Constantin Stanislavski was a Russian stage actor and director who

developed the naturalistic performance technique known as the

"Stanislavsky method," or method acting.
Synopsis

Born in 1863 in Moscow, Russia, Constantin Stanislavski started working in theater as a teen,
going on to become an acclaimed thespian and director of stage productions. He co-founded
the Moscow Art Theatre in 1897 and developed a performance process known as method
acting, allowing actors to use their personal histories to express authentic emotion and create
rich characters. Continually honing his theories throughout his career, he died in Moscow in
1938.

Early Life and Career

Constantin Stanislavski was born Konstantin Sergeyevich Alekseyev in Moscow, Russia, in

January 1863. (Sources offer varying information on the exact day of his birth.) He was part
of a wealthy clan who loved theater: His maternal grandmother was a French actress and his
father constructed a stage on the family's estate.

Alekseyev started acting at the age of 14, joining the family drama circle. He developed his
theatrical skills considerably over time, performing with other acting groups while working in
his clan's manufacturing business. In 1885, he gave himself the stage moniker of
Stanislavski—the name of a fellow actor he'd met. He married teacher Maria
Perevoshchikova three years later, and she would join her husband in the serious study and
pursuit of acting.

Opening the Moscow Art Theatre

In 1888, Stanislavski founded the Society of Art and Literature, with which he performed and
directed productions for almost a decade. Then, in June 1897, he and playwright/director
Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko decided to open the Moscow Art Theatre, which would be
an alternative to standard theatrical aesthetics of the day.

The company opened in October 1898 with Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich by Aleksey K.
Tolstoy. The theater's subsequent production of The Seagull was a landmark achievement and
reignited the career of its writer Anton Chekhov, who went on to craft plays specifically for
the company.

Over the following decades, the Moscow Art Theatre developed a stellar domestic and
international reputation with works like The Petty Bourgeois, An Enemy of the
People and The Blue Bird. Stanislavski co-directed productions with Nemirovich-Danchenko
and had prominent roles in several works, including The Cherry Orchard and The Lower
Depths.
 In 1910, Stanislavski took a sabbatical and traveled to Italy, where he studied the
performances of Eleanora Duse and Tommaso Salvini. Their particular style of performance,
which felt free and naturalistic in comparison to Stanislavski's perception of his own efforts,
would greatly inspire his theories on acting. In 1912, Stanislavski created First Studio, which
served as a training ground for young thespians. A decade later, he directed Eugene Onegin,
an opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

'Stanislavski Method'

During the Moscow Art Theatre's early years, Stanislavski worked on providing a guiding
structure for actors to consistently achieve deep, meaningful and disciplined performances.
He believed that actors needed to inhabit authentic emotion while on stage and, to do so, they
could draw upon feelings they'd experienced in their own lives. Stanislavski also developed
exercises that encouraged actors to explore character motivations, giving performances depth
and an unassuming realism while still paying attention to the parameters of the production.
This technique would come to be known as the "Stanislavski method" or "the Method."

Later Years and Legacy

The Moscow Art Theatre undertook a world tour between 1922 and 1924; the company
traveled to various parts of Europe and the United States. Several members of the theater
decided to stay in the United States after the tour was over, and would go on to instruct
performers that included Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler. These actors in turn helped to form
the Group Theatre, which would later lead to the creation of the Actors Studio. Method acting
became a highly influential, revolutionary technique in theatrical and Hollywood
communities during the mid-20th century, as evidenced with actors like Marlon
Brando and Maureen Stapleton.

After the 1917 Russian Revolution, Stanislavski faced some criticism for not producing
communist works, yet he was able to maintain his company's unique perspective and not
contend with an imposed artistic vision. During a performance to commemorate the Moscow
Art Theatre's 30th anniversary, Stanislavski suffered a heart attack.

Stanislavski spent his later years focusing on his writing, directing and teaching. He died on
August 7, 1938, in the city of his birth
Nama sebenarnya Konstantin Sergeyevich Alekseyev. Aktor dan produser Rusia ini lahir pada tanggal 17 Januari
1863 di Moskow, dan sejak kecil sudah mempelajari menyanyi dan akting. Studinya yang memndalam tentang
teater, baik di Rusia mapun Eropa, menghasilkan metode baru bagi seni peran dan secara sadar meninggalkan
metode klasik, termasuk sistem bintang, seni deklamasi dan sentimentalitas yang berlebih-lebihan.Maka lahirlah
sistem Stanislavski yang terdapat dalam bukunya Persiapan Seorang Aktor (An Actor Prepare),
Membangun Tokoh ( Building A Character), My life in Art