Moscow Art Theatre
The company was founded in 1898 by Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich Danchenko. Despite being wealthy, Stanislavski only contributed to its foundation rather than paying all the bills. The company was a joint stock company owned by shareholders. This created a strong collaboration and community behind the venture. It did also mean Stanislavski was challenged at times but his wealth was undeniably useful to him when he was exploring or developing a new field. It was both successful and hugely influential in the world of the theatre and survived until it was split into two troupes in 1987. It was, of course, affected by the political turmoil in Russia from 1917.
When Stalin controlled Russia, Stanislavski was keen to appease him to ensure the survival of the theatre. During this time the company’s work reflected the political voice of the USSR, as represented by Socialist realism. Stanislavski was able to remain a follower of realism but the theatre company’s plays promoted socialist political beliefs. This remained the case until 1970 when there was a movement back towards the essence of Stanislavski’s method.
Listen to this BBC Radio 3 programme about Stanislavski’s life and work on the 150th anniversary of his birth.
