Michael Chekhov 8 Week Course

The next session begins September 8, 2007

This course will introduce and explore the numerous elements of Michael Chekhov's acting technique. As this technique is so deeply rooted in the physical, a substantial portion of each class will be devoted to the practice of exercises designed to strengthen the actor's imagination and concentration, both physically and mentally. This will be followed by incorporating these elements into scene work. Lecture and Q&A will round out each class.

Michael Chekhov, the brilliant Russian actor/artist, formulated a method for acting based on the psycho-physicality of behavior. In essence, he codified human behavior. It is through the development and application of the actor's imagination that the keys to discovering characters and the worlds they inhabit are found. It is through the actor's body that these discoveries can be given tangible reality and lead the actor to what Chekhov himself was so widely acclaimed for: TRANSFORMATION. It is this Transformation that is the ultimate goal of the actor.

It is our desire to instill in the student the importance of a technique that is reliable, trustworthy, and yields results. The dependence on memory (personal experience) for many actors can be more limiting to their growth as an actor/artist than is generally understood. But Michael Chekhov understood this, and his technique is a liberation from these limitations, gets actors 'out of their heads' so to speak, and provides a solid foundation on which to build and sustain any characterization. We believe this course will lead the student to discover a fresh, dependable, and artistic means of expression that will further their growth as actor/artists.

Class lectures will include archetypal gesture, sensations, psychological gesture, centers, qualities, atmospheres, impulse, maximum justification, the importance of continuous acting, and more. Beneficial to all, this class may be particularly enlightening to actors with some previous training and experience.



The class are taught by John Hugo and Maaren Edvard.

TO REGISTER

or call

818-238-0501