Michael Chekhov
Michael Alexandrovich Chekhov (Russian: Михаил Александрович Чехов; * 16 Augustjul / August 28 1891greg in Saint Petersburg, .. † September 30, 1955 in Beverly Hills ) was a Russian- American actor, director, author.
Life
Michael Chekhov - a nephew of the writer Anton Chekhov - met through his father Alexander Chekhov already in his early youth with Russian literature and the philosophy of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. At age 16, Chekhov became a pupil in the school theater Suworins, which he finished in 1910. Eighteen months later, he had at the St. Petersburg Maly Theatre debut. 1911 Chekhov was hired by Konstantin Stanislavsky at the Moscow Art Theater ( MCHAT ). The MCHAT was at that time the most important theaters in Russia. Here are the main representatives of the Russian avant-garde theater, among other Mejerhold and Vakhtangov worked. For the more personal and artistic development of Chekhov's Vakhtangov had an even greater importance as Stanislavsky. In the following years, a friendship and a close artistic cooperation between the two developed.
Chekhov was married from 1914 to 1917 in his first marriage to actress Olga Chekhova.
After Vakhtangov died in 1922, Chekhov was appointed as Artistic Director of the ' first studio ' the Art Theatre. Task of the studio was to develop new ideas with young actors Spieleren and tested. On a tour Chekhov had met the philosopher Rudolf Steiner and his Anthroposophy, a great source of inspiration was for him. The ideas Steiner, especially eurythmy and speech therapy should flow into its activities in the Art Theatre. By continuing tense political situation in the wake of the Russian Revolution, however, it became increasingly difficult for Chekhov to lead his work on. Under increasing censorship and because of its overtly spiritual attitude - she stood in contrast to the dominant ideology - his productions have been described as reactionary and anti-Soviet. Chekhov was soon faced with the choice to leave Russia or risking arrest. On the eve of the planned arrest, he escaped with his second wife in 1928 to Berlin.
There followed a period in which Chekhov commitment assumed in various theaters in Europe. In addition to Vienna and Berlin he made his way to Paris, where he had little success with his newly formed Russian theater, and the Baltic States, where he successfully worked in Riga and Kaunas as an actor and director in 1932. Here he held from acting classes and intended to open an acting school. The political situation of the early National Socialism undid his plans. Through the young actress Beatrice Straight, her parents were planning on her country estate Dartington Hall in Devonshire, England, to establish a theater project, Chekhov took over the management of there affiliated theater. 1936 opened at Dartington Hall The Chekhov Theatre Studio, where the artist for the first time again could devote to the development of his acting method since leaving Russia. The outbreak of the Second World War made but soon thereafter any further work to naught. 1939 pulled the Chekhov Studio to Ridgefield / USA.
Was Chekhov's been working in England free from financial constraints, he found in the United States before a situation that demanded economically viable of his training work productions. The listed a few months later production on Broadway was not a great success, and it was found that this presentation had been premature with Chekhov's new method. After the next move to Hollywood Michael Chekhov found a suitable place to teach and to play and to work on his book on the art of the actor. Among his students there were names such as Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Marilyn Monroe and Anthony Quinn, who came later to fame and honor. One of his most important pupil was the actor and director, and co-founder of the Actors Studio in New York City Robert Lewis. Despite its different kind of conviction was a Chekhov contracts with film societies and played under renowned directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Ben Hecht and others.
1953 appeared Chekhov's book To the Actor in Harper & Row. Before Chekhov, however, was forced, at the instigation of the publisher, to emphasize the supposedly mystical references to anthroposophy. Only then agreed to the publisher of a publication.
Method
1922 Chekhov met Rudolf Steiner in Berlin, 1924 in Arnhem, where he had a detailed discussion with him and went out of the major impetus to the development of his teaching method. By focusing exercises thinking is increased to pictorial experience, to the stage character appears before the inner eye of the actor. Gradually wins the stage personality so vividly constructed by focusing a life of its own and enters into an internal dialogue with the actor, from the results in the further development of the role. Placed particular emphasis on Chekhov, keeping in mind the actor's ' treasury of his subconscious ' taps. As the drama unfolds not in an empty, neutral space, the actor must also consider the atmosphere in playing the single scene or the whole piece. As to speak about personal, objective sphere of feeling, this atmosphere combines the play of individual players into a harmonious whole. To embody in the imagination inwardly geschaute stage persona credible, Chekhov has developed so-called "psychological gestures " that will help the actor to produce a stage character of the corresponding posture and movement.