This was where playwright Anton Chekhov and the Stanislavsky method of acting made it big, and actors and writers from around the world have been making pilgrimages here for a century. It's worth stopping by even if you don't attend a performance; you can view the strange and scrawny statue of Chekhov in front and wander the pleasant pedestrian street while you're at it. Inaugurated in 1898, the theater and the company that bore its name brought together Stanislavsky's innovative acting school, Nemirovich-Danchenko's more established name and theater studio, and Chekhov's new brand of psychological drama. Today the theater puts on some of Moscow's most popular plays, from revivals of Russian classics to premiers of plays dealing with Chechnya and other up-to-date themes. The second stage hosts more experimental works for a slightly lower ticket price (though ticket prices for both stages are well below those in London or New York). English-language performances are rare. Don't confuse this theater with the Moscow Art Theater named after Maxim Gorky, a more modern venue with a less lofty reputation.
