The Rhythm of Space and the Sound of Time: Michael Chekhov's Acting Technique in the 21st Century (Consciousness Literature and the Arts)

393 Pages·2008·2.45 MB·English

by  Cynthia Ashperger

The Rhythm of Space and
the Sound of Time
Consciousness
14
Liter& ture
the Arts
General Editor:
Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe
Editorial Board:
Anna Bonshek, Per Brask, John Danvers,
William S. Haney II, Amy Ione,
Michael Mangan, Arthur Versluis,
Christopher Webster, Ralph Yarrow
The Rhythm of Space and
the Sound of Time
Michael Chekhov’s Acting
Technique in the 21st Century
CynThiA AShpeRgeR
Amsterdam - New York, NY 2008
Cover Design:
Aart Jan Bergshoeff
The paper on which this book is printed meets the requirements of “ISO
9706:1994, Information and documentation - Paper for documents -
Requirements for permanence”.
ISBN: 978-90-420-2387-1
ISSN: 1573-2193
©Editions Rodopi B.V., Amsterdam - New York, NY 2008
Printed in the Netherlands
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments..........................................................................xi
Preface.........................................................................................xiii

Introduction....................................................................................1

1. Philosophical and Spiritual Influences of Michael Chekhov’s
Acting Technique: A History

Introduction....................................................................................13
The Influence of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe..............................16
The Influence of Arthur Schopenhauer...........................................22
Rudolf Steiner and the Influence of Anthroposophy........................26
Theosophy and its Origins: “No” to the Body.................................29
Anthroposophy and its Origins: “Yes” to the Body.........................31
The Three-Fold Nature of Man.......................................................35
The Anthroposophist Impact and “Possession”
in Chekhov’s Technique..............................................................38
The Influence of Leopold Sulerzhitsky...........................................46
The Influence of Russian Symbolism..............................................48
Eastern Traditional Theatre and its Influence on Chekhov...............51
Conclusion.....................................................................................55

2. The Teaching Philosophy of the Michael Chekhov Association
and its Contribution to Contemporary Pedagogy

The History of the Michael Chekhov Association...........................65
The Michael Chekhov Association.................................................67
MICHA: The Super Objective........................................................70
vi The Rhythm of Space and the Sound of Time
Teaching Philosophy: The Five Guiding Principles:........................77
The First Guiding Principle: Body and its Psychology.........78
The Second Guiding Principle: Invisible to Visible.............80
The Third Guiding Principle: Using the Higher Self to
Synthesize...................................................................................84
The Fourth Guiding Principle: Each Element Awakening
All Other Element.........................................................87
The Fourth Guiding Principle: Polarities...........................88
The Fifth Guiding Principle: Freedom from Personal?......91
Teaching Teachers
The Qualities Necessary for a Teacher...............................95
Holistic Approach to Teaching Teachers............................99
Recent Growth of the Association..................................................101
The Learning structure...................................................................101
Current Hybrids with Chekhov’s Technique: “Ludo Theatre”........103
Contemporary Fusion with Oriental Theatrical Forms....................108
Other Contemporary Hybrids.........................................................110
Contemporary Scholarship............................................................114
Conclusion....................................................................................115

3. Current Pedagogy: MICHA Faculty

Joanna Merlin................................................................................125
The Actors’ Ensemble...................................................................132
Fern Sloan........................................................................133
Ted Pugh..........................................................................135
Slava Kokorin...............................................................................138
Sarah Kane: Voice and Speech......................................................140
Lenard Petit: Movement................................................................146
The Intuitive Group
David Zinder.....................................................................151
Per Brahe.........................................................................153

4. Current Pedagogy: Introductory Level

Current Pedagogy: Introductory Level...........................................163
Spatial Exercises...........................................................................165
Backspace/Forward.......................................................................172
Sensations Exercises......................................................................177
Contents vii
Objective and Subjective Atmosphere............................................180
Centering......................................................................................186
The Three Centres.........................................................................187
Centering and Characterization......................................................191
The Rope Dance................................................................193
Object/Image Dance I.......................................................197
Object/Image Dance II......................................................199
The Imaginary Body .....................................................................201
Character: Thinking Feeling Willing, in Stick, Ball, and Veil.........204
Body Parts with Qualities and Centers:
The Door and the Imaginary Body.................................................207
Warm-up..........................................................................207
The Door Exercise............................................................208
The Imaginary Body.........................................................211
The Grotesque..................................................................214
Introductory Voice and Speech Exercises: Sound as Gesture..........216
Syllables as Independent Agents....................................................218
From Sounds to Syllables: Three Sample Exercises.......................218

5. Current Pedagogy: Advanced Level

Current Pedagogy: Advanced Level...............................................229
Sequencing....................................................................................233
Imagination and Incorporation of Images.......................................234
Characterization Exercises: New Developments............................238
Colours Warm-Up.........................................................................241
Archetypal Gestures......................................................................243
The Ghost Exercise or The Doppelganger Exercise........................251
The Chekhov Clown......................................................................256
Greeting the Clown God...................................................257
Can You Show Me Something?..........................................257
The Character Clown........................................................258
Thinking, Feeling, Willing in Clown..................................259
Gargoyle to Gesture Exercise........................................................262
Action and Composition: New Developments................................263
Moment Gestures..............................................................264
Relationship Gestures.......................................................265
Relationship Gestures in Groups.......................................267
Intention/Objective PGs....................................................269
viii The Rhythm of Space and the Sound of Time
Inner Objectives............................................................................278
Polarities Exercise.........................................................................281
Energy Transformation Exercises: Energy Corridors......................284
Advanced Voice and Speech Exercises Speaking the Text:
Words and Phrases as Movement and Gesture...............................286
The Six Revelations of Speech......................................................289
Working with Text........................................................................289
Change!.........................................................................................290

Conclusion...................................................................................297

Appendices
Appendix 1: Sense of Space......................................................303
Appendix 2: Space Expands and Contracts...............................304
Appendix 3: Filling the Space/ Owning the Space.....................305
Appendix 4: My Disposition.....................................................306
Appendix 5: Waking up the Space ...........................................307
Appendix 6: Qualities of Movement: Curved and Straight........308
Appendix 7: Staccato/Legato....................................................311
Appendix 8: Four Brothers Exercise.........................................313
Appendix 9: Three Sisters Exercise...........................................315
Appendix 10: Character: Stick, Ball, and Veil...........................318
Appendix 11: Basic Psychological Gestures..............................320
Appendix 12: The Objective Ball Game....................................323
Appendix 13: Desire/Justification.............................................324
Appendix 14: Ball-throwing: Three Balls with Words...............326
Appendix 15: Comedy/Tragedy = Styles...................................328
Appendix 16: Three-Word Variations.......................................331
Appendix 17: Focus on Sound: Monologues with
Inner Gesture and Qualities................................333
Appendix 18: The Use of Personal Imagery..............................335

Bibliography.................................................................................339
Index............................................................................................359
For my father