Acting techniques from the Masters: Michael Chekhov

The Importance of Being Honest: Acting Techniques from the Masters

The following are excerpts from Dr. Mary Schuttler's class on the masters of acting technique.

Summary of Michael Chekhov's contributions

An actor can go beyond the playwright or the play. The secret lies somewhere outside the theatre and life, somewhere deep in the performer's imagination. It is the stage's ineffable, magical elements that truly bring the actor and spectator together: the field of energy, or vitality, that radiates from the actor's creative work, his/her profound and startling character choices, the kinesthetic sensation of perfectly executed corporal movements and sounds - all create a powerful atmosphere; the pure atmosphere of the stage.

Biography of Michael Chekhov

Web Bio: Michael Chekhov's unique contribution to acting has been one of the best kept secrets of the theatrical world. Born in 1891, Michael, nephew of Anton Chekhov, became one of Russia's Most Honored Actors. Constantine Stanislavski considered Misha his most brilliant pupil. He is often considered to be the finest actor Russia has ever produced. By 1928, as head of the Second Moscow Art Theater, Chekhov's innovative directing and teaching had provoked such severe criticism by the Communist government, he was forced to flee the country for safety. There followed ten years of wandering through Europe, with sojourns in Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania and finally England. There, with the support of Beatrice Straight and the Elmhirst Family, Chekhov established his first acting school in English. The onset of World War II inspired the

Elmhirsts to move the school to Ridgefield, Connecticut in 1938. Here and in New York, Chekhov trained numerous actors from the Group Theater and the Actors Studio before moving to Los Angeles in 1942. Michael Chekhov was deeply respected by his peers- Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Lee Strasberg, Herbert Berghof, Morris Carnovsky and Harold Clurman. He received an Oscar nomination for Hitchcock's "Spellbound" and spent his last 13 years, acting in films and coaching some of our greatest actors in film history. His student, Deirdre Hurst du Prey transcibed every class from 1936 to 1942. Keep your eyes open for future publications based on these notes. His books "On The Technique of Acting" and "Lessons for the Professional Actor" are recommended for all actors, teachers, writers and directors. Noted actors Jack Nicholson, while receiving his 1999 Golden Globe Award, and Anthony Hopkins, on "Inside the Actors Studio", both acknowledged the power of Michael Chekhov's Psychological Gesture. Today, the Chekhov techniques are gaining world-wide recognition in an amazing expansion of interest as artists seek to discover a consistent means to peak states of performance. Current technology can scientifically support the once considered "too mystical" means of Mr. Chekhov and humanity is now ready to embrace this inspirational, organic means to accessing one's highest artistic aims.

On the Technique of Acting by Michael Chekhov

 (PSYCHOLOGICAL GESTURE)

• Characterization (Imaginary Body & Center), Composition (Balance & Form), Psychological Gesture (embodies the psychology and objective of the character).
• Feeling of Style (specific to genre), Feeling for Truth ( to all elements), Feeling of Ease (to sit with a feeling of ease vs. to relax), Feeling of Form (own body & movement through space), Feeling of Beauty (living beauty & harmony in all characters), Feeling of Entirety (aesthetic wholeness).
• Qualities (sensations and feelings; coaxed not commanded; movement creates emotion), Body (psycho-physical exercises), Imagination, Radiating/Receiving, Improvising and “Jewelry” (final stages/uniqueness), Ensemble, Focal Point, Objective, Atmosphere.

Chapter One - Characterization (Imaginary body & center)

• To create characters with physical features different from his own, the actor must first visualize an “Imaginary Body.” It belongs to hers or his character, but the actor can learn to inhabit it; physically transform herself into the character.
• Every character has a “Center;” an imaginary area outside the body where the character’s impulses for all movement originate. It initiates all gestures and leads the body. (ex. a proud character leads with her chin)
• Finding a character’s center can lead to an understanding of her or his entire personality and physical make up.

chapter two - composition

• In nature & art there are mathematical principles that structure balance & form. This feeling for composition creates contours and prevents the expression of ideas, dialogues, movements, colors, shapes and sounds from being fake.
• The sense of composition guides the artist & the spectator into the sphere of creativity and understanding.

chapter three - psychological gesture

• This is a movement that embodies the psychology and objective of a character.
• Use the entire body; gives basic structure of character; can put actor in various moods required by the script.

chapter four - feeling of style

• Everything on stage is unreal. Work with feeling of style to capture the special nature of a play, rather than strive for superficial reality. Each genre requires a separate and precise experience.

chapter five - feeling for truth

• “Open” yourself; develop your sensitivity to truthful behavior while acting.
• Individual or psychological truth: movements and speech are true to self and own psychology.
• Be true to the given circumstances of the script.
• Historical truth: sense of style and age of character & nation.
• Stylistic truth: experience the style of the play & author (ex. Shakespearean, Brechtian...)
• Be true to the character.
• Be true to the relationships between characters; look for subtleties.

chapter six - feeling of ease

• A rich alternative to Stan’s relaxation technique: it produces immediate sensations and visceral imagery in the actor and avoids the intellectual, conscious process of interpreting a command.
• Ex. “To sit with a feeling of ease” vs. “To relax.” The actor can quickly perform the first command without stopping to think about the 2nd one.

chapter seven - feeling of form

• The actor must be sensitive to the form of her or his own body as well as to his own movement through space.

chapter eight - feeling of beauty

• Hidden in each artist is a living beauty and harmony of creation. Become aware of both! 1st step in allowing beauty to permeate all of her or his expressions, movements and characterizations - even the “ugly” ones (Malkovich!)
• Beauty is one of the outstanding qualities that distinguishes all great works of art.

chapter nine - the feeling of entirety (or the whole)

• An artistic creation must have a finished form: a beginning, middle and end; a sense of aesthetic wholeness. It must be felt by the audience and be second nature to the actor.

chapter ten - qualities (sensations and feelings)

• Feelings cannot be commanded, they can only be coaxed.
• Qualities are immediately accessible to you- especially to your movements. You can immediately move your arms with the quality of tenderness, joy, sadness…even though you do not experience the feeling of the emotions.
• After moving in such a way, you will experience the sensation which will very soon call up the emotion or “feeling.”

chapter eleven - body (psycho - physical exercises

• The human body and mind are inseparable.
• All of the actor’s exercises (actions) must be p-p and not executed in a mechanical fashion.

chapter twelve - imagination

• Nearly all acting is the result of the performer’s ability to imagine and reproduce reality of the play’s fiction.
• The more the actor can train or stimulate her imagination, the greater will be her power to communicate the depth and meaning of the character.

chapter thirteen - radiating/receiving

• Radiating is the ability to send out the invisible essence of whatever quality, emotion, or thought you wish; sent with great strength. It is an activity of your will; charisma is invisible radiation; some need to develop it.
• Receiving is “pulling in” from other characters, atmospheres, audience. . .with great strength.
• Which type of character are you? Radiating or receiving?

chapter fourteen - improvising and "jewelry"

• Improv is also valuable during the final stages of work on a part. Rehearsing invented activities will make it much easier to develop the “jewelry” in your performances; the nuances of uniqueness.

chapter fifteen - ensemble

• Theatre is a collective art; be open and in tune to your fellow actors.

chapter sixteen - focal point

• Not everything going on in a scene is of equal importance.
• The director should guide you; but actor should be aware.
• The actor should know which moments are most important for her own character; how the actor focuses the attention of the audience on those moments is a truly creative task. (ex. use a lift of an eyebrow vs. the spoken word)

chapter seventeen - objective

• This is the purpose or goal toward which your character is striving.
• Each character has an objective and a super-objective.

chapter eighteen - atmosphere

• sensory mediums, like fog, water. darkness, that permeate environments and radiate from people; they fill the theatre they communicate: ex. hospitals, cemeteries…
• Personal atmospheres are also given off: tension, love, hate. . .director & actor work together to maintain it.

Sample Acting Exercises by Michael Chekhov

• (PGs) Choose a play and a character.  Imagine the character and events of the play until it becomes a living performance for you.  Focus on the significant moments.  See the character “act” before you. “See” what the character is aiming at/wish/desire.  Create a PG.  Ex.: Hamlet can sit motionless in the throne room when the curtain rises, yet his PG might be a large, slow heavy movement with both arms and hands, from above downward toward the earth – this could be for his dark mood at that point in his life.  Act it out, then put it in the back of your mind.

Leading with the “Center.”  Imagine a Center in your chest from which living impulses are sent out into your arms, hands, legs, and feet.  Start to move, imagining that the impulse to form the movement comes from the Center.  Start with simple movements and build from there making sure that you are always leading from your Center.  Now complete simple business.  As you progress, you can change which area you lead from and experiment – different character types can emerge.

Additional Weblinks for Michael Chekhov

Lisa Dalton's Chekhov Connection