The Terms

Constantin Stanislavsky was a Russian actor who founded the "Moscow Art Theatre." Some of the shows he has acted in are "Othello" and "The Cherry Orchard." Stanislavsky created the "Stanislavsky Method" or "Method Acting." Method acting is the act of the using a memory in the actor's library as a base for experience in acting. Some of Stanislavsky's students were Michael Chekov and Stella Adler.

Michael Chekov was a Russian actor at the "Moscow Art Theatre." There he studied with Stanislavsky. Later, he emigrated to the United States and studied comedy and classic drama at the Suvorin Theatre School in St. Petersburg. He updated Stanislavsky’s acting method, by blending it with yoga, theosophy, psychology and physiology, and adding his own ideas of transformation of actor's consciousness. Chekov was also eventually nominated for an Oscar award.

Lee Strasburg was the founder of Group Theatre. He directed numerous shows here. He too, eventually adapted his own form of Method Acting. He greatly influenced people through the Actors Studio, which he was director of. Here, he influenced several generations of actors.

Robert Lewis was one of the original members of the Actors Studio. He was actively in Hollywood whether it was directing musicals or playing characters. He became a much respected Broadway director. Lewis also taught Stanislavsky's method acting.

Stella Adler introduced Method Acting to the United States. She was a director. Some of the productions she directed were "Manhattan Nocturne" and "Sunday Breakfast." With her experiences she founded The Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting. Of course one thing taught here was Method Acting.

Sanford Meisner was a teacher at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. He was also a founding member of  "The Group Theatre." Meisner was one of the best Method Acting teachers. He eventually came up with a modified version of Method Acting called The Meisner Technique.