Stanislavski is a very well known theatre practitioner; he directed a variety of productions which led him to be so familiar. He was broadly recognised as an outstanding character actor. His work has been very influential over the years, and people still consistently practise his techniques today.
Stanislavski was born as Konstantin Sergeyevich Alexeyev. He was born on January 17th 1863, into one of the most affluent families in Russia. His family were all fans of theatre, and he was able to get into amateur theatricals when he was just a boy. He adopted his stage name as Stanislavski later on in his life, during 1884, as he was concealing his own theatrical work from his family. However, when he gained his fathers approval in 1887, he became a well known and established figure. He passed away at the age of 75, in 1938.
WHAT STANISLAVSKI DID
Stanislavski was the founder of the Moscow Art Theatre, which was opened in 1898. He was a Russian actor, director and producer along with founding this theatre. He is most notorious for creating and evolving system/theory of acting entitled the 'Stanislavski system' of the 'Stanislavski method'.
WORKING METHODS
Although it is very complex, the main goal of the 'Stanislavski system' (or method) was to portray characters to be natural and believable on stage. This was a huge contrast compared to the other thespians of 19th century Russia- character were often played as being over the top and grand during this time. Stanislavski was developing a new way of acting, and many people refer to him as the father of todays style of acting. He wanted to teach a way of acting which immerses people into the character, and becomes them.
COLLABORATION AND INFLUENCES
From a young age Stanislavski was involved with theatre. His mother was in-fact the daughter of a French actress, so the influence of theatre and acting was there from a young age. As I previously mentioned he was apart of theatricals as a young boy; the first time he appeared on his parents stage, he was 14. He joined 'Alekseyev Circle' a dramatic group which was organised by his family. There were many important figures in his life which motivated and influenced him. When Stanislavski first studied in the Moscow Theatre School, he did not enjoy the approach it took. He didn't like how the students were expected to follow all the instructions and conventions from the tutors. This led him to the Maly Theatre, where he learned how to be more fresh, and where he learned to take in the energy from the other stage players. He learned this from foreign artists, such as: Salvini and Duse. He believed that they were powerful- he thought they amplified graceful movements. Some other major influences were Shchepkin and Gogol. They worked together in the Maly Theatre a whole generation before Stanislavski- he gained the natural and real approach to acting from them. In terms of collaboration, Chekov was (among) the first to be a shareholder in the Theatre company which Stanislavski owned. Although they did have major differences this saved the play right and theatre company. The playright's first production failed, and left Chekov disillusioned- he announced a retirement. However Stanislavski's partner at MXAT convinced Chekov to allow restaging under Stanislavski's direction and with his dramatic force detailed analysis of play- it was a massive success.
CONTEXTS: SOCIAL, CULTURAL, HISTORICAL, POLITICAL -
Stanislavski was brought up around theatre and the arts. Cultivated human beings was very much part of Stanislavski's education, within his family. His family had a strong sense of social responsibility- they were believing. Additionally, they were a Christian orthodox family. Stanislavski did not separate theatre from its social context. He believed theatre was educational; it had good social significance. The civil unrest, which led to the Russian revolution in 1905 encouraged Stanislavski to reflect and portray social issues on stage. Stanislavski's history was always revolving around theatre. He was indulged from a young age due to his family. On the political side, Stanislavski was a believer of democratic ideals; equal opportunities and value for every person on the planet. His cousin died in the Gulag prison camp due to political reason.
THEATRICAL PURPOSE + PRACTICE
The theatrical purpose of Stanislavski- as previously mentioned, his techniques paved the acting methods of today. He wanted to portray natural and realistic characters on stage. He wanted real and raw emotions to be shown on stage, and he wanted the actors to delve into the character and really become them. His techniques were developed in the early 1900's.
LINKS
Konstantin Stanislavsky | Biography, Method, & Facts | Britannica
The Stanislavsky System of Acting (liveabout.com)
Konstantin Stanislavski - Naturalism and Stanislavski - GCSE Drama Revision - BBC Bitesize
Stanislavski’s Context (Maria Shevtsova) – Essential Drama
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