Stanislavsky, Konstantin

Stanislavsky, Konstantin (1863–1938), director, actor, and author. The famous Russian theorist, who co‐founded the Moscow Art Theatre, promoted theories of realistic, psychologically probing acting that discarded the seemingly artificial conventions of the past. He came to the United States in 1923 with his company and offered a superb example of his theory put to practice, as well as giving interviews that shed further light on his ideas. Also, Stanislavsky's books were soon translated into English and widely read in America. The acting of several ensembles in the 1930s, such as the Group Theatre and the later “Method” technique advocated by Lee Strasberg, were clearly and often admittedly influenced by Stanislavsky's theories. Frequently overlooked was the fact that Stanislavsky rose to prominence just as sophisticated electric lighting was making stages brighter and thus minimizing the need for the heavy makeup and exaggerated gestures that had prevailed until then. For better or worse, most modern acting and directing are descended from Stanislavsky. Autobiography: My Life in Art, translated by J. J. Robbins, 1924.