Michael Chekhov Workshops

Welcome to the Michael Chekhov Workshops for Actors and Directors! Join us at ArtsEd for a series of exciting in-person workshops where you can hone your craft and unleash your creativity. Our workshops are designed to help both actors and directors explore the innovative techniques of Michael Chekhov, a renowned Russian actor and theatre practitioner. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your skills and connect with fellow artists in a supportive environment. Sign up now to secure your spot!

These workshops will run every Sunday from 10-5pm on the following dates:

October 5,12,19,26

November 2 and 9th

Workshop Overview:

Key to Michael Chekhov's work is the relationship between the imagination and physical body to access the inner life of a character - which can be understood as a psychophysical approach to acting. We will work on a short scene from Anton Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ to explore and apply learnt tools. We will work with improvisation, etudes, discussion and smaller group work where actors and directors will be paired. 

At times we will be exploring how the space, other characters, objects, atmospheres or the audience affects us and informs choices we make, at other points we will be working on embodied actions based on inner impulses. The course will explore this dynamic between the inner and outer as a vital ingredient to character creation, embodied acting, and to ignite our imagination and our ability to transform in a truthful and connected way.  

Actors and Directors will work together to learn the tools through physical work and will apply learnt tools through scene work. We will explore how to analyse and breakdown a scene through Michael Chekhov’s embodied practice. Directors will also learn how to begin to access and interpret the scene as a whole by discovering key atmospheres and objectives. They will have the opportunity to guide actors in their work on the scene using the tools.

We will be working on: Atmosphere, Qualities of Movement, Imaginary Centres, Imaginary Body, Psychological Gesture, Archetypes, Directions and Sensations.

There also will be individual and group explorations, reflections and discussions including exercises and improvisations.