This chapter reviews Stanislavsky’s amateur years from the point of view of improvisation. While his main acting method at the time involved the imitation of the mannerisms of famous actors, an argument is made that Stanislavsky also appreciated the more developed action-based behaviours with which these actors gave depth to their characters. Evidence shows that Stanislavsky referred to these ‘mini scenes’ as ‘improvisations’ through which actors carved a creative space from both the text and the type. Therefore, improvisation in the context of late nineteenth-century theatre and Stanislavsky’s first acting methods is used as a term to describe stage behaviour that (i) is not prescribed by the text (ii) arises from the actor (iii) serves as a tool for characterisation and (iv) engages the audience with its vividness and unexpectedness.