The Actor’s Creative Process - The Foundations of Michael Chekhov’s Approach to acting and Performance
Saturday 23 December 10am - 5pm
A sequence of one-day workshops running from September 2023 – July 2024
with Sarah Kane
The one-day workshops planned for weekends at Rudolf Steiner House in 2023 and 2024 aim to provide an overview over the core elements of Michael Chekhov’s acting technique that he continued to develop throughout his life. They range from the very beginnings of any serious artistic research and exploration to the finer points of developing a stage life and creating character, including the character’s psychological gesture.
Each workshop will be an entirety in itself and can be taken individually; priority will be given to those wishing to enrol in the three groups of workshops ( September – December, January – March, April – July) and in the entire series.
Please bring clothes and shoes suitable for movement as a well as a piece of text such as a monologue or poem known by heart, so that it can be used in the exploration of any aspect of the technique in practice.
Part one: The Imagination
September - December
‘Imagination is the real and eternal world, of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow.’ William Blake
As actors and performers how can we engage with our imagination in the process of creating, transforming into character? Imagination is a part of every human being and for many performers an essential element in their creative process: how can the imagination serve and also enhance our individual creative journey? Can we train it?
These questions will be at the heart or core of the first three weekend workshops for professional actors and performers and will explore one of the core elements of Michael Chekhov’s understanding of and approach to the actor’s professional life and work.
Imagination IV
Imagination and the transformation of space
Saturday 23 December 10am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm
The space where performance happens is not often integrated into performance as a creative tool, but many good writers know how the awareness of space, both the individual and the general, can enliven and enrich ensemble work and create mesmerising individual performances. Michael Chekhov calls this imaginative exploration of space ‘atmosphere’, both general or objective and individual or subjective: how can this intangible thing enhance our creativity, become a creative tool and a part of any artistic process?
Workshop Fee: £55 per individual day; £200.00 for four; £150.00 for three workshops; £425.00 for ten workshops
Booking:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/rudolf-steiner-house/e-qpyxpq
Registration and booking in person available at the Bookshop on the night
Coming in 2024:
Part Two
January - March 2024: From Movement to Gesture
April - July 2024: Creating Character