Product Description

Written with the same warmth, liveliness and ability to re-create reality that made Stanislavski a great actor, his autobiography tells of his childhood in the world of Moscow's wealthy merchants, his successes and failures as an amateur actor, how he studied human beings, and developed what has come to be known as the "Stanislavski Method," how his group of dedicated amateurs became "perhaps the greatest acting group the world has ever known (Washington Post)," The Moscow Art Theatre.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #813185 in Books
• Published on: 1987-01-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 592 pages

Review
"A great figure upon the world scene, one of the greatest men of the theatre that ever lived." -- N.Y. Herald-Tribune

"It was a source of great enlightenment to me." -- Sir Laurence Olivier

"This wise and delightful book . . . is packed with sage practical counsel to actors and actresses." -- The Times Literary Supplement (London)

"This wise and delightful book...is packed with sage practical counsel to actors and actresses." (The Times Literary Supplement (London)) -- Times Literary Supplement (U.K.)

A great figure upon the world scene, one of the greatest men of the theatre that ever lived.
–N.Y. Herald-Tribune

It was a source of great enlightenment to me.
–Sir Laurence Olivier

This wise and delightful book...is packed with sage practical counsel to actors and actresses.
–The Times Literary Supplement (London)

Language Notes
Text: English, Russian (translation)

Customer Reviews

For the actor and the historian
"Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art." Truly one of the world's greatest arts educators, Stanislavsky's autobiography is beautifully written. It is a fascinating portrait of the history of modern acting and also of Russian history. Absolutely key for understanding the Method, and the development of today's theater.

From the Russian Master himself!
Stanislavsky is still the most influential figure in modern or contemporary theater. In this book, he is open about his life especially the rough years in Russia, his first exposure to the theater, his first time at directing. He also writes about his professional relationship with another Russian, Anton Chekhov. He writes about his travels mostly in Russia such as his journeys to Petrograd, the Russian provinces that inspired many of Chekhov's plays, and of course his first journey abroad. The book is really for theater junkies like myself who would have loved to have been a theatrical actress or director but life isn't so bad. He has directed William Shakespeare's tragedies like Othello and Julius Caesar along with Chekhov favorites like The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya and The Sea Gull. Stanislavsky also founded and developed the Moscow Theater Company. He did it all for love, not money nor fame. He became rich in so many other ways.

A Life To Aspire To
For those in the arts, and especially those in dramatic art, this book is a must. It is the account of the father of modern truthful acting and a look into what a life spent towards creating art is about. While at times the book can drag a bit and get wordy, there is too much insight and inspiration in this book to pass it by. It is so wonderful to have an account of this mans amazing life in his own words to read, study and eventually aim for.

A must read for those of the stage!