Michael Chekhov on the technique of acting: ‘was Don Quixote true to life?’

As an outstanding actor and author of one of the best actor training manuals ever published in the European tradition,1 Michael Chekhov (1891-1955) is one of the key figures in twentieth-century theatre. His ability to transform himself onstage was celebrated by some of the major directors of the century, including Stanislavsky, Vakhtangov, Reinhardt, and Meyerhold: whilst his practical advice continues to inspire actors through his writings and through schools in Russia, Lithuania, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain and the USA.