The author takes advantage of new primary materials that have broken through strict censorship, to dispel the prevailing myths about Stanislavsky and his "Method." By examining the history behind the lore and spotlighting the premises of the "System," this book sets the scene for newly revitalized readings of the seminal Russian playwright, director, and theorist.Western actors routinely identify his "System" with Strasberg's "Method" and psychological realism. In Russia, Soviet Marxism limited Stanislavsky to the physical world and Socialist Realism. These assumptions have blurred other aspects of Stanislavsky drawn from Yoga, Symbolism, and formalist attitudes towards texts.