Director Stanislavsky: "I don't believe" - the phrase that made him quoted

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Konstantin Sergeevich Stanislavsky: "I don't believe it!" Only Mayakovsky's expression about Lenin and the party can be compared with this combination. If we slightly paraphrase it, we get the following - one has only to hear two words about distrusting something, the name, patronymic and surname of the founder of the Moscow Art Theater named after M. V. Chekhov.

Phrase popularity

If a person knows absolutely nothing about this director, about his world-famous System, he will still easily complete the first phrase with the second. Because "Stanislavsky" and "I don't believe" are twin brothers. This biting phrase Konstantin Alekseev (this is the real name) used in the lessons on skill and rehearsals of performances. The phrase did not make him famous, recognition brought him talent, it made him famous and quoted all over the world, outside theatrical art.

Memory of the director

Alekseevs - a surname known in Tsarist Russia. Father - a major industrialist, cousin - Moscow mayor, familywas related to the Tretyakovs and Mamontovs - well-known patrons of the arts. It was indeed the "flower of Russia", which, as you know, did not have its own prophets. One can only wonder how a representative of the nobility and the industrial elite managed to avoid persecution. However, he received all state awards, the title of academician and people's artist. Streets in dozens of cities are named after him, commemorative medals have been issued, there are prizes named after him - the MIFF award “I Believe. Konstantin Stanislavsky. For several years there have been seasons of his name. These are theatrical festivals, which bring the world's best performances. The unforgettable phrase of people who question something: “I don’t believe it, as Stanislavsky said,” became winged. Its first part, said separately, sounds rude and even insulting. But complete with a surname, it caresses the ear with tolerance and hints at the erudition of the interlocutor.

Foundation of the Moscow Art Theater

In 1898, at the age of thirty, Konstantin Sergeevich, together with Nemirovich-Danchenko, founded the new Moscow Art Theater. Before them, the question of the reformation of the performing arts sharply arises. And Stanislavsky proceeds to create his famous System, the purpose of which is to achieve the “truth of life” from the actors. The super-task, the main idea of this theory, demanded not to play the role, but to fully get used to it. The assessment of the work of the actors at the rehearsals was the phrase that Stanislavsky threw: “I don’t believe it.” Documentary footage of such a running role has been preserved. The play is being rehearsed"Tartuffe", the last production of Konstantin Sergeevich, and he gives advice to the theater actress V. Bendina, who plays Dorina, to lie on stage, as she herself would lie in life. Unique footage. The year is 1938, the year of the death of the brilliant director. Even Nemirovich-Danchenko, with whom relations were completely broken for many years (their friendship-enmity is very well described in M. Bulgakov's Theatrical Novel), said the famous phrase: "Orphans." Stanislavsky died. “I don’t believe” no one else said to the actors.

Secrets of craftsmanship

But the school remained, the System of Konstantin Sergeevich remained, which formed the basis of Russian theatrical skills. Its postulates are fully described in the books "My life in art" and "The work of an actor on himself." The rehearsals of two famous Moscow Art Theater performances were described in detail by the most talented actor of the theater Toporkov and are a vivid documentary evidence of the director's work with the performers.

The play of any American actor cannot be compared in intensity of passions and truthfulness with the skill of Russian artists, dead and alive, such as Plyatt, Popov, Makovetsky, Efremov. They just have other supertasks. Most of the series, both foreign and domestic, are not discussed at all. In this case, even too lazy to pronounce the phrase: “As Stanislavsky said, “I don’t believe””, because it still refers to “high art”, actors play well or badly.

Extraordinarytalent of Stanislavsky

As a talented person, Konstantin Sergeevich was talented in everything. In his younger years, he worked for a long time at his father's factory and rose to the rank of director. The products manufactured by the enterprise were not far from the world of beauty - they produced the finest gold and silver wire - the basis for the production of brocade. All evenings were devoted to amateur acting in the Alekseev Theater. Love for acting, as is obvious, and Stanislavsky's talent came from his grandmother, the French artist Marie Varley. Later, Konstantin Sergeevich studied plasticity and vocals, and sang well. One of the best musical theaters in the country bears his name and the name of Nemirovich-Danchenko. A famous talented theorist and reformer of theatrical art, Stanislavsky was a very gifted actor. A number of his famous roles entered the world's treasury of acting works (for example, the Old Man). He was noticed from the first professional productions. However, in 1916 he completely stopped his artistic activity. An exception was made only once - forcedly, on tour of the theater abroad. For everyone, the abrupt cessation of performances on stage, and after brilliant rehearsals, including the general one, remained a mystery. It was the role of Rostanev from Dostoevsky's The Village of Stepanchikovo, on which he worked for a year. One has to assume that Konstantin Sergeevich first uttered such a later famous phrase, referring to himself: “Stanislavsky, I don’t believe it.” But he did not leave directing and scientific work until the end of his life. After death, one of the best theaters remainedworld, his famous System, his school of theatrical skills, talented students and ingenious books. And forever remained a phrase, a symbol of doubt in something or distrust - "I do not believe."