Realism played a huge role in the lives of Anton Chekhov and Konstantin Stanislavsky. Both men had a significant impact on the world of theater and the results are still seen today. They paved the way for those who came after them. Elements of Chekhov's works influenced playwrights who preceded him, such as the works of Tennessee Williams, who noted that Chekhov had a great effect on his writing. Stanislavski's acting system, based on sincere acting, inspired many other acting systems still used today. Realism was a huge movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s. All art forms were influenced by it. Writers, artists, actors, and others began to take a simpler direction and tried to portray life as it actually was. In visual art it was common for artists to illustrate ordinary people carrying out everyday activities, as opposed to the elaborate paintings of saintly and royal figures of previous eras (Campell). In literature, plots were simple and centered on lower-middle class commoners (Campbell). Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a realist writer, born in Taganrong, Russia on January 29, 1860 to a poor family. Chekhov's father supported the family by working in a grocery store, where the children also had to work. During Chekhov's adolescence, his father went bankrupt and the family moved to Russia, leaving Chekhov with relatives and working odd jobs to support his family (Puchner, et al.). He received a scholarship from Moscow University to study medicine and began writing short, funny stories for magazines to make money (Puchner, et al). Realism captures "life as it is", and Chekhov did so in his plays to have natural dialogue, recognizable characters and si...... middle of paper ...... The achievements of Chekhov and Stanislavski in their era are still reflected and relevant. Theater companies near and far still stage Chekhov productions, and the Stanislavski System is still used in acting. Chekhov paved the way for naturalistic authors and playwrights. It proved that everyday events and ordinary people can make for a great night at the theatre. It doesn't need to be over the top and dramatic. Stanislavski helped demonstrate that, through the works of Chekhov and more, acting should be natural and truthful, as if speaking in real life. Although many acting systems exist, Stanislavski was the first to develop and implement his own. While not everyone follows his system, useful tools have come from it. Other theater professionals discovered what worked for them and implemented these concepts into their own acting systems.