> So, while 80 or more years later, theater practitioners are still saying Stanislavski was stupid for thinking that self-exploitation (e.g., devaluing past experiences like the grief of a passed loved one) was a good idea for actors, Stanislavski himself had written against it and moved on to other things within 10-12 years of having first written about that.

Interesting. And yet, this theory of Stanislavski's is in widespread use today by a lot of different actors. Do you have more details about this? What were Stanislavski's reasons for abandoning the theory?

Frankly I think it's a great idea, not that I'm an actor. I think "exploitation" is unfair: I don't see anything wrong with recalling to mind moments gone by, even dwelling on them to bring them all back, in order to feel a character better. I would think this would not only add to a performance but be a good healthy sort of cathartic process for one to go through personally.