Michael Chekhov Acting Studio

Michael Chekhov Acting Studio Michael Chekhov Acting Studio - home to the Actor as Artist since 1996 They become feelings per se. The actor's work continually becomes an artistic creation.

Chekhov's technique is a completely imaginative approach to experiencing the truth of the moment. According to Chekhov the work of the actor is to create an inner event which is an actual experience occurring in real time within the actor. This inner event as it is being experienced by the actor is witnessed by the audience as an outward expression related to the contextual moment of the play. Thi

s event and the ability to create it belong to what Michael Chekhov calls the Creative Individuality of the actor, and is not directly tied to his personality. This Creative Individuality allows the artist actor to use parts of himself that are not just the smaller meaner more banal elements that make up his daily life, but rather parts of his unconscious, where dwell more universal and archetypal images. In Chekhov's own words:

"All you experience in the course of your life, all you observe and think, all that makes you happy or unhappy, all your regrets or satisfactions, all your love or hate, all you long for or avoid, all your achievements and failures, all you brought with you into this life at birth -your temperament, abilities, inclinations etc., all are part of the region of your so called unconscious depths. There being forgotten by you, or never known to you they undergo the process of being purified of all egotism. Thus purged and transformed, they become part of the material from which your Individuality creates the psychology, the illusory "soul" of the character." (To The Actor by Michael Chekhov)

In this way the ego of the character is not subjected to the ego of the actor, because the Individuality seeks a creative union with the character, and will not allow the smaller personality to invade the character thereby distorting this character into one more representation of the actor's personality.

Sunday we will gather to celebrate Lenard. If you are looking for the Live Stream link please find it in the Linktree or...
09/07/2024

Sunday we will gather to celebrate Lenard. If you are looking for the Live Stream link please find it in the Linktree or it is posted to facebook. 5:30pm EST

Lenard Petit and his hat fashion 💛 This Sunday September 8 we will celebrate the life and work of Lenard in NYC. See rsv...
09/04/2024

Lenard Petit and his hat fashion 💛
This Sunday September 8 we will celebrate the life and work of Lenard in NYC. See rsvp link posted. If you can’t be there in person please look for a Live stream link shared soon.

Are you coming to the celebration? Please RSVP to help us gauge numbers on Sunday September 8th, for A Memoria, a Celebr...
08/25/2024

Are you coming to the celebration? Please RSVP to help us gauge numbers on Sunday September 8th, for A Memoria, a Celebration of Life for Lenard Petit

SUNDAY Sept. 8th, 5:30pm. 138 West 15th St. NY, NY. Please help us gauge the amount of people coming.

☀️ past students and colleagues you are invited to an in person celebration of Lenard in NYC this September 8th. We hope...
08/12/2024

☀️ past students and colleagues you are invited to an in person celebration of Lenard in NYC this September 8th. We hope to see you there.

☀️Remembering Joanna Merlin. Today would have been her 93rd birthday. Thank you for your immense contribution to Michael...
07/15/2024

☀️Remembering Joanna Merlin. Today would have been her 93rd birthday. Thank you for your immense contribution to Michael Chekhov’s work, legacy and the art of the actor. Here she is with Lenard Petit in 2003 in Amsterdam.

Lenard Petit’s obituary may be found in the New York Times print edition today and this Sunday July 14. It is also found...
07/12/2024

Lenard Petit’s obituary may be found in the New York Times print edition today and this Sunday July 14. It is also found digitally here:

View LENARD PETIT's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

07/10/2024

The Mason Gross community is saddened to learn of the death of former Theater faculty Lenard Petit.

Trained by the original members of Michael Chekhov’s Theater School, Petit taught the Chekhov technique to MFA and BFA actors at MGSA for 25 years. As the artistic director and founder of the Michael Chekhov Acting Studio, Petit taught a number of international master classes, even creating a Michael Chekhov Workshop and Festival in Shanghai, China in 2016.

“It is self expression which is also real communication, human being to human being.” Petit said of the technique. “This is why I am attracted to this work."

Rutgers University—New Brunswick Rutgers University Rutgers Theater Department

With great sadness we share our artistic director and founder Lenard Petit, world renowned acting teacher and author of,...
07/04/2024

With great sadness we share our artistic director and founder Lenard Petit, world renowned acting teacher and author of, The Michael Chekhov Handbook for The Actor, died at the age of 71, on July 2nd, 11:30 pm at his home on Lake Erie surrounded by family. Petit was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.

Lenard approached diagnosis, illness and dying much through and with the aid of Chekhov technique. I experienced him in this time work particularly actively with the four brothers of art, visualization, psychological gesture, centers and Love. May you grieve and help his passing too with and through this work.

One of the last conversations I had with him, he spoke about how amazed and grateful he was that many were actively with him. I invite you today and in the next few days to for a few minutes be with him. I invite you to perhaps take up a psychological gesture for to “Hold vigil,” “Let go,” and “Thank”, inspired by Lenard’s approach.

Further memorial information not yet shared.

Humbly,
Emma Wade

(Photo by Sal Cacciato. Lenard in the garden leading an ensemble at a Lotus Bay Actor’s Retreat)

Dear Studio Friends,Our artistic director and founder Lenard Petit, world renowned acting teacher and author of, The Mic...
07/04/2024

Dear Studio Friends,

Our artistic director and founder Lenard Petit, world renowned acting teacher and author of, The Michael Chekhov Handbook for The Actor, died at the age of 71, on July 2nd, 11:30 pm at his home on Lake Erie surrounded by family. Petit was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.

Lenard approached diagnosis, illness and dying much through and with the aid of Chekhov technique. I experienced him in this time work particularly actively with the four brothers of art, visualization, psychological gesture, centers and Love. May you grieve and help his passing too with and through this work.

One of the last conversations I had with him, he spoke about how amazed and grateful he was that many were actively with him. I invite you today and in the next few days to for a few minutes be with him. I invite you to perhaps take up a psychological gesture for to “Hold vigil,” “Let go,” and “Thank”, inspired by Lenard’s approach.

Further memorial information to be announced.

Humbly,
Emma Wade

(Photo by Sal Cacciato. Lenard in the garden leading an ensemble at a Lotus Bay Actor's Retreat)

Actors - Any thoughts on this?
05/19/2024

Actors - Any thoughts on this?

Nature establishes its own harmonic order. Knowing how to respect the natural order is to free yourself from the superordinate position of the ego.

"We must draw our standards from the natural world. We must honor with the humility of the wise the bounds of that natural world and the mystery which lies beyond them, admitting that there is something in the order of being which evidently exceeds all our competence." – Václav Havel

Today was the final session for our 6 week investigation into Activating Psychological Gesture. Thank you to this group ...
05/08/2024

Today was the final session for our 6 week investigation into Activating Psychological Gesture. Thank you to this group of Actors for coming on the ride.

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