New York Times, June 26, 1914
If Stanislavski and Antoine are the fathers of Realism, George II is the Grandfather. His work, with his fixation on creating drama that reflected real life, inspired both of these influential dramatists, laid the groundwork for the Realism movement.
George II required realistic detail in every aspect of his productions. The historically accurate costumes would be made out of historically accurate fabric (e.g. a chainmail costume would be actual chainmail). He demanded acting that reflected and mimicked life, with subtlety and emotion.
Konstantin Stanislavski, the actor, acting teacher, drama theorist, producer, director, was inspired to found his renowned company, the Moscow Art Theatre, when he saw a touring performance of George II’s work. He was inspired by the Meininger’s realistic portrayal of real life and drama, and went on to shape Realism as an artistic movement. His directorial emphasis on rehearsal and table work come directly from the Duke’s extended ensemble rehearsals. Even pieces of his widely-recognized “method” for actors, a theory better characterized as a technique (Mayorga), can be traced back to the Duke’s belief that accurate costumes would better allow the actor to embody the physical and emotional presence of a character.
Andre Antoine, a spear-head of the Naturalism movement, was also deeply influenced and inspired by George II. He saw a touring Meininger’s show in Brussels in 1887, and that same year turned around and founded the Theatre-Libre in Paris. Antoine was fascinated by the Duke’s realistic drama, particularly his mass scenes. He adopted much of the Duke’s directing techniques into his own directing style; his creation of stage pictures in scenes when the actors were not facing the audience, a technique for which he is known (Carlson, 248) , he saw and was awed by in the 1887 Meininger show.
Overall, George II’s dedication to realistic portrayals of both actors and the mis-en-scene, inspired the leaders of the Realism and Naturalism movements to champion drama as a reflection of real life, and therefore sits in the bedrock of these hugely influential movements in theatre history.