ABSTRACT
Marc Slonim writes that before the 1917 Revolution, Olga Knipper was popular and that “her sense of measure, of sober psychological nuance, a carefully prepared pattern of the role, made her an outstanding and typical representative of Stanislavski’s method” (1963:169). This sum mation of Knipper as an exponent of Stanislavski’s methods rather than as a lead performer in the MAT’S original ensemble has remained and is inaccurate, distorting her own contribution to the theatrical interpretation of Chekhov’s women characters. It ignores changes in Stanislavski’s techniques and, more importantly, Knipper’s ongoing disagreements with his direction over time and Stanislavski’s dissatisfaction with Knipper’s acting.
