In 1897 two prominent figures in Russian theatre, Constantin Stanislavsky and
Vladimir Nemirovich-Dachenko, came together with the common aspiration of propagating a more "naturalistic" style of theater in the face of the melodrama popular at the time. This meeting resulted in the birth of the Moscow Art Theater, a revolutionary repertory company that still exists today. The ideas conceived within the company spread throughout Europe and America, becoming embedded in the fabric of theater (and eventually film) and forever changing the actor's approach to his craft.
Like most small theaters, the company had humble beginnings, initially rehearsing in a country barn and accumulating significant debt in its first year. The Theater persevered, however, and with the help of a wealthy Russian theater amateur, a proper building was acquired as the company's new home, complete with one of Europe's most modern stages. Although at the onset the theater was snubbed by others in the Russian theater circle and remained the subject of some ridicule for decades, its naturalistic approach to acting and production eventually gained acceptance.
The development of the Moscow Art Theater into the revered institution of
theater and acting it is known as today is typically seen in terms of three phases. The first of these phases was highly influenced by the Theatre Libre of Andre Antoine in France. Antoine initially created this theater in Paris as a venue for dramatizing naturalistic literature by Emile Zola. The theater mixed naturalism and realism, taking great pains to make every play as real as possible. Antoine also encouraged a more natural style of acting.
In its initial phase of development, the Moscow Art Theater relied heavily on naturalism, producing plays by the likes of Anton Chekov, a playwright whose material was often viewed as "undoable" by other theaters. Their repertoire extended to Isben, Tolstoy, and other playwrights who lent themselves well to naturalistic doctrines. Like the Theatre Libre, realistic staging became an absolute rule. For example, period pieces required sets to be historically correct, and the idea of the "fourth wall" became prominent. In short, the Theater sought to convey "photographic truth"- that is, the productions were required to adhere to the details of every day reality as much as possible.
With the Theater's naturalistic approach to production also came the need to develop a different approach to acting. The task of developing a novel approach was undertaken by Stanislavky, a prominent director who is now known as one of the greatest teachers of acting. The Theater was founded at a time when romanticism ruled, and over-the-top acting was the norm. With the shift of focus toward realism, these conventions became unacceptable. Stanislavsky instead taught a more particular style- one where truthful behavior was emphasized over "theatrical fiction." Meticulous preparation and research for roles was encouraged, with the ultimate goal being emotional truth on stage. Although these ideas would not be organized into what is now known as "Method Acting" for quite some time, the rejection of overblown acting was an important aspect of the Theater's productions.
Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Dachenko both viewed their naturalistic/realistic approach to production as a means of making a more profound connection with the audiences, speaking to the troubles and tragedies found in their every day lives. Although the productions in this initial period were somewhat extreme in their realism and lacked an "artistic touch" so to speak, the Moscow Art Theater's development saw a great deal of success, especially with the plays of Chekov. The Theater's drive to continue exploring the possibilities of their craft soon sparked a shift in its focus.
While founded and grounded in naturalism, the Moscow Art Theater continued to expand and experiment with each production. Maintaining their style of quieter performances, the theater evolved in the opposite direction of realism. They worked with conventional plays, both playing with and following the rules of conventional theater at the time.
This phase was characterized by works grounded in symbolism, such as The Blue Bird, a play by Maurice Maerlinck. In this play, two siblings named Mytyl and Tytyl search for the “blue bird of happiness” aided by a fairy named Berylune. For a company steadfast in maintaining utter realism in details such as set and costume, it's very surprising that The Blue Bird's concept was even considered for production. However, the theater's thoroughness continued with this project; The Blue Bird was rehearsed 150 times before it was opened to the public. Another notable characteristic during this phase was the minimal set design, evidenced by the theater's production of Hamlet in 1912. Where previously the theater would consider every detail of the Austrian castle for the set, set designer Edward Gordon Craig merely placed a pair of folding screens on the stage. Hamlet was also thoroughly practiced, being in preparation for at least three years.
