Michael Chekhov’s Acting Technique: A Practitioner’s Guide

Description

Intended for actors, directors, teachers and researchers, this book offers an exceptionally clear and thorough introduction to the renowned acting technique developed by Michael Chekhov. Sinéad Rushe’s book provides a complete overview of the whole method, and includes illuminating explanations of its principles, as well as a wide range of practical exercises that illustrate, step by step, how they can be applied to dramatic texts. Part One provides an outline of the ideas that underpin the work, which help to prepare practitioners to become responsive and receptive, and to awaken their imagination. Part Two charts a journey through the foundational psychophysical exercises that can both orient an actor's training routine and be applied directly to the development of a role. Part Three focuses on more specific and elaborate methods of scene work, characterisation and the art of transformation. Drawing on the full range of Chekhov's writing in English and French, this book also examines unpublished material from the Dartington Hall archives and features interviews with actors who have worked with the technique, including Simon Callow and Joanna Merlin. It illustrates Chekhov’s approach by referring to Rushe's own productions of Nikolai Gogol's short story Diary of a Madman and Shakespeare's Othello, as well as characters and scenes in Sarah Kane's Blasted and the contemporary American television series Breaking Bad. Michael Chekhov’s Acting Technique is an accessible, comprehensive and contemporary point of reference for those already trained in the method, as well as an initiation and toolkit for practitioners who are just beginning to discover it. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Preface Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction: Guiding Principles Creative individuality The higher ego or self Four reasons to develop the higher ego Divided or dual consciousness A Note on the Context of Chekhov’s work Imperial Russia The Russian revolution Post-Revolutionary theatre New theatrical forms The Stalin years and socialist realism Chekhov in exile and Chekhov Theatre Studio Publications Part One: Preparation Chapter 1: The Ideal Centre Clearing a space The ideal Location of the centre Presence Chapter 2: The First of the Four Brothers: Feeling of Ease Physical ease Emotional ease Application of ease Ease as a foundation Chapter 3: Receiving Transition and the changeover Receptivity and embodied listening Concentration Chapter 4: The Second of the Four Brothers: Feeling of Form Form as characterization Form as composition of the actor: Blocking Form as composition of the production: Style Chapter 5: The Third of the Four Brothers: Feeling of Beauty Beauty and aesthetics Beauty and character The character’s palace of beauty Chapter 6: The Fourth of the Four Brothers: Feeling of Entirety Triplicity Polarity Flying over the play Entirety of the role Working within the whole Chapter 7: Radiating Radiating as a quality Radiating as projecting or sending Sustaining and the pause Chapter 8: Expansion and Contraction: Expansion as a principle Expansion as empathy Expansion and contraction as psychophysical tools Polarity of the gestures Development of the gestures Part Two: Practice Chapter 9: Qualities of Movement: Moulding, Floating, Flying Quality of moulding Quality of flowing or supporting Quality of flying Chapter 10: Further Qualities of Movement Staccato and legato Emotional adverbs Curved and straight sensation Large and small steps Chapter 11: Six Directions Forward direction Backspace or backward direction Upward direction Downward direction Right and left directions Combining directions Chapter 12: Archetypal Gesture The form of the gesture The basic set of archetypal gestures Direction and quality Archetypal gesture and other forms Chapter 13: The Three Sisters: Rising, Falling and Balancing Rising Falling Balancing Chapter 14: Image and Imagination Four stages in training the imagination Thinking in images Imagination in the actor’s process Imagination in the rehearsal process Autonomy of the imagination Autonomy of the actor Chapter 15: Improvisation Inspiration Transition: Transformation Transformation as a law of composition Transformation as a practice Chekhov’s transformations Part Three: Performance Chapter 16: Imaginary Body Psychological resonance of the imaginary body Fantastic imaginary body The character in the given circumstances rather than the actor Finding the objective Collaborating with the image Merging with the image Chapter 17: Imaginary Centres Thinking, feeling, willing centres Interplay of the three centres Determining the character’s centre The centre in a specific partof the body An image in the centre Centre as a quality Multiple and shifting centres Chapter 18: Stick, Veil, Ball Stick Veil Ball Connection with imaginary body, imaginary centre and qualities of movement Chapter 19: Archetypes Gesture of the archetype Archetype as category Determining the archetype: Archetype lists Determining the archetype: Deeds done list Determining the archetype: Key moments, polarity, image Archetype and superobjective Embodying the archetype of other characters Chapter 20: Psychological Gesture Archetypal gesture, psychological gesture and gesture of the archetype Psychological gesture and superobjective Creating the PG from the archetype Creating the PG from specific archetypal gestures PG and scene objectives PG and acting gestures PG and specific objectives Chapter 21: Subjective Atmosphere Defining the character’s subjective atmosphere Creating a personal atmosphere Subjective atmospheres and playing moments Chapter 22: Objective Atmosphere Time, place, event Determining atmosphere Naming the atmosphere Heightened atmospheres Atmosphere and the senses Atmosphere and colour Multiple atmospheres Atmosphere in rehearsal Atmosphere and the audience Chapter 23: Extras The ghost exercise Character biography or time line Conclusion: Theatre of the Future Summary Collective practice Interdisciplinary practice Independent practice Chronology of Michael Chekhov’s Career References Index