He was born in Moscow on January (5)17, 1863 into the family of a rich industrialist Alekseev, who was a relative to the Mamontovs and the Tretyakovs. Stanislavski inherited his talent from his French grandmother, who was a well-known Parisian actress. For the first time Constantin took the stage at home; he intended to become an opera singer. In 1898 together with Nemirovich-Danchenko he founded the Moscow Art Theater. 

 

The theater became a success after the acquaintance of his founders to Anton Chekhov. Chekhov’s The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters, and The Cherry Orchard became the best stage plays of the Moscow Art Theater. 

 

In the early 20th century Stanislavski started development of his would-be famous acting system. He created a science of acting and formulated the laws of actor’s behavior on the stage. According to Stanislavski, the most important thing is to create the illusion of live reality on the stage. There are no small roles on stage, just like every person is valuable in life. Stanislavski is the author of books Actor’s Work on Oneself and My Life in Art, which are still popular among actors today. 

 

Constantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski died of a heart failure on August 7, 1938. 

 

Stanislavski’s wife was Maria Petrovna Lilina (Perevoshchikova), an actress of the Moscow Art Theatre and the national actress of RSFSR. Their daughter Kira Alekseeva-Falk for a long time was the director of the memorial museum opened since 1948 in the house where Stanislavski lived.