Konstantin Stanislavski

Stanislavski’s real name was Konstantin Sergeyevich Alexeyev but he adopted the stage name of Stanislavski from an actor whom he met in amateur theatricals in 1884. Born on January 17, 1836, in Moscow and died on August 17, 1938, at the age of 75. Stanislavski grew up in one of the richest families in Russia; he was the son of a rich industrialist. His family loved the theatre and he was able to indulge in amateur theatricals. Stanislavski started working in theatre as a teen, going on to become a thespian and director of stage productions. His classical education included singing, ballet, and acting lessons as well as regular visits to the opera and theatre. Beginning in 1888 he directed and acted in performances for the Society of Art and Literature, which he had founded, and he continued these productions until 1897 under the sponsorship of the Hunting Club. As a serious theatrical practitioner, he made careful notes and evaluated his work; he was to write major texts on the art of performance. Some of his major texts were: My Life in Art, An Actor Prepares, Building a Character, Creating a Role.

Stanislavski met Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, a successful playwright and teacher in the Moscow Philharmonic Society School.  They both founded, The Moscow Art Theatre in 1898 and developed a performance process known as method acting, allowing actors to use their personal histories to express emotion and create characters.The theatre was both successful and hugely influential in the world of theatre. The opening production of Alexey Tolstoy’s Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich was a popular success because of its realism. Realism was a 19th-century theatrical movement, seeking to portray real life on the stage. Stanislavski was a committed follower of realism throughout his working life. However, naturalism is often used to refer to the same things but it can also mean the belief that a human character is formed by what they’ve inherited from their family and environment. Stanislavski was committed to realism throughout his career and came to stand out against the scientific idea of naturalism. Experimentation on realism and naturalism was his key approach to theatre.

A few ways to present realism by Stanislavski is:

·         · The fourth wall is set of a realistic production will be solid and three dimensional. The performers present the action realistically, without using techniques such as addressing the audience, which presents an illusion of real life being played out.

·      ·    Everyday conversations and style of speaking in a realistic play would use non-rhythmic literature and ordinary language, rather than a wide range of vocabulary.

·      ·    The use of ordinary people presents realism as the stories are generally about people who are more defined as middle or working class.

·      ·    A carefully rehearsed acting style that creates or confirms the impression of reality.

·         · A carefully distilled representation of real life that is still theatrically effective.

·      ·    These plays are set in realistic contexts. They won’t have fairy tale or fantasy settings and are likely to be contemporary.