MICHAEL CHEKHOV ON THEATRE and the ART OF ACTING with A Guide to Discovery with Exercise by Mala Powers
4 CD AUDIO SET
“Michael Chekhov brings to the actor a far greater insight into himself and his character. He enables the actor to approach any role with new skill and ease. ”
—Gregory Peck
“ As Michael's pupil, I learned more than acting... Every time he spoke, the world seemed to become bigger and more exciting. . . . Acting became important . . . an art that increased your life and mind. Acting became more than a profession to me. It became sort of a religion. ”
—Marilyn Monroe
Every character possesses a “Psychological Gesture” that reveals his or her innermost motivation and personality trait. Through this gesture, the character's soul and the actor's body come together, and the actor must determine the gesture before attempting anything else. Nikolai Remisoff, a Russian designer and confidant of Chekhov, illustrated these Psychological Gestures for Chekhov's To the Actor.
“You have to teach yourself to act, but Michael Chekhov will give you the necessary tools. . . . They work like a charm. I've used them all along and still do. ” —Clint Eastwood
- The Art of Characterization
- Shortcuts to Role Preparation
- How to Awaken Artistic Feelings and Emotions
- Overcoming Inhibitions and Building Self-Confidence
- Psycho-Physical Exercises
- Development of the Ensemble Spirit
Among Chekhov's Students:
Anthony Quinn
Deirdre Hurst du Prey
Gregory Peck
Jack Nicholson
Joanna Merlin
Marilyn Monroe
Ingrid Bergman
Anthony Hopkins
Clint Eastwood
Mala Powers
Jack Palance
Beatrice Straight
Chekhov's transformative powers were hailed by some of the greatest directors of our time. Stanislavski, Vakhtangov, Reinhardt and Meyerhold all sang Chekhov's praises for the originality of his stage work. Major stars of stage and screen credit Chekhov's teaching as critical to their development and success. First in Great Britain at Dartington Hall and then in Hollywood, Chekhov taught some of the major burgeoning talents of his day. The great scholar-biographer-actor Simon Callow recently pronounced: “Using Chekhov's work won't necessarily make you a great actor, but you will be approaching acting as an artist.”
Among his nine Hollywood movies, best known among them remains SPELLBOUND, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, for which Chekhov was nominated for an Academy Award. Chekhov's influence continues through his books and the institutes established throughout the world to promulgate his teachings.
A 64-page booklet, A Guide to Discovery with Exercises, accompanies the CD set. Written by Mala Powers, a disciple of Chekhov and an expert on his life and work, the Guide discusses Chekhov's techniques and offers practical exercises for the concepts discussed on each CD.
“Through Chekhov and through him only, I found a concrete and tangible way to reach a mastery of the elusive thing one calls the technique of acting.”
—Yul Brynner
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