (born April 14, 1973) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. ... For other persons named Elizabeth Taylor, see Elizabeth Taylor (disambiguation). ... Hilary Swank (born July 30, 1974 in Lincoln, Nebraska) is an American actress. ... For the composer, see Antony Hopkins. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Charlie Chaplin said, "Stanislavky's book, An Actor Prepares, helps all people to reach out for big dramatic art. It tells what an actor needs to rouse the inspiration he requires for expressing profound emotions." Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr, KBE (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977), better known as Charlie Chaplin, was an English comedy actor. ...

Sir John Gielgud said, "This director found time to explain a thousand things that have always troubled actors and fascinated students." Gielgud is also quoted as saying, "Stanislavsky's now famous book is a contribution to the Theatre and its students all over the world." John Gielgud as photographed in 1936 by Carl Van Vechten Sir Arthur John Gielgud OM CH (April 14, 1904–May 21, 2000) was an English theatre and film actor, regarded by many as one of the greatest of his time. ...

Stanislavsky's goal was to find a universally applicable approach that could be of service to all actors. Yet he said of his System, "Create your own method. Don't depend slavishly on mine. Make up something that will work for you! But keep breaking traditions, I beg you."

Stanislavsky's aim was to have all of his character's performed as real as possible. He was well known for the realism of his plays.

Fictional References

Mikhail Bulgakov satirized Stanislavsky through the character Ivan Vasilievich in his novel Black Snow (also called "The Theatrical Novel"). (It is no coincidence that Ivan Vasilievich was the name and patronymic of the notorious sixteenth-century tsar Ivan the Terrible.) In Bulgakov's novel, Ivan Vasilievich is portrayed as a great actor, but his famous acting "method" is held up as a farce, in fact often hindering actors' performances through ridiculous exercises. Bulgakov's cutting portrait of Ivan Vasilievich likely reflects his frustrating experiences with Stanislavsky during the latter's eventually aborted production of Bulgakov's play A Cabal of Hypocrites in 1930-1936. While this depiction of Stanislavsky is in stark contrast to most other descriptions, including those of Westerners who had met him, it should be noted that Bulgakov and Stanislavsky were otherwise good friends. Mikhail Afanasievich Bulgakov (Russian: Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков; May 15 [O.S. May 3] 1891, Kiev – March 10, 1940, Moscow) was a Russian novelist and playwright of the first half of the 20th century. ... Ivan IV (August 25, 1530–March 18, 1584) was the first ruler of Russia to assume the title of tsar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...