The book examines the formation, theoretical postulates, and practical implementation of naturalism, as well as the emergence and establishment of directing as an independent artistic institution. Naturalism enriched the theater with both social ideas and a new structure, brilliantly realized by André Antoine. The work presents the literary school of naturalism and Zola's views on theater, which represent a kind of "manifesto" of naturalistic theater. The dramaturgy of naturalism is examined from a literary perspective, and the trends and development of the movement itself are traced in detail, along with separate sketches on the work of Zola, Beck, Mirbeau, Fabre, Briot, and others, who shaped the aesthetics and practice of naturalistic drama.