Whereas the subtle expression of emotion in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull through everyday small-talk had initially gone unappreciated in a more traditionally conventional production in St Petersburg, a new staging by the Moscow Art Theatre brought the play and its author, as well as the company, immediate success. A logical development was to take the revolt against theatrical artifice a step further in the direction of naturalism, and Stanislavski, especially in his production of Maxim Gorky's The Lower Depths, helped this movement achieve international recognition.
This development highlighted the importance of subtle emotional expression in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull through everyday conversation in a traditional production in St. Petersburg, as a new staging by the Moscow Art Theatre brought the play and its creator to the forefront, leading to a greater emphasis on realism in theatre, exemplified by Stanislavski's work on Maxim Gorky's The Lower Depths.