Michael Chekhov was born on the 16th of August, 1891 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Many have heard of his uncle, Anton Chekhov who was a playwright. Chekhov’s parents were Natalya Golden and Alexander Chekhov who was a brilliant journalist but sadly dealt with alcoholism. His irregular drinking sprees caused a fearful atmosphere in the household and Michael Chekhov’s childhood was characterized by confusion and anxiety. Chekhov’s need to perform arose from a very young age. He was already performing for his mother and his nurse at the age of five using whatever piece of clothing from the household he could get his hands on as costumes. As a teenager he studied at the Suvorin School of Theater in St. Petersburg and only a few years later he became a member at the celebrated Maly Theatre. Chekhov was twenty years old when he auditioned for Konstantin Stanislavski and got accepted into the Moscow Art Theatre. Stanislavski then became Chekhov's personal guide through his artistic training and development and later referred to him as his 'most brilliant pupil’. Very early on in his career, Chekhov accepted numerous opportunities to portray major roles such as Hamlet, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Caleb in Cricket on the Hearth and Erik in Erik the XIVth.1
Chekhov came to be an extremely admired actor. Margarita Woloschin, the noted author and portrait painter wrote about Chekhov saying that “next to Chaliapin, the singer, no artist of the Russian stage was ever so beloved, not to say adored…” .2
Chekhov was tremendously talented but more importantly, he had immense passion for acting. He always looked for the most suitable way of carrying out an idea. It was not in Chekhov’s spirit to simply oppose concepts that he did not link with at first encounter. He often said to his students that he did not invent his method of acting himself. It came to exist by observing his colleagues and other actors, identifying what was happening to them and what they did in moments of inspiration. He then developed his exercises with the objective of reaching the elements of these happenings.3
Chekhov studied and followed Stanislavski’s approach but early on he felt that he did not fully connect to some of Stanislavski’s ideas. Even though Chekhov had an enormous amount of respect for his mentor, he was outspoken about his opinions. Chekhov was not in favor of using personal emotions in what Stanislavski called “Emotional Memory” or “Affective Memory”. Chekhov felt that repeatedly visiting one’s personal memories to evoke real feelings, was too personal and unhealthy for the actor in the long run. In fact, Chekhov had a nervous breakdown as a result of experimenting with these concepts, reliving childhood trauma. This mental breakdown came to be an important event in Chekhov’s life as it led him to the essence of his technique. To replace Stanislavski’s ‘Affected Memory’, Chekhov developed ‘Psycho-Physical Exercises’ that stresses the use of the body along with the actor’s creative imagination rather than personal memories, characteristics or intellect. Chekhov’s emotional breakdown also led Stanislavski to realize the limitations and dangers of practicing these particular concepts.
The essence of Michael Chekhov’s technique is as follows:
It is a psycho-physical approach that offers direct and efficient tools to evoke and stimulate the imagination, feelings and atmosphere. Chekhov believed that the actor should approach a role by outwardly doing to find the character’s physical core. The actor should then inwardly visualize the character rather than making assumptions about it from an intellectual and analytical point of view.5 One should though be careful to estimate that the technique is mostly physical. Chekhov’s technique is a psychological approach with a strong emphasis on the necessity for the actor’s body.
In this particular chapter of the exposition, Michael Chekhov, his ideology and the repertoire of choices, I will lay the groundwork of the research by introducing some of the foundational concepts of Michael Chekhov's acting technique which are to be explored and tested. I chose the concepts that I believe would be interesting to explore and experience through the lens of a classical singer as I feel that they resonate in one way or another with the singer's subjects and concerns.
The four brothers
Chekhov’s 'four brothers' are four qualities which he said needed to be present in all great works of art. Actors need to be able to evoke these qualities within themselves so that their body can become a great piece of art.6 Chekhov says that the actor should use these qualities as a groundwork for any further work. Actors should consider their bodies as instruments and the purpose of the four brothers is to make the instrument more flexible and expressive on stage as well as encouraging a creative state of mind.7 The qualities of the four brothers can also be practiced in everyday life.
The first brother - feeling of ease
Feeling of ease, is the primary condition for a performance and an antidote for nervousness. Being at ease means to be relaxed and poised but still responsive. Being at ease does not mean to be inactive or asleep. Activating the feeling of ease begins with truly desiring it. Desiring to feel free, light and uncomplicated. It is the strong desire to be without worries and instead, open to and curious about the world. Free body leads to a free mind. When somebody is told to relax on command, the process of releasing tension might be hectic by focusing directly on the muscles. However, when a feeling of ease is induced, relaxation of the muscles becomes a consequence. Activating the feeling of ease is a positive and active process with the aim of undoing tension, not a negative action of ceasing to tense. Shoulders will naturally drop and wrinkles on the forehead soothe out. The feeling of ease might not be accomplished immediately but by even just having the desire, it edges closer.8 Having experienced and practiced the ease repeatedly, it becomes a state that you can tune in to at any moment when you feel that you are becoming rigid or nervous. Even when portraying a heavy character that is awkward in movements and enforcing heavy actions, the actor must be light and easy inwardly. Chekhov even went as far as stating that heaviness is an uncreative power that kills our art on stage.
"Heaviness itself must be performed with lightness and ease” 9
Exercise to reach the feeling of ease by Sinéad Rushe, the artist, director, teacher and Chekhov practitioner.10
The second brother - feeling of form
Feeling of form is what Chekhov calls having a sensibility to one’s body and to all other forms in the surrounding space.
"The actor cannot deny form, for he must always deal with the form of his own body." 11
By becoming aware of the body and its abilities to move and take meaningful action in various ways, the actor gains more power over it. To achieve a strong sense of form for one’s body, Chekhov recommends taking a few moments regularly to scan it. Starting with the head and making notice of its shape and size and the way it moves. Then moving the focus to the torso which is the middle part of the body to then shifting all the way down to the feet, noticing the shape and which part of the sole is touching the floor. After scanning these three different parts of the body, it should be noticed as a whole that has these three differentiated parts put together as one unit. It is then helpful to pay attention to the outlines of the body and how much space it takes up. At last it is also good to bring the focus inwardly and imagine the cavity in the body.
When taking on a new character, physical preparational work is extremely important just as is psychological preparation. Characterization can be explored through a whole range of physical expressions such as gesture, quality of movement, rhythm, vocality. Chekhov notes that all of these expressions must be different from our own. He says that the actor should create a new form for every role, a new body.12
Sculpting it from an investigation of the character’s feelings, desires and thoughts on the one hand, and the content of the text, theme and production on the other the outer is the consequence of the inner. The body must be transparent, the conveyor of the subtle images, feelings, emotions and will impulses.13
The third brother - feeling of beauty
All sorts of connotations come to mind in association with the word 'beauty'. In Chekhov's technique, the feeling of beauty is by all means irrelevant to physical appearance, external looks or attractiveness. The feeling of beauty involves a strong, honest connection, value and significance. The feeling of beauty comes over a person when thinking and reflecting on a loved one or something valuable. You start feeling connected to what matters to you in your life and in art, who you are and what you want to express with your art. Chekhov warns against sentimentality and over-romanticizing or excessive politeness.15 Chekhov states that sentimentality will kill individuality. To practice the feeling of beauty, the artist needs to realize how to ignite their own spark of inspiration, both in rehearsals and performances. To give an example of this, Chekhov explains how a surgeon can easily find its creative power that is the life of another person.16
As should an artist have a compatible commitment towards their art. An appreciation for life, vitality is one of the sources of a feeling of beauty. We as artists are allowed to make mistakes but our commitment must be complete, without apology, excuses or half-heartedness. A true artist sees beauty first before seeing shortcomings or faults. The more an artist criticizes oneself and others, the less can be expected of the artist himself. That is not to say that our standards should be anything but high but unnecessary demolition will only cloud our process. A respect for beauty can bring us the freedom of enjoying what we're doing. Chekhov states that everything we do as actors should be a piece of art. The laborer executes a hammer with physical mastery, commitment, investment and without any needlessness. The simple movement becomes beautiful. The actor should aim for corresponding devotion and focus.17
The feeling of beauty does not necessarily describe the attitude of the character in question, but the actor’s. A feeling of beauty is even necessary when portraying a character that is ugly, nasty or violent. This means that the actor has to be aesthetically conscious of the expressed ugliness.18
The feeling of beauty extends to the use of the voice as well. Even in moments of aggressive speech the actor should always apply their voice with a sense of beauty.
Chekhov even goes so far to say that ugliness expressed on stage by unaesthetic means will irritate the audience. The actor must not lose control in a moment of a violent scene. He must emphasize the psychological aspect of the violence rather than the physical. We don’t want our audience to be forced to look away from the brutality or to be worried about the actor’s safety or mental health but rather to be drawn into the conflict.19 A feeling of beauty will help decide how to prosecute such a situation.
Exercise to reach the feeling of beauty by Rushe 20
The fourth brother - feeling of entirety
Chekhov stated that it is absolutely necessary for the artist to be capable of having the feeling of the whole performance, the whole art, the whole scene, the character as a whole etc. The feeling of entirety, the last of the four brothers is also known as the feeling of whole. It goes hand in hand with the second brother, feeling of form. Working in that handshake will develop complete kinaesthetic awareness. Feeling the whole means to be able to take more and more steps back to view the bigger picture of the world that the play is. The actor’s body is only a part of a bigger body of the people involved in the play, the cast, relationship with other characters and creative team. This collective of people is also a part of a bigger whole which includes the space, the set, the lights. The image of the stage is as well a part of an even larger whole which is the auditorium and its audience.21 The actor is only one, undoubtedly, a very important link of the chain that has the role of understanding its function as a part of the bigger picture. Being in the feeling of whole will take the burden off the actor’s shoulders that the entire production begins and ends with him.22 It’s also possible and important to scrutinize the text and character with a sense for the whole.
Chekhov claimed that every well written play complies with what he called 'the law of triplicity'. The forces of good and evil battle within a three part structure starting with the generation of a plot followed with it unfolding and finally concluding.23 Chekhov says that we can and should calibrate any text to this tripartite structure because it will bring clarification to the story we are telling. The law of triplicity also applies to all our actions on stage. Everything we do, every move, every speech, every monologue, must have a beginning, middle and end.24 Chekhov also claimed that a well composed performance is one where the beginning and the end are by principle in contrast. All main qualities of the first section should have developed into their opposites in the last section. If the contrast from the beginning to the end is clear, the performance will be more focused. Examples Chekhov gives of contrasting states from beginning to end include hope and despair, life and death, luxury and poverty, submission and power.25
The psychological gesture
"Don't act, but find the gesture" - M. Chekhov
We cannot command our feelings directly, but they can be enticed, provoked and coaxed by indirect means. The same goes for our wants, wishes, desires, longings, lusts, yearning or cravings, all of which, although always mixed with feelings, generate in the sphere of our willpower. Logically, one might then ask where this will power is to be found? Chekhov states that it is found in the movement, in our actions and gestures. It can easily be proved by making a strong, well-shaped but simple gesture. By repeating it several times and after a while it will become clear that willpower grows stronger under the influence of such a gesture. Going on like this, it will be discovered that the kind of movement you make will give your will power a certain direction or inclination, that is it will awaken and animate a definite desire within, a want or a wish.
But how to find the fitting gesture for our character? We begin by asking ourselves what it is that our character desires? The character in question might be multi-layered and complex but the answer to what is its deepest desire is usually very simple. The answer might be, for example, ‘to gain power’, ‘to gain sympathy’, ‘to be accepted’. From there we can choose our gestures, even the most primal ones. A character can have an overall psychological gesture as well as various gestures throughout the story for different moments and scenes. It’s very possible to identify every objective with a gesture. The psychological gestures are a key factor in the process of preparing a role. By repeatedly executing a gesture our will power is stirred, the movement awakens in us a corresponding desire.27
After having executed our character’s gestures multiple times it may well be that we don’t have to do them outwardly when actually performing on stage. At that point it’s sufficient enough to only do them inwardly because the body will remember the prosecution and our feelings, desires and will power are still evoked as if we were moving outwardly.
The actor must trust himself to evaluate if the gesture is strong enough, if it satisfies you as an artist then it's the right one, Chekhov says.28
Molding
Molding quality has a strong claim to the earth. It starts with imagining that the air around the body is thickening meaning that every movement through it requires a certain strength. When a hand is moved through this dense air slight resistance is felt. Every move made through this dense air leaves an imprint, like the air has become clay. By carving out the air with broad movements, notice the natural tempo of the movements. Imagining that even the slightest move leaves an imprint. The navel leaves an imprint just by breathing. Make sure not to become stiff by holding your breath despite this resistance the air around you is giving. Trying basic movements in the space like sitting down and standing up, feeling the subtle resistance. Also noticing that it is your strength that spins against this resistance. When the molding quality is activated, the consequent sensations include inner strength, power, determination and confidence.29
The purpose of exercising the molding quality is to develop a taste for form for each action on stage and be convinced that vagueness and shapelessness have no place in art.30
“Like a sculptor, I mold the space surrounding me. In the air around me I leave forms which appear to be chiseled by the movements of my body. Every movement I make is a little piece of art, I am doing it like an artist. My body is a fine instrument for producing molding movements and for creating forms. Through my body I am able to convey to the spectator my inner power and strength”.31
Floating
Floating starts with imagining and envisioning that the air evolving around the body is water. It supports you and your movements lightly. The water is holding you up rather than giving you resistance. The starting point of our movements are in the arms that start to move through this water. The movements don’t have a specific beginning or end, they flow continuously in an unbroken line. The rest of the body follows the arms, making broad movements around the room. The challenge of the floating quality is to resist any tendency to dance or walk on tiptoe, becoming light headed, dreamy. We need to stay active at all times. After a few minutes it’s time to pause and let the body come to stillness and try to let the sensation of the water stay with you. After a few minutes, we start moving again by taking a few natural steps in the room, feeling the support of the water in this new tempo. Pay attention to the natural inhalation and exhalation of the breath while moving.32
The floating quality responds to the element of water. Our movements and therefore our actions are in strong relation to another activity, supported as if you were floating in an ocean. The floating quality can be pursued variously just as water can be of many different forms and moods. A character supported by water is a person that is driven by their will. It’s someone who cannot be deflected from the power of their will. The support of water can be as rough as a sea with overwhelmingly strong waves. It can also be in the form of a calm lake, a calm stable confidence, serenity to the character, that things will go their way.
The purpose of practicing the floating quality is to gain a sensation of calm, poise and psychological warmth.33
Flying
The flying quality starts with sensing the air that surrounds the body; it’s above, behind, in front and underneath the feet. You are surrounded by space. The air is stirring you, urging and agitating. We then imagine that the air is stroking our bodies in various ways, on the elbow, the forehead and the right ear. The force of the air can be strong as a stormy wind or weaker like a gentle breeze. It’s important to remain specific where the impulses hit the body and the duration of it. Now see what natural movements it inspires. Repeatedly let the air take you, almost if you were a plastic bag or a leaf. A gust of wind now lifts you off your feet so that your whole body is flying through the air. The quality of flying corresponds to the actual element of air and our movements must be free, unbounded and released fully. In this element our body has the tendency to lift itself off the ground. We are fighting the laws of gravity. Flying is different from floating in the sense that we are carried off and away, we rise, we are as light as the air itself. The psychological properties are energy, lightness, dynamism and alertness.
Flying as a quality in a character can be pursued with a positive tint, to express a humorous or a funny behavior, to express confidence. Coloured more darkly it can suggest aggressive, provocative and scheming traits, it can create a sense of rage or recklessness. It’s like the character takes no responsibility for the current situation and has no control over it.34
The purpose of the flying quality is to feel joyful, lightness, and easiness.35
Radiation
To welcome the radiation, we begin by standing with our eyes closed and start to picture that in front of us is a big warm and radiant sun. You are standing really close to it and you begin to experience the heat on your skin. The heat cannot burn or harm you in any way. We take a few steps towards it and with every step the heat increases. Next we enter the sun. We are standing in the middle of it and now the sun lives inside the chest. Now send the light into every limb and let it reach every part of our body. Every finger tip, every toe, every pore is now filled with light. The body is a light streaming out invisible rays of warmth.
The next step is to take a moment to recognize the power of the sun that sheds light on the world and makes flowers bloom. Things become warm and can change color under its effect.
We now stretch out our arms and point at something. We send the radiation specifically to that specific point from out of the chest. We turn another way and choose something else that we would like to radiate. We see how the item is now glowing. We walk around the room while radiating on different things and noticing how we light up the world with every step. Through our radiation we send out energy to the world from an endless source of power, the sun that lives in the chest.36
The purpose of radiation is to gain feelings of confidence, power, freedom, happiness and inner warmth. It will help the performer’s presence on stage as it counteracts self-consciousness, doubt, fear and anxiety.37
Radiation has different aspects. It can be used as a quality of radiant light and warmth as previously stated. It can also be used to send out energy to our partner and that energy doesn’t necessarily have to be positive or warm. For instance, a character can be burning of rage.
Radiating can be about communicating whatever feeling or truth that is living within the character at any given moment to our fellow performers on stage or the audience. The rays carry our intentions and it must be kept in mind who is on the receiving end of the radiation.
Radiation can be used in terms of use of the voice: One could argue that the same law applies in terms of singing. The act of singing requires a great amount of physical energy and strength of different muscles. The risk of too much tension occurring in the muscles is high, resulting in various problems like vocal injuries. Singing requires being both firm and soft at the same time. Laying technical ground by the feeling of ease and openness is a good start. Chekhov encouraged replacing the idea of vocal projection with the imaginative act of radiation, arguing that the acts of radiation would help actors contact the ease, power and breath required to meet technical demands of different auditoriums and spaces. Getting locked into intensity, stiffness and reverence, what Chekhov described as unideal circumstances for singing, is avoided by going into the flexible yet robust state of radiation. 38
“If we truly are radiating, and breathing freely and easily, we should have no need to push or strain vocally”.39
Expansion
We start in an open posture, standing on both feet and well grounded. From now on this posture will be called 'homebase'. From there we start to expand. We spread our arms and hands and legs far apart. We remain like this for a second and then we imagine that we are becoming larger and larger. We ask ourselves if there is a way for us to do this without tensing up our muscles. We continue to grow even though we physically cannot become any bigger. We close our eyes and we picture ourselves as tall and as big as a building, we see how people, cars, trams have become very small in our eyes. Now we open our eyes and return to homebase physically but we try to hang on to the sense of being so big. By going through expansion, we will gain the sense of being strong, confident and invincible.40
Contraction
Beginning in home base, we start to close ourselves off by crossing our arms upon the chest, putting the hands on the shoulders. Kneel on one or both knees, bending the head low. We imagine that we are becoming smaller and smaller, we are curling up. We shrink until we are as small as a mouse. When we physically can’t become smaller we keep on shrinking, we are contracting as though we wanted to disappear bodily within ourselves, the space around us is shrinking as well. We return to homebase physically but hang on to the established sense of being so small. Contraction will give the sense of fear and being in defense, being weak and afraid of external dangers.41
Directions
The concept of directions is about creating a relationship with the air according to the set direction. The idea is that by traveling in particular directions, we are awakening specific psychophysical sensations. Chekhov encouraged his students to develop relationships with different directions because then they would become inspiring stage partners.42
Forward
From homebase, you tilt 1 mm forwards. After staying in the tilt for a moment you start to walk around the room with this sense of tilt. After a short amount of time you start to do everyday things like taking a sip from a glass of water, sitting down in a chair, opening up a closed window while sustaining the tilt. Sensing directness, alertness, a strong sense of purpose and clarity is likely to be triggered.
The forward direction can be used both as a broad character choice but also to activate a specific moment.
The forward direction is suitable for characters that could be described as forward thinkers and a person that gets ahead of themselves easily. The clues lie in the figure of speech. “Moving things forward”, “being ahead of the game”.43
Backwards
To achieve a sense of backwards direction, you move from homebase to then leaning up against a wall. You try to cover as much of the wall with your back as it is possible while still being comfortable. You take a moment to observe the texture of the wall and temperature. You make sure that the jaw is loose and the mouth slightly open. You then take a few careful steps into the space and set the focus to what is happening behind you. The past is unfolding behind you. Important historical events unfold and in the case of working with a character, so do past events from your personal life. You allow the images to cross your mind, one by one. After walking across the room you imagine that the past dissolves behind you.
By activating the backspace, feelings of regret and sadness are likely provoked. Thoughts about mistakes that have been made and other passed events come up. These are moments that are forever gone and that in itself is the cold, and possibly sad truth. Being in this specific energy might also cause the character to be unfocused, slow, indirect and low in energy. The backspace is suitable for characters that are considered hung up on the past, or perhaps someone who is dying. It can also be applied in positive cases like for a character that is greatly connected to their heritage and family and for someone who has appreciation for lineage. The backspace can also be visited in any case of when a character is reminiscing past events.44
Other directions
Up
Standing grounded in homebase, you shift the weight up one millimeter while still with the heels on the floor. Even though the weight is a little bit lifted off the legs, the physical shift is only small. Now ask yourself, is this a familiar or unfamiliar way of carrying the body? Now bring focus to the top of the head, imagining that the air is picking you up on the ears, next step is to move the focus to the area that is above the head. Your feelings and psychology now live above your head. Walk normally in the room in different directions in this state.
The up direction would apply for characters that are ‘feeling upbeat’, or to which ‘things are looking up’ and those who are ‘on top of the world’. A sense of hope, youthfulness, innocence, delight, optimism can be conveyed in the up direction as well as other slightly more negative senses such as air-headedness, dizziness, forgetfulness, naivety, stupidity and lack of focus. A character that would be described as an airhead, with their head in the clouds and even their nose in the air is a character that belongs in the up direction.
Down
Beginning by standing in homebase, the weight is shifted down one millimeter. Now the weight is carried in the legs and feet but it's important to remember that the physical shift is very small. Place your focus on the soles of your feet and imagine that they are on the bottom of the earth, even deeper than the actual ground you are standing in. Everything inside and around you is moving down. Now place the focus on the area that’s underneath your feet and imagine that you are viewing the rest of the world from down there. Walk normally in the space and execute everyday actions like taking a sip of water, sitting down and taking out the trash. Notice how this sensation inspires you to act.
The downwards direction creates stability, ground, and weight for a character. It could evoke strength, control and confidence. In everyday speach we talk about having 'both feet on the ground' and 'standing our ground' which is in line with Chekhov's down direction. The downwards direction could also be used to evoke feeling of depression, heaviness and hoplessness. Being 'downhearted', 'feeling down', and 'feeling low' is heard in everyday speach.45
Next: Chekhov's exercises