Konstantin Stanislavski

(1863 - 1938)

by Bradley W. Bishop and Trevor Jones
(October 1999)

As founder of the first acting "System", co-founder of the Moscow Art Theatre (1897-), and an eminent practitioner of the naturalist school of thought, Konstantin Stanislavski unequivocally challenged traditional notions of the dramatic process, establishing himself as one of the most pioneering thinkers in modern theatre. Stanislavski coined phrases such as...
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Anton Pavlovich Chekhov

(1860 - 1904)

by Trevor Jones
(October 1999)

At the turn of the century, the writing of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov exposed the frailties and selfish extravagance of the Russian nobility and incited skepticism in the desperate and frustrated Russian public. Unlike the majority of his predecessors, Chekhov paid little attention to plot, emphasizing imagery and themes relevant to the time of escalating civil unrest. He left the characters in his plays and stories ambiguous and open to interpretation, always emphasizing their elusive search for meaning and pattern in their lives. Chekhov began his career as a writer by contributing...
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Stella Adler

(1902 - 1992)

"The theatre - acting, creating, interpreting - means total involvement, the totality of heart, mind and spirit ... the total development of a human being into the most he can be and in as many directions as he can possibly take." - Stella Adler

The youngest daughter of Jacob P. Adler, a noted tragedian, and Sara Adler, a successful actress-manager, Stella Adler was born in New York, New York on February 10, 1901. According to most theatre historians, it was largely because of the efforts of the Adler's Company, a classical repertory troupe, that the Yiddish American theatre flourished in the early decades of the twentieth century.
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