Michael Chekhov as Actor, Teacher and Director

in the West
Liisa Byckling
The work of the Russian actor Michael Chekhov can be viewed from many different angles: firstly, as a
topic for biography and theatre history in the first half of the twentieth century; secondly, as a problem
of preserving Russian ideas in a new cultural context; thirdly, the transformation of an emigres ideas
on foreign soil! "et us concentrate on one aspect of Chekhovs work: the origins and development of
his studio work! #e tried to reali$e the theatre of the future in the %est; in practice it was the idea of
studio as a laboratory, theatre as a community and a home!
Michael &leksandrovich Chekhov '()*(, +t!,etersburg - (*.., "os &ngeles/ was nephew of &nton
Chekhov and one of the original members of the Moscow &rt Theatres 0irst +tudio where he was
taught by 1onstantin +tanislavsky and 2vgeni 3akhtangov! #e emigrated from Russia in (*4)!
#e died in his home in 5everly #ills, "os &ngeles, at the age of 67! &t the time his death in (*..
Chekhovs name in +oviet Russia was wiped out from the history of Russian theatre! %ith 8glasnost9
he was rehabilitated, his books have been republished in Russia and he has become the legendary
figure in his native country once again! :n the other hand, we know that Chekhov created and taught
an acting system which has become increasingly influential in the %est! 2ugenio 5arba, director of the
:din Teatret in ;enmark, one of the leading contemporary theorists of theatre, writes about Chekhovs
book To the Actor that it is 8one of the best practical manuals for the training of the <realistic= actor9!
>t is time to evaluate the great artistic pilgrimage made by an emigre from Moscow to "os &ngeles that
lasted for 4? years! ;uring this @ourney Chekhov was building a spiritual home for people from many
different countries and nations! Chekhov underwent four separate developments in his lifetime:
(! a celebrated acting career in Moscow,
4! a period of 8wandering9 in 5erlin, ,aris, Riga and 1aunas '(*4)AB./,
B! a period of the &ngloA&merican Theatre +tudio '(*B6A74/ and, finally,
7! a #ollywood career '(*7BA../!
Co complete biography of M!C! has ever been assembled, despite a strong interest in his life!
Chekhovs two autobiographies, The Path of the Actor and Life and Encounters are written in an
impressionistic style and only cover his earliest career!
My book Mikhail Chekhov v zapadnom teatre i kino 'Michael Chekhov in %estern Theatre and
Cinema/ was published in +t! ,etersburg in 4DDD! >t is a complete chronological history of Mikhail
Chekhovs work as actor, director and teacher in emigration! The book starts with a long >ntroduction
about Chekhovs work in Moscow! My research incorporates a wealth of new material from archives in
many countries: the ;artington #all '2ngland/ and 5akhmeteff 'Cew Eork/ archives, and the Feorgette
5oner collection 'Gurich/, and also archives in Moscow, Riga and 3ilnius! My research is based on
theatre histories in the countries he worked, reviews of his productions, memoirs! > was fortunate to
interview Chekhovs students and his assistant directors, many of whom have now passed away!
The Moscow period
To understand Chekhov we have to know his roots! The +tudio of the Moscow &rt Theatre laid the
foundation for Chekhovs future explorations! >n his opinion, it was 8the theatreAandAschool which has
made such a lasting impression on the world and has yet to be rivalled!9
>n Russia in the twenties, Michael Chekhov was considered the most original actor of his generation!
Cow he is called the most brilliant actor of the last century in Russia! #is ma@or roles in the Moscow
&rt Theatre and its +tudio include: Caleb in ;ickens Cricket on the Hearth, Malvolio in Twelfth Night
by +hakespeare, the title role in Erik !" by +trindberg, 1hlestakov in The #overnment !nspector
'directed by +tanislavsky in (*4(/! Chekhovs performance stunned with its unbelievable improvised
ease and unrestrained imagination! >n Erik !" 'directed by 3akhtangov/ the terrible truth of life
'between two worlds - the dead and the living/ was translated into an easy, balletic idiom!
&s a theoretician and actor and Chekhov did not accept the dualism of %estern thinking! #e wrote:
8the actor, who must consider his body as an instrument expressing creative ideas on the stage, must
strive for the attainment of complete harmony between the two, body and psychology9! Chekhov the
actor embodied the complete synthesis of inner feeling and outer form, which the &merican director
Robert "ewis was called 8total acting9! The C$ech writer 1arel Capek wrote about Chekhov as 8the
secret of a remarkable artistic achievement9! 8Chekhov demonstrates that that the body 'simply and
enigmatically/ is the soul itself! & despairing, perfervid, timorous, trembling soul!9
The foundation for what after the Revolution became Michael Chekhovs method was laid in the acting
style of Moscow &rt Theatre, in psychological realism of &nton Chekhovs plays! &t the same time
Chekhov expressed the spirit of the turnAofAtheAcentury Russian culture, symbolist poetry and nonA
naturalistic theatre! #is favourite writer was ;ostoevsky, one of his spiritual fathers was the symbolist
writer &ndrei 5ely, his sources of inspiration came from philosophy, legends and fairytales!
+tanislavsky founded the 0irst +tudio of the Moscow &rt Theatre, a kind of laboratory for theatrical
experimentation, where he sought the means to control the actors moment of inspiration! Chekhov, like
his teacher, was interested in the deepest Huestions of his profession! The soAcalled +tanislavsky system
for the actor balances theory and practice! >t is at once an aesthetic model and a set of teachable
techniHues! The aim was to mobili$e the potential of the actors creative nature to guarantee him truth
of feeling and authenticity of the stage experience! +tanislavsky said to the 2nglish director Fordon
Craig in Moscow: 8>f you want to see my +ystem working at its best go to see Michael Chekhov
tonight! #e is performing some oneAact plays by his uncle!9 Chekhov was also influenced by "ev
Tolstoys moral teachings! #e assumed the general ethical spirit of the 0irst +tudio! #e accepted
+tanislavskys religious devotion to acting and commitment to art!
Chekhov borrowed important aspects of his work from +tanislavsky that are only incompletely
expressed in his books! This first hand knowledge Chekhov would impart to his &merican students,
thus filling in important gaps in the knowledge of Russian theatre school in the Inited +tates!
&lready in the private Chekhov +tudio in Moscow '(*()A(*44/ the actor devised various techniHues to
induce a mood that allowed for creative work! #e aimed at creating a feeling of truth and arousing
actors fantasy by means of improvisation and atmosphere! Chekhov used exercises based on yoga:
techniHues of observation, concentration and communication, and applied these to awaken the 8life
energy9 of the actor! #e also used exercises of communication, in which actors send and receive energy
rays, not words! #e adapted meditation techniHues such as visuali$ation, meaning that the actor creates
a 8filmstrip9 of mental images from the characters life! Chekhov warned that all devices must be
imbued with inner content and meaning; they should not become mere technical exercises!
,olemics with +tanislavsky centered on the concept of 8experiencing9 'pere$hivanie/ the role! Chekhov
preferred alternating the consciousness of actor and character to a 8fusion9 of actor with character!
Chekhov advocated the idea of dual consciousness of the actor when he becomes the observer of his
own work! #e made a distinction between our higher, creative ego and the everyday ego that is
concentrated only on self!
#is system evolved into an alternative of +tanislavskys, emphasi$ing the more universal, spiritual
resources of acting rather than the historical, emotional and psychological details of the actors life!
The writings of Rudolf +teiner, the Ferman moral philosopher, exerted a powerful influence on
Chekhov during his last years in Russia! +teiners &nthroposophy became his private religion;
eurythmy gave new impulses on how to refine nonAverbal acting and develop the harmony of the
actors body! 0or the Russian actor &nthroposophy was 8a new movement the tendency of which is
directed towards the unification of science, art and spiritual knowledge9! &t the centre of Chekhovs
method was an emphasis on the creative imagination, and it was in this area that many of his ideas
related to +teiners teachings! Chekhov believed that the actor should develop not only physically, but
spiritually as well, acHuiring an inner life, rich with images from which he would be able to draw when
creating a character! #e developed a method which he hoped would bring out the latent powers of his
students!
&fter the Revolution a new orientation took place in Chekhovs philosophy of life and theatre! 0rom
+tanislavskys realism, from 3akhtangovs 8fantastic realism9, and from +teiner, Chekhov drew the
material from which he created his own method! Chekhovs system is closer to that of his colleague,
3akhtangov, than to his master, +tanislavsky, for he was more interested in theatrical form than in
psychological representation! Chekhovs interest in the grotesHue, the comic and the tragic derives from
3akhtangov! Their principles contradicted an art which aspired to create the illusion of real life on the
stage, a truthful copy of reality!
%hen the 0irst +tudio became the +econd Moscow &rt Theatre in (*4B, Chekhov became its director
and carried on the work for five years! #e created an alternative theatre which used symbolic and
formal means of expression! #is interpretation of Hamlet shook the public and annoyed +tanislavski
because of what appeared to be an excess of artificiality and the grotesHue! #e played the role of
+enator &bleukhov in Peter$urg by &ndre@ 5ely! The reasons for Chekhovs emigration were both
political and personal: his ideas were not compatible with Communist ideology, and after a conflict
with a group of leftist actors and a press campaign against him Chekhov left +oviet Russia in (*4)!
5oth +tanislavsky and Meyerhold tried to convince him to return to Russia! :fficially he never broke
off his contacts with +oviet Russia, and only in (*76 he became an &merican citi$en!
The first years in Europe
>t has been said that Chekhov lived a double exile, separated from his homeland and from his theatre!
#owever, with ama$ing tenacity he worked to develop the theatre of future, which meant creating a
new techniHue of acting in a theatre with a repertoire based on the classics and folklore! &ll other
tasks - acting in classic roles and directing - were subservient to this aim! 0or the rest of his life he
directed several studios through which he disseminated his ideas as actorAdirectorAteacher! Chekhovs
dislocations in geographical and social space were not painless! #e displayed a remarkable lack of
enthusiasm for %estern theatre!
>n 5erlin Chekhov acted in three productions in Max Reinhardts theatres and in silent cinema!
Chekhovs directorial talents were apparent in the production of +hakespeares Twelfth Night in the
#abima Theatre! The company proved that world classics could be successfully presented in #ebrew!
Chekhov, whose mother was Jewish, felt that he was participating in the creation of new Jewish
culture! Twelfth Cight, presented as a light psychological comedy, was a success on tours in many
countries! This approach to +hakespeare was repeated later in the 5altic countries and &merica!
>n ,aris the studio work continued with a group of Russian emigre actors! #is new pro@ect, an
experiment in >nternational Theatre, tried to develop a model of spiritual and archetypal theatre! The
production of a musical pantomime The Castle Awakens in (*B( was based on Russian folktales! >t
advocated a symbolist aesthetic that viewed a work of art as a system of signs! >n (*?Ds ,eter 5rook,
in his Centre for Theatre Research, tried out a similar experiment in 8international theatre!9 #e was
interested in 8the capacity to listen through the body to codes and impulses that are hidden all the time
at the root of cultural forms!9 8> was convinced,9 he continues, 8that if they were brought to the
surface, they could be instantly understood!9 & Russian critic compared Chekhov to a sectarian who
sacrifices himself 'perhaps unnecessarily/ on the altar of arts! The experiment in ,aris showed that
neither the ideological theatre of the 2ast nor the commercial theatres in the %est allowed Chekhov to
reali$e his ideas!
+tudio work continued in in Riga, "atvia and 1aunas, "ithuania, where the artist acted, directed and
taught acting for two years (*B4AB7! #is performances in roles created by Fogol, +hakespeare, &leksei
Tolstoy and ;ostoevsky were met with enthusiasm! &t this point acting and directing plays was more
of a financial necessity than a calling for Chekhov, whose main aim was the development of his
method! #e participated in the founding of national theatre schools in "atvia and "ithuania! #ere he
made the first systematic attempt to display his method! #e started writing the first draft of his book
using the elements of the +tanislavsky system - such as concentration, observation, imagination,
atmosphere, active analysis - as parts of his own method and developed them further! 80or the
"ithuanian actors, participation in Chekhovs studio work meant discovering a treasure,9 wrote the
critic 5alys +ruoga! :ne of Chekhovs last surviving students, the "ithuanian actress and director
1asimiera 1ymantaite, said that the most important lesson she learnt from Chekhov was this: to enter
the characters life intuitively, 8not from my own experience, but by penetrating his or her feelings and
thoughts9! #ere we have a simple formulation of the main difference between +tanislavskys and
Chekhovs methods!
Inder the Communist regime Chekhovs students, who had become leading actors in 5altic theatres,
applied his lessons without referring to the source! &t the same time, Chekhovs teaching assumed a
similar 8underground9 existence in the +oviet theatre, where his lessons were disseminated by his
students, and his books were reproduced in sami$dat, by unofficial channels!
The eginning of the Anglo!A"erican #tudio
The first contact with &merica took place in (*B., when Chekhov and his Russian company arrived in
&merica! They played in Cew Eork, 5oston and ,hiladelphia! The myth of Russian theatre was firmly
embedded in &merican minds, especially after the tours of the M&T in the twenties! ;uring the thirties
+tanislavskys method of actor training was winning acceptance in the I!+! where the Froup Theatre
and various Russian emigres were expounding it!
Chekhovs appearance in Fogols The #overnment !nspector evoked some criticism, but left little doubt
that imaginative innovations were possible within the framework of the +tanislavsky system! The
&merican director #arold Clurman wrote: 8%e all considered Chekhov a true acting genius, thought
the CE press had been unable to recogni$e it! :ur actors felt that they had achieved some measure of
honesty and truth in their work, but Chekhovs gift for combining these with sharply expressive and yet
very free color, rhythm and design was something in which they knew themselves to be deficient, and
which they therefore envied!9
>n (*B. the Russian artists destiny changed: he went to 2ngland at the invitation of Mrs! ;orothy
%hitney 2lmhirst 'an &merican millionaire/ and her husband! Chekhovs dreams were reali$ed in the
foundation of the Chekhov Theatre +tudio at ;artington #all! The +tudio opened in :ctober (*B6 with
5eatrice +traight, daughter of Mrs! 2lmhirst, as manager! 0or two years '(*B6A(*B)/ Chekhov
conducted laboratory work, exploring the ways to creativity through imagination, atmosphere,
psychological gesture etc!
;artington #all in +outhern 2ngland is a fourteenthAcentury castle converted into a centre for rural
enterprise, for education and for the arts! 5y the time of Chekhovs arrival in ;artington it had became
a professional centre for the arts, at first in dance - the 1urt Jooss ballet was invited - but ultimately
in drama, music and fine arts, and it gained an international reputation! The >ndian dancer Iday
+hankar performed with his troupe in the openAair theatre! Chekhov greatly admired their art for its
combination of pure movement and music!
Chekhov felt that only with young nonAprofessional actors he would be able to train a troupe capable of
creating a new standard for the theatre! The chief aim of the Chekhov studio was 8to struggle against
the absence of the ideal in the contemporary naturalistic theatre9! >n these wonderful rural surroundings
he opened a laboratory where he started at the beginning of the techniHue of acting, and he took people
through the whole of it in every aspect! Chekhovs exploration was founded on the Moscow &rt Theatre
studio organi$ation, on its spirit and principles; these he tried to implant first on 2nglish, then on
&merican soil!
&fter three years of study the students were to form a permanent touring company! +tudents were
selected mostly from the Inited +tates, but also from 2ngland and other 2uropean countries! The best
known among 2nglish students of the CT+ was ,aul Rogers, who was to become famous for his roles
in +hakespeare and modern drama!
%hen Chekhov came to ;artington he knew no 2nglish, but within a year he was speaking the
language fluently and with a fresh and unexpected use of words! ;orothy 2lmhirst wrote: 8#e taught
not only with words but with every nerve and muscle of his body - every gesture he made was
significant and revealing! #e moved Huickly and easily and seemed to be everywhere at once! 'K/
Chekhov was not like other men of theatre in "ondon and Cew Eork! #e was not the least pretentious!
& slight, light man, he was in ordinary social relationships almost retiring, and always ready to make
fun of himself! #e combined humility on stage with imagination of enormous power! >t was very
obvious that he was a foreigner! #is 2nglish was bad even after he had spent a year concentrating on
learning it! 5ut this only made him the more lovable! ;orothy laughed along with the others when he
said to his students, <Cow we will play with our balls!=9
The first year of the studio laid the groundwork, with speech and movement classes, gymnastics,
improvisations and exercises! The teaching staff numbered eight! The +tudio schedule included
eurythmy and speech classes in the morning, or in other weeks body training and singing; also painting
and practical musicianship and every afternoon techniHue of acting, a class taught by Chekhov! The
method of speech training was that perfected by Rudolf +teiner! +tudents were trained in every aspect
of theatre work! Chekhov believed that actors must have some knowledge of scene designing, costume
making, production, music, and even writing! #is ambition is to form a group in which every member
was expert in the theatre! This needed careful and long training! The finished work, therefore, is a
collaboration in the fullest sense of the word! The ideals which Chekhov set for the group were high,
and they worked long hours with him every day!
>n the beginning the students did a lot of improvisations and selfAwritten sketches which were built up
into playlets! Then scenes from %on &ui'ote( )alladina by +lowacki, Peer #*nt by >bsen, +oan of Arc,
and +hakespeare were rehearsed! & fairyAtale rehearsed in the first semester was The #olden ,teed, an
adaptation of a play written by a "atvian poet Jan Rainis!
&n &merican @ournalist #onore Morrow came to attend the exercises in the spring of (*B?! +he wrote:
8:n the stage, on little irregular wooden terraces, the young actors were crouching to simulate
unawakened souls at a mountains foot! 'K/ &nd the illusion for all of us was complete because it was
so in the brain and eye of the gentleAvoiced Russian who could not speak our language but who could
control and inspire our imaginations!9
>n Chekhovs opinion, the instrument of the actor is his body, and an actors training consists of
schooling that body until it becomes a sensitive instrument to express ideas and emotions! ;orothy
2lmhirst wrote: 8The actor had to make the attempt to get beyond ones ordinary body! To Chekhov
imagination was the greatest of mans gifts! #e was elaborating a method of passing over the threshold
of selfconsciousness - and into the essence of character!9
Chekhov declared that he was trying to develop a new type of actor with a techniHue that would allow
him to radiate when he appeared on the stage: 8Inless you feel on fire to act - dont try to become
actors,9 he would say! Continuously he would remind his students that acting was a high calling,
demanding complete devotion, that there were no short cuts, only hard work and more hard work!
%henever Chekhov was asked a Huestion about +tanislavsky, he would say: 8> cannot answer that
fairly! > havent been in contact with him for several years - and he was always changing!9 The
favorite pupil of the Russian master would not commit himself at all to the particulars of +tanislavskys
system because he knew how dynamic and everAchanging it was! 2ven if Chekhov used many exercises
of the 0irst +tudio, he hardly mentioned +tanislavskys name in his classes and did not ask his students
to read his book! >n Chekhovs opinion, +tanislavskys method was covered only partly by his method
and it was much more complicated than his own!
Memoirs of Chekhovs students in my interviews with them show how his pedagogy spoonfed a
receptive but unsophisticated student body! ;eirdre #urst du ,rey said: 8> think Huite frankly that we
were very inhibited at times, both by the Method - some of which seemed strange at first - and
because it was so demanding! %e felt we would never achieve the standard that Chekhov wanted! %e
loved and believed in him! %e wanted to create 8the Theatre of 0uture9 with him!9
0elicity Mason writes: 8%e were often completely transported outside our normal selves! %e were
expanded into new dimensions, where embarrassment did not exist! 5ecause of our exercises in
empathy and team spirit, there was singularly little sarcastic criticism, envious competition, or a
negative approach to the work! %e felt free to laugh at each other!9
3isitors came to classes almost every +aturday! &mong them were &merican actors of the Froup
Theatre, +tella and "uther &dler, and the director Robert "ewis!
2vents in 2urope prevented Chekhov from fulfilling his plans for the +tudio in 2ngland! &fter the
Munich crisis of (*B), the lengthening shadow of tyranny became insupportable for Chekhov; and at
his reHuest, the theatre studio was transferred to &merica to continue the work in a more congenial
atmosphere!
& farewell performance was given by the students in ;artington, ;ec! (*B)! >t was considered a
complete vindication of Chekhovs methods! :ne spectator wrote: 8there was a kind of magic about it
all, a wholeness about even the short sketches! 5ut the actors were not good enough for him! &part
from a couple of them, there was no outstanding Huality!9 This was one of reasons for the move to
&merica!
>n 2ngland the CT+ was one of the pioneering institutions in the thirties, but its distance from "ondon
did not allow it to participate in 2nglish cultural life! Two years was, of course, too short a time in
which to demonstrate positive results, but there is every reason to suppose that had political events
taken a different course, the +tudio would have consolidated its position in 2ngland! Cow it was not
possible to do more than demonstrate 8work in progress9 to the public!
The #tudio eco"es the Chekhov Theatre $layers
Chekhov believed that in &merica there would be more interest in Russian training and students would
be more eager for the method! The +tudio was reopened in January (*B* at Ridgefield, Connecticut!
Intil (*74 the large estate was the home of Chekhov, his studio, and the theatre! +ubstantial financial
backing was secured by the 2lmhirst 0oundation and 5eatrice +traight! +ix of the original students
received actorAteacher diplomas from Chekhov in (*B*! Cew students were auditioned for the +tudio;
among the twentyAtwo members of the permanent company, seventeen were &mericanAborn; others
were Canadian, &ustralian, 2nglish and &ustrian!
>n Ridgefield, Chekhov trained an acting company and dealt with specific problems that were part of
the actors experience! 0or the Russian actor this meant reconsidering his methods and facing the harsh
commercial theatre in the I!+! 8The method K has been changed somewhat, dictated by the reality of
our work!9 The main points of his new, simplified method were four; the first of them was to apply a
method of training which would develop emotional flexibility and body techniHue! The second and
third aims were to impart knowledge of the methods of the playwright and the director! The fourth aim
was to form a professional company!
The Chekhov Theatre ,layers fulfilled the threeAyear goal by becoming a professional theatre with a
permanent acting company prepared to present plays on 5roadway in the (*B*A7D season! The debut of
the company was far from the main stream of &merican theatre! The ,ossessed, a play based on
;ostoevskys novel, was chosen for the repertory 8because of ;ostoevskys prophetic handling of
themes and motives at the basis of the world situation today9! The experience of +oviet communism
and Ferman fascism provided the impulse for the performance! Chekhov brought events of Russian life
described by ;ostoevsky closer to political realities of the twentieth century! The text, written by his
Russian assistant Feorge +hdanoff, was used as a basis for improvisation at the rehearsals! The play
was published in (*B*!
The ,ossessed opened on 5roadway at the "yceum Theatre on :ctober, 47, (*B*, and ran for two
weeks! >t received mixed reviews! The company proved interesting as a unit, however! :ne &merican
critic wrote: 8Mr! Chekhov has worked wonders with the company, and evolved the sort of coherent
team playing that is to be expected of a disciple of the Moscow &rt Theatre! The system does lead, now
and then, to overAacting in details 'K/ to selfAconscious perfection, but the company has power and
concentration with some excellent individual performances!9 &fter the premiere, Chekhov was
depressed by the reception of the production! #e experienced another crisis that accompanied his
cultural transplantation!
>n Cew Eork Chekhov was offered parts in plays by 2lia 1a$an and many other &merican directors,
but he declined the offers because it was impossible for him to overcome the psychological difficulty
concerning his accent!
Chekhov turned his attention to preparing a professional touring company, fulfilling one of his ma@or
aims for the studio! The following year '(*7D/, the groups prospects began to improve! Inder the
direction of 5eatrice +traight and &lan #arkness, they went on three long tours to &merican towns and
colleges, playing to sellAout crowds and enthuasistic audiences everywhere! The Chekhov Theatre
,layers were able to demonstrate the possibility of playing the classics in a way that was relevant to
contemporary audiences!
The first tour took place in (*7D! 0or two months, the company travelled by truck, bus and motorAcar
and performed at universities and colleges in fifteen states! This tour included Twelfth Night by
+hakespeare and The Cricket on the Hearth by ;ickens! ;irecting them Chekhov brought to the
&merican stage Russian and continental ideas and his own interpretations!
The ,laybill stated: 8This tour 'K/ which covered fifteen states, from Massachusetts and Cew
#ampshire in the Corth to Texas and :klahoma in the +outh, proved successful in every way! They
went to territory seldom, and in some cases never before, traversed by professional players! 'K/ >t was
an exciting life, with many adventures, to say nothing of the handicaps in assembling the shows in
auditoriums and buildings illAeHuipped for professional stage productions! 5ut the enthusiasm of their
audiences and the reali$ation that they were bringing theatre to thousands of &mericans, some of whom
had never seen a stage production before, prompted them to tour againK!9 'The ,laybill, (*7(/
& critic wrote in &lbany after the performance of The Cricket on the Hearth at the >nstitute of #istory
and &rt ':ctober (6, (*7D/: 8&n ama$ing apect of these new acting troupe on the &merican scene is
the maturity they have achieved in spite of their youth! There is real conviction in their workK!9
>n a letter Chekhov wrote to ;orothy that 8The group had grown and developed; acting before the
audience alone was for them a great stimulus to force open the buds which they already had!9 #e was
thrilled and encouraged: 8The success which they have had they deserve completely and fully! Their
maturity which begins to be seen is of such a kind which can never be compared with the cliched
maturity of soAcalled professionals! They remain fresh and young in their spirit in spite of the
experience which is being so Huickly accumulated! >t gives me also the greatest @oy and proves to me
certain principles which > believe in and confirms certain points of the method!9
The following year the troupe toured with -ing Lear, produced by Chekhov and his assistant &lan
#arkness! The Russian actor was obsessed by the concept of philosophical staging! #e wanted to
express the idea of transforming material values into spiritual values! The action as designed was set in
abstract space! The stage setting presented a geometrical system of planes reminiscent of Fordon Craig!
The following year the troupe toured the second time with -ing Lear, produced by Chekhov and his
assistant &lan #arkness! There was also a play for children >ris Trees Trou$lemaker.%ou$lemaker!
>n ;ecember (*7(, the company brought Twelfth Night to 5roadway! 5rooks &tkinson in the Cew Eork
Times praised the production of +hakespeares comedy as 8a pleasant little holiday from the routine of
hitAandAflop playgoing9! The critical response was much better than it had been to The Possessed! >n
the winter and spring of (*74, the company toured the +outh and the Midwest as well as in the 2ast,
taking in new territory in 0lorida, Texas, :klahoma and the Middle %estern +tates!
>t was hard to assign a place to the Chekhov Theatre ,layers in the &merican theatrical pattern! :n one
hand, it was an itinerant organi$ation, which should perhaps have been grouped with the soAcalled
<Roadrunners! :n the other hand, because it continued to operate a school from which new talent was
enlisted into the company, it could better be compared to the professional theatres on 5roadway!
Chekhov integrated the &merican experience into his teaching! & branch of the +tudio was opened on
5roadway in the winter of (*7(A74! Chekhov conducted drama courses for professional actors; among
them were actors of the recently expanded Froup Theatre!
>t was the artists destiny to have his fondest hopes regularly shattered by political upheavals,
revolutions and wars! &gain, it was the war that dogged their steps, and &mericas entry in the war
caused most of the leading actors to be called up! The theatre was forced to close!
The farewell performance of the Chekhov Theatre ,layers took place on 5roadway in +eptember, (*74!
Chekhov appeared in 2nglish in two oneAact plays based on his uncles short stories! #e was considered
an extraordinary performer, 8this little man who has hitherto been known to Cew Eorkers only as an
uncomfortably +lavic director,9 to Huote John Mason 5rown! 8#e is a player possessed of the virtues
which distinguish Russian acting at its best! >n him the +tanislavsky system blossoms on native soil!
'K/ he is a character actor of uncommon talents, and a comedian capable of astonishing depth no less
than drollery!9 #owever, Chekhovs acting career on the stage did not continue!
Many young actors from Chekhovs school later worked in #ollywood and in the Cew Eork theatres!
#urd #atfield became famous for his part in the film The ,ortrait of ;orian Fray, and others; 0ord
Rainey had a substantial career in cinema and T3 in "os &ngeles! Chekhovs assistant Feorge +hdanoff
had a successful school in "os &ngeles! :ther students included Terence Morgan, Ronald 5ennett and,
the most famous of all, Eul 5rynner, who was of Russian origin! 5eatrice +traight made a career in the
theatre; she formed Theatre >nc! in Cew Eork and won an &cademy &ward in #ollywood! The Chekhov
method was revived when the old students opened a Michael Chekhov +tudio in Manhattan, Cew Eork,
in (*)D! There the third generation of the Chekhov method teachers was trained! :ne of them, "eonard
,etit, has been invited to 0inland: he conducted a master class in #anko +ummer Iniversity in three
summers!
%ollywood
The +econd %orld %ar had made survival impossible for the small art theatres! Chekhov was obliged
to put his knowledge at the disposal of #ollywood actors!
The last twelve years of the artists life was spent in #ollywood, where he taught and acted in ten films,
playing character parts! #is first film was ,ong of /ussia was directed by Fregory Ratoff! #is next film
gained him the most recognition! >t was &lfred #itchcocks ,pell$ound with >ngrid 5ergman and
Fregory ,eck! 0or his part as professor 5rulov Chekhov received an &cademy &ward nomination for
best supporting actor! :ne critic wrote that the film was 8coldly factual9 8until Chekhov brought it the
warmth of his personality and the charm of his characteri$ation9!
Chekhovs other #ollywood film appearances included: Cross M* Heart( ,pectre of the /ose( A$ie0s
!rish /ose( Te'as( )rookl*n and Heaven( !nvitation( Holida* for ,inners( and /hapsod* 'dir! Charles
3idor (*.7, with 2li$abeth Taylor/!/
>n his later years, Chekhov was interested in applying his teaching to the fast pace and fragmented
nature of film and television! #is techiHue is perfect for the needs of todays actors, who must pick up
ideas Huickly and use them instantly!
&t first he was invited to teach and direct by The &ctors "aboratory! >n (*76 he directed The !nspector
#eneral! >t is interesting that eventually the teaching of Chekhov and other Russian emigre actors
became a matter of coaching alone, separated from theatrical production!
&t last, 8Chekhovs &merican +tudio9 'even if it never was called that/ emerged in "os &ngeles! >n
(*7)A(*.. Chekhov worked with film actors! ;istinction should be made between actors and directors
who attended his lecture series, and actors who studied privately with him! #e taught improvisation
exercises and gave lectures on acting and the creative process at The ;rama +ociety in #ollywood!
Chekhov taught also private lessons to film actors at his home in 5everly #ills! Cumerous film actors
went to him for help with their specific roles and for their general acting development! They included,
among others: John 5arrymore, Jr!, >ngrid 5ergman, Joan Caulfield, James ;ean, John ;ehner, 2ddie
Frove, Jennifer Jones, Jack 1lugman, +am "evine, Marilyn Monroe, Jack ,alance, Fregory ,eck,
Mala ,owers, and &nthony Luinn! >n one of the books on #ollywood cinema Chekhov is mentioned as
a teacher who imparted much knowledge to his students in #ollywood! ;irectors who studied under the
Russian actor were Martin Ritt and &rtur ,enn! Carnovsky, a founding member of the Froup Theatre
writes: 8K #e was an immensely complicated man, an &riel, a great teacherK Most of all he
understood the harmony of 5ody and ,sychology, as he put it! <"isten to your bodies,= he would say,
<&nd they will interpret the movement of your inner impulses!= &lthough he himself was gifted with a
great intellect, he scorned its usefulness for the actor, preferring to obey what one might call the
8muscularity of imagination9! >n a book Actors Talk a$out Acting, Carnovsky says: 8Michael Chekhov
understood the actors nature better than anyone else since - and perhaps including, +tanislavsky!9
:ther famous directors such as +tella &dler and Robert "ewis admired Chekhov greatly as an acting
genius and studied his methods in class! "ewis mentions Chekhovs Huote which he used often
afterwards: 8The highest point of our art is reached when we are burning inside and command complete
outer ease at the same time!9
8Michael Chekhov said that acting should be a @oyful process,9 said Jack Colvin, who studied with the
Russian artist in the fifties in "os &ngeles! 8The @oy of acting happens because of the audience and the
partnership with other actors - union, communication, losing part of yourself, sometimes absolute
bliss!9
The Russian actor attempted to use a vocabulary that spoke directly to the performers mind! More than
anything else, Chekhovs work became associated with the use of imagination! #e schooled his
students in finding imaginary stimuli to fire their emotions! 1nown for his powerful dramatic
interpretations, Chekhov gave particular attention to the creation of character! Characteri$ation was
found through the persons imaginary center, imagining his body, discovering the psychological
gesture, and other means!
>n the Inited +tates Chekhov published his memoirs in /ussian Life and Encounters, 'Nov*i zhurnal
(*7.A(*76/! Two important records of his method were written! >n (*76 he published the book 1
tekhnike akt*ora at his own expense in Russian! This is the authori$ed version of Chekhovs ideas and
practice! >t was also his legacy to Russia! 8> wrote it for the Russian actor, in whom > believe,9
Chekhov stated in a letter to the writer Mark &ldanov! The book was infiltrated into +oviet Russia and
was read by actors!
>n (*.B the book To the Actor was published in 2nglish in Cew Eork! Chekhov revealed clearly his
emphasis on imagination, intuition and the archetypal psychological gesture! #e also paid tribute to
+tanislavski as the creator of the one method 8expressly postulated for the actor9, who had urged him
to write down his thoughts concerning the techniHue of acting! The book was not successful during his
lifetime; it was not a period for acting books!
,aul Fray wrote in the %rama /eview in (*67 that Chekhovs book revealed one of the great failures of
the &merican theatre: 8This extraordinary performer, the creator of highly charged and significant
productions of 2rik M>3 and #amlet, was never able to make his contribution to the actual practice of
the +tanislavsky system in Cew Eork9! #is book remained in print for almost 4D years and finally
became successful! 2ugenio 5arba considers To the Actor 8one of the best actors manuals9! 8>t should
be read and reAread, reflected upon, pried into!9 5arba writes: 8K with Michael Chekhov we find
ourselves very close to home: the actor to whom he is speaking is the kind most commonly found in the
theatre, cinema and television today!9 'The Paper Canoe, (**./! :ther books, compiled from
Chekhovs lectures, have published in the last BD years! They have been translated into many 2uropean
languages and Japanese! Chekhovs secretary ;eirdre #urst du ,rey published class notes in her book
"essons for the ,rofessional &ctor 'Cew Eork (*)./, and others!
Twelve tape recordings of lectures by Chekhov were made in the ;rama +ociety in (*..! +ome of the
tapes have been edited and published by Mala ,owers! 'Michael Chekhov2 1n Theatre and the Art of
Acting3 The ,i' Hour Master Class3 A #uide to %iscover* with E'ercises by Mala ,owers! (**4!/
2ven if Michael Chekhov did not entirely fit into the milieu of an alien culture he felt that his mission
was to bring the 2uropeans and &mericans the experience of Russian professional actors training and
the understanding of theatre work not as a @ob but as a calling!
Chekhov writes in his book To the Actor: 8K the real task of the creative artist is not merely to copy
the outer appearance of life, to interpret life in all its facets and profoundness, to show what is behind
the phenomena of life, to let the spectator look beyond lifes surfaces and meanings!9
Chekhov answered to his "ithuanian student, 1asimiera 1ymantaite: 8%hy is it that > am wandering
around the worldN > want to hand over a small key to the magic of the theatre!9
O "iisa 5yckling