Moscow Art Theatre
The Moscow Art Theatre (Russian: Московский Художественный Академический Театр, МАТ) is a theatre company in Moscow that the seminal Russian theatre practitioner Constantin Stanislavski, together with the playwright and director Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko, founded in 1897. In 1987, the theatre split into two troupes: the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre (artistic director Oleg Yefremov) and the Gorky Moscow Art Theatre (artistic director Tatiana Doronina).Mikhail Bulgakov wrote several plays for the MAT and satirised the organisation mercilessly in his novel Black Snow. Isaac Babel s Sunset was also performed there during the 1920s.
It was conceived as a venue for naturalistic theatre, in contrast to the melodramas that were Russia s dominant form of theatre at the time. Oleg Tabakov has been the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre s artistic director since 2000.
The theatre quickly became famous when it staged Anton Chekhov s four major works, beginning with its production of The Seagull in 1898. The theatre also staged the dramatic work of Maxim Gorky, although in 1904, following a disagreement with Nemirovich, he terminated his relationship with the organisation.
This production was so successful that the theatre adopted the seagull as its emblem. Many actors became nationally known and admired thanks to their film roles.
A significant number of Moscow Art Theatre s actors were awarded the prestigious title of People s Artist of the USSR. The theatre continued to thrive after the October Revolution of 1917 and was one of the foremost state-supported theatres of the Soviet Union, with an extensive repertoire of leading Russian and Western playwrights.
The theatre is presently located just off Tverskaya Street, within walking distance of Red Square. Coordinates: 55°45′36″N 37°36′48″E / 55.76°N 37.61333°E / 55.76; 37.61333 .
