What do Clint Eastwood, who transformed from cowboy to cantankerous old man, and Marilyn Monroe, who transcended the blond bombshell stereotype, have in common? Both have the teachings of Michael Chekhov to thank. His acting philosophy, which is still influencing many successful performers today, is integral to the history of drama. Read on for details about the Chekhov technique, from how it overlaps with other acting methods to its numerous creative benefits.
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Chekhov was born in 1891 with theater in his blood. The nephew of seminal Russian playwright Anton Chekhov first studied stagecraft at the Moscow Art Theatre under legendary stage practitioner Konstantin Stanislavsky, who had already masterminded his own system. In 1922, Chekhov took over as the director of the Moscow Art Theatre II, where he worked alongside luminaries like Yevgeny Vakhtangov and Vsevolod Meyerhold.
Chekhov’s innovative ideas put him at odds with the USSR’s communist regime, forcing him to relocate to Germany and, eventually, the United States. His unorthodox approach to stage technique caused a rift with his mentor, Stanislavsky, whose own philosophy focused on naturalism. Chekhov went on to become a thought leader in his own right; his acting system was adopted by many Hollywood stars of the 1930s and ’40s.
Chekhov’s method takes a “psycho-physical” approach to acting, encouraging practitioners to ground emotion in physical gestures, a process specifically outlined in his five guiding principles. This allows the actor to stay present in the moment, freeing them up to experiment. The Michael Chekhov Association, which calls itself “the heart of the international Chekhov community,” says that the goal of the technique is to foster “a connection between the inner response evoked by a physical action and its outer expression.”
Key principles and exercises
The core tenet of Chekhov’s teachings is that actors are artists, and every choice they make is crucial to the story. “All true artists bear within themselves a deeply rooted and often unconscious desire for transformation,” he wrote.
Chekhov’s philosophy focuses on physical action, imagination, and the exchange of energy. Here are the main principles:
- The Psychological Gesture: This vital aspect of the Chekhov technique is derived from the theories of Symbolist writer Andrei Bely, who sought to depict spiritual ideals through allegorical language. It involves physicalizing a character’s internal want, need, or impulse into an external gesture. The actor practices this movement until it’s incorporated internally, gradually minimizing the exaggerated gesture until it’s internalized; they then are able to draw upon the emotions that emerged from it. (It’s helpful to use kinetic or “gesturable” verbs rather than passive ones: “push” and “pull” or “shrink” and “grow,” for instance, rather than the vague “want” or “feel.”)
- Movement: Many Chekhov exercises encourage students to express themselves physically. Yoga and other aerobic warm-ups that help a performer feel in touch with their body are key.
- Radiating: One of the primary goals of the technique is to share your internal essence—the intentions and choices that drive your performance—with your scene partners. This concept, called “radiating,” is designed to attune an ensemble to each other’s energy.
- Improvisation: Many Chekhov classes are centered on group improv work, whether verbal or nonverbal. That said, some exercises can be done individually. One, for example, asks the actor to begin a scene with one mood and end on a very different one, creating a story that takes you from one to the other along the way.
Like most modern approaches to performance in Western culture, the Chekhov technique both draws inspiration and diverges from its predecessor—in this case, Stanislavsky’s method. Chekhov’s philosophy differs from his mentor’s in that it eschews the idea of building a naturalistic performance through personal experience. (However, this character-creation technique, called affective memory, did become one of core tenets of Lee Strasberg’s Method.) However, Chekhov came to see this as a self-defeating—and even psychologically dangerous—strategy.
Instead, his technique asks actors to attune to their senses in the moment, exploring both physical and intellectual choices to deliver a truthful performance. Because the technique is rooted in physicality, movement-based acting methods like the Alexander technique and Viewpoints overlap with Chekhov’s teachings.
It’s a good idea for actors to study a variety of techniques to determine which ones work best for them. These will become the building blocks you’ll use to understand and unlock your characters. Students of the Chekhov technique learn to apply their mind, body, and senses to different roles and mediums.
Movement and improvisation exercises are helpful tools regardless of your approach. If an actor has created a character through a psychological gesture, they need only perform that movement to get straight into that person’s emotions and desires. This can be particularly useful on film sets, where actors must frequently switch in and out of character between shots.
Focusing solely on Chekhov, however, means ignoring the potential benefits of the Stanislavsky technique and the Strasberg Method. Actors who want to make compelling choices by drawing on their own memories and personalities can do so without extensive psycho-physical exercises; blurring the lines between the self and the character is a tactic Chekhov devotees don’t explore.
While not as common as Stanislavsky, Sanford Meisner, and Stella Adler schools of acting, Chekhov technique is taught around the world. Dedicated training centers include the Michael Chekhov Acting Studio in New York City, MICHA in Connecticut, the Michael Chekhov International Academy in Germany, and Michael Chekhov UK.
Of course, the quickest—and cheapest—way to absorb Chekhov’s wisdom is to read the man’s own words. He expounds upon his philosophy in several books, including “To the Actor: On the Technique of Acting” and “Lessons for the Professional Actor.”
The following performers studied under Chekhov himself:
- Ingrid Bergman
- Yul Brynner
- Leslie Caron
- Anthony Hopkins
- Marilyn Monroe
- Patricia Neal
- Jack Nicholson
- Gregory Peck
Helen Hunt and Anthony Hopkins have also cited the technique as a key ingredient in their work. Beatrice Straight—who invited Chekhov to launch his own acting studio in the 1930s—went so far as to thank him in her acceptance speech when she accepted the best supporting actress Oscar for Sidney Lumet’s “Network” in 1977.
Chekhov’s technique changed the way we think of stagecraft and helped elevate acting to the art form it is today. Actors who choose this path are participating in a long tradition of innovation, ingenuity, and artistry.