Chekhov Training and Performance Ireland
“The body of an actor must absorb psychological qualities, must be filled and permeated with them so that they will convert it gradually into a sensitive membrane.”
“Cold analytic, materialistic thinking tends to throttle the urge to the imagination.”
TO THE ACTOR. MICHAEL CHEKHOV
The objective of Chekhov Training and Performance Ireland is twofold; first, to promote the Michael Chekhov Acting technique in Ireland through quality training courses for actors, directors, writers and teaching artists; and secondly the development of performance projects using the Chekhov technique as the bedrock of the rehearsal process
Who was Michael Chekhov?
Michael Chekhov [1891-1955] was one of the most innovative actor/director/teachers of the 20th century. A nephew of the great playwright Anton Chekhov, he acted in the Moscow Arts Theatre with extraordinary success, occasionally coming into conflict with Stanislavski and others that worked there. His journey across Europe and eventually to the United States, where he acted in Hollywood movies [most notably in Hitchcock’s SPELLBOUND], taught and influenced a whole number of famous and less famous actors, is one of both frustration and triumph.
And the Technique?
Chekhov’s great legacy is his technique. His concept of psycho-physical exercises, where the character is discovered though images, and physicalisation of the character’s psychological drives, makes acting absolutely thrilling and magical. It expands the creative boundaries for a person not by working directly from ‘real life’ but from the vast palette of the creative imagination. Whilst this might appear at first glance to be somewhat ethereal, it opens the performer in a real and powerful way. The technique reminds us that the theatre is an art.
Max Hafler – founder and co-artistic Director
Max Hafler is a highly experienced theatre teacher and director. He trained with the Michael Chekhov Association in the U.S., and has been teaching Chekhov for many years. He taught the technique at NUI Galway for 12 years and has taught it in many other colleges, including the Lir. He has also developed the Technique in Devising and for use in Applied Drama situations. One of his main interests is developing the work for directors, and he has directed several productions with the technique as the bedrock of the process. His book, “Teaching Voice” was published by Nick Hern Books for youth leaders and teachers using Voice and Chekhov Technique, in 2016, and “What Country Friends Is This?” covers directing Shakespeare with young people and explores primarily, Chekhov technique, Devising and Directing. He ran a professional theatre company called Theatrecorp which utilised the Chekhov Technique extensively. Above all he loves to see students of all levels having their spirits freed by using the technique where Imagination and The Body come first. He is a proud member of the International Independent, Chekhov Studios cooperative
Joanna Merlin , president of the Michael Chekhov Association says
“I was a student of Michael Chekhov’s in the last five years of his life. The atmosphere that he created was one of joyfulness, freedom, enlargement, permission and a belief in every actor’s creative individuality. I feel that Max embraces and radiates that spirit of Michael Chekhov fully and intuitively. Max’s understanding and application of this work is vital to the development of the actor’s creative instrument. “
Declan Drohan – Co Artistic Director.
Declan Drohan M.A. H.Dip.Ad.Ed. currently lectures on the BA Hons. Programme in Performing Arts at Atlantic Technological University Sligo, and the multidisciplinary MA in Creative Practice . A graduate of the Gaiety School Of Acting, he is the former course leader of the acting programme at T.U.D’s prestigious Conservatory Of Music and Drama, Rathmines, Dublin. In a thirty year career, his work as a director has encompassed everything from radical reappraisals of classical texts to stagings of new writing and innovative community based projects integrating individuals with often profound disabilities into large scale, mainstream theatre projects, and fourteen years as Senior Youth Theatre Director at the Glens Centre, Manorhamilton where he serves as a board member. His consultancy and training work in adult education, theatre training and disability/equality settings was the focus of his work for a period in the 90’s, with many of the techniques and work processes developed radicalising his teaching and directing work.
His visibility on the Dublin Theatre festival scene has been consistent since relocating to the North West Of Ireland, (How I Failed to Become a Popstar- 2001, Frank Pig says Hello – 2005, Little Dark Star – 2006, Beneath the Bone Moon – 2015) , in addition to directing the annual ‘Bespoke ‘ graduate showcase of emerging acting talent at the Project Arts Centre, Bewley’s Theatre, and the Lyric Theatre Belfast.
For the past seven years, his directing of the Yeats Project has become a major outreach project for the BA Honours programme at ATU Sligo, with performances of the texts in the college’s own Black Box Space, the Yeats Building, Sligo and the Glens Centre, Manorhamilton.
His studies in the past six years have seen him complete training with international Faculty from MCE and MICHA in Michael Chekhov Technique and embark on related practice based research. He is Co Director of Chekhov Training and Performance Ireland and a member of the Chekhov Circle International Studios Group and the MCE Teachers Group. He is adjudicating four festivals for ADCI in 2022 and teaching for the 2nd year in a row at the DLI Summerschool at UL. He is a member of the Association of Drama Adjudicators.
for information: contact 0(0353) 86 330 7325
or chekhovtpi@gmail.com
website: http://www.chekhovtrainingandperformanceireland.com
Online for the Early Summer!
CORE CHEKHOV ONLINE: CONCENTRATION, TRAINING IMAGINATION, SEEING AND USING IMAGES
This is a short online course of four workshops where we delve into some of the basic fundamentals of the Chekhov work, suitable for those new to the work and those wishing to reawaken and further explore some of these core elements. Without Concentration it becomes harder to imagine, but with a particular type of concentration it becomes effortless.
4 Tuesday Sessions for two hours per week. May 28th – June 18th
cost 100 waged 80 unwaged.
TUTOR MAX HAFLER
IN THE ROOM! MICHAEL CHEKHOV TECHNIQUE SUMMER SCHOOL
AUG 17/18/19/20
GALWAY IRELAND
TUTORS DECLAN DROHAN/MAX HAFLER.
THE ACTOR IS THE THEATRE.
THE JOURNEY FROM INSPIRATION TO APPLICATION
EXPLORE THE RESOURCES OF THE ACTORS BODY AND IMAGINATION AS A LAUNCHPAD FOR THE ENTIRE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE –
Actors often feel overwhelmed at the beginning of a creative task. Where to begin?
This workshop will explore and examine the body and psychology of the actor, the imagination and the voice as a radiating instrument.
THE COST IS 300 FOR FOUR DAYS TRAINING WITH SOME CONCESSIONS AVAILABLE. TALK TO US TO DISCUSS THIS IF YOU NEED TO .
Max Hafler
Max Hafler began his professional life as an actor, training at LAMDA and working with a whole number of distinguished actors and directors. He is a theatre tutor, director and writer who now specialises primarily in Michael Chekhov Technique and Voice. He trained in Chekhov Technique at MICHA and Michael Chekhov Europe. He taught at University of Galway Ireland for over 20 years, and has guested at Boston MIT, USMaine Gorham, the Lir and others. He has worked extensively on youth and applied theatre programmes. His book, Teaching Voice, and most recently “What Country Friends is This?” are published by Nick Hern Books . He set up Chekhov Training and Performance Ireland to make the West of Ireland a hub for the acting technique. Of his many productions, his most recent professional production was for The Sacrificial Wind , a poem-play by Lorna Shaughnessy about Iphigenia which was made for online viewing and shown at several events and festivals. His college and youth theatre work include The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Yerma ,The Trial, The Bacchae in the version by David Greig and Twelfth Night, which was explored in “What Country?” He is a member of the Independent Chekhov Studios Coop.
Declan Drohan
Declan Drohan M.A. H.Dip.Ad.Ed teaches on the B.A. in Performing Arts and the M.A. in Creative Practice at ATU Sligo.He was been a theatre practitioner for 30 years. His practice encompasses acting , directing, lecturing and consultancy.He trained at the Gaiety School of Acting , and with Michael Chekhov Europe.He is co-director of Chekhov Training and Performance Ireland, and serves as a director of the Glens Centre Manorhamilton. He is regular tutor at the DLI Summerschool at University of Limerick and is member of the Association of Drama Adjudicators ( ADA)
EMAIL chekhovtpi@gmail.com for more details!
Max Hafler - Radiating /Receiving 