Constantin Stanislavski

Jan 18th 1863 - Constantin Sergeyevich Alexeyex in Moscow (son of a rich industriain)

• He had singing, ballet & acting lessons from a young age. With regular visits to the theatre and opera.
• BY the age of 14 he was acting in performances at the family estate where his father had built a theatre.
• After his education he entered the family business, whilst also having a semi-professional career in theatre.
• At this time actors were very low status.
• Adopted the stage name 'Stanislavski' to hide his preformaces from his family.   

1884 - Began vocal training where he explored the co-ordination of voice and body.

1885 - studied for just over 2 weeks at the Moscow Theatre School where students were encouraged to mimic the theatrical conventions of their tutors. Stanislavski was disapointed by this approach.

1888 - used the surplus profits from his family's factory of the prvious year to fund  the 'society of Art and Literature'. By this time he was a well know ameteur actor.

• 8th Oct - The schools at the society opened.
• 3rd Nov - Society itself was offically inaugurated.

5th July 1889 - married Maria Petrovna Perevostckikova (stage name Lilina) with whom he had just co-starred in Schillers 'Interigue and Love

Feb 1891 - Stanalavski's first fully-independant directorial work. Production of LEo Toistoy's 'The Fruits of Enlightenment'

22nd June 1897 - Decided to establish the 'Moscow Art Theatre' with Viadimir Nemirovich - Danchenko as a protest against the artifical theatrical conventions of the lat 19th century.

1898 :

• October - Moscow Art Theatre opening production. Alexey Toistey's 'Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich'.
• December - MAT preformed Anton Chekov's 'The Segull'. crucial milestone for the fledging company. Gave the MAT its sense of identity. A segull is to this day the company's symbol.

1992 to September 1924 - MAT travelled in Western Europe and USA.

1924 - Stanislavski's book 'My life in Art' published in the soviet union. 

1928 - diagnosed with Angina. Went to Nice to recover. There collected his notes to create the system. Did not return to Russia untill 1930.

Early 1930's he published 'An actor Prepares' - fictional diary enties life of drama student. Book that contained earliest system. Tortsov is director in it.  

Later wrote 'Building a character' developed more on previous work. More about delth etc.

7th August 1938 - Died in Moscow

Todays effect - Acting is naturalistic.

Made learning how to be an actor much easier for actors. set out a way to act.