ABSTRACT
Michael Chekhov believed that every moment onstage, any role – small or large – deserves to be a work of art unto itself. Improvisations will include moving the body with ease, props, chairs, or whatever is at hand with ease and then changing the focus to moving with artistic beauty, a sense of form – what shapes do you make with the prop/chair, and then completing a sequence of moves followed by a pause to experience that sense of entirety. One sample improvisation is “Dancing Puppet” where one actor is blindfolded, and the other acts as the puppeteer, both focused on moving with ease, creating a puppet dance of beauty, being aware of form, and then bringing it to a sculpted conclusion for entirety.
Michael Chekhov believed that every moment onstage, any role – small or large – deserves to be a work of art unto itself. Improvisations will include moving the body with ease, props, chairs, or whatever is at hand with ease and then changing the focus to moving with artistic beauty, a sense of form – what shapes do you make with the prop/chair, and then completing a sequence of moves followed by a pause to experience that sense of entirety. One sample improvisation is “Dancing Puppet” where one actor is blindfolded, and the other acts as the puppeteer, both focused on moving with ease, creating a puppet dance of beauty, being aware of form, and then bringing it to a sculpted conclusion for entirety.
Haven’t we all had a fantasy or even a very realistic dream of flying? In this chapter flying is one of the tools which will be explored to bring about transformation in any performance. Beginning with the strongest resistance in movement, which is molding, and gradually moving toward radiating, which is energy having no bounds, you will be introduced to a full range of movement that allows for a variety of expression. When improvising with these tools you may choose a character that is very regimented and controlled via molding, or a character that is very free and expressive via flying. As with the other Michael Chekhov acting techniques, these tools hold neither a positive nor negative charge, but instead offer physical ways of being with endless possibilities. A discovery can be made via these tools which is that any character you will ever play can move somewhere on this spectrum – or incorporate the entire range!
Introduced after Michael Chekhov had passed, NMCA President Lisa Dalton brought these forth under the direction of Jack Colvin, a protégé of Michael Chekhov’s, in the UK at an international conference. This chapter guides you to experience these states of equilibrium which we are all familiar with in life – struggling for balance when all around you may be a bit chaotic; falling whether it is with despair or relief; and floating which may reflect buoyant happiness or an urge to escape. The boundless interpretation of any of these techniques is a true testimony to Michael Chekhov's creative imagination and allows for you to determine how you will utilize any of these tools for your character or in your life.
