The Stanislavsky System of Acting: Legacy and Influence in Modern Performance

Konstantin Stanislavsky, the Russian director, actor and co-founder of the Moscow Art Theatre, was the originator of the most influential system of acting in the history of western theatre. Many of Stanislavsky’s concepts are widespread in popular thought on acting; this book offers an evaluation of the basis of his ideas, discussing whether the system has survived because Stanislavsky made discoveries about acting that are, and always have been, scientifically verifiable, or whether his methods work on a practical basis despite an outmoded theory. It draws on information that has become available in recent years in Russia and examines how the development of Stanislavsky’s system was influenced by scientific discoveries in his lifetime. It compares Stanislavsky’s methods with those of Evgeny Vakhtangov, Michael Chekhov and Vsevolod Meyerhold, exploring the ideas underlying the different approaches on the basis that a full understanding of this is crucial for acting and actor-training today.