Michael Chekhov

from dialogue with Anthroposophy to a theatricality of the Intangible

Abstract

The present article analyzes how Russian actor, director and theatrical pedagogue Michael Chekhov (1891-1955) developed his theatrical approach to imagination from a dialogue with Anthroposophy, spiritual science founded by Rudolf Steiner at the beginning of the century. Known as the most brilliant disciple of Konstantin Stanislavsky, Michael Chekhov was forced to self-exile in 1928 when he found himself investigated for associations with this important esoteric current, banned in Russia since 1923. For the same reason, his work was censored in his native land until the end of the eighties. The article demonstrates how the anti-materialist and non-determinist perspective of Anthroposophy will compose, in Chekhov, a pedagogy capable of objectively exploring the suprasensible phenomena on the stage. Finally, transposing the reflection about theatrical education and acting training, it aims to demonstrate that this legacy anticipates aspects of a performative and transcendent theatricality, according to notions used by Fischer-Lichte and J. Féral. P, building a view of the theater as a event that shows the intangible.