‘A new kind of conversation’: Michael Chekhov's ‘turn to the crafts’

Abstract

Dartington Hall, which was the home of the Chekhov Theatre Studio between 1936 and 1938, also accommodated other performing artists including the Ballets Jooss and Hans Oppenheim's music school as well as artist-craftsmen such as the painter Mark Tobey, the potter Bernard Leach and the sculptor Willi Soukop. This essay examines the training undertaken in Chekhov's studio in dialogue with the practice of these artists (who also worked with his students) and theories of practice articulated by the wider constructive movement in the arts in the 1930s. It goes on to propose that Chekhov's technique be considered as a means of achieving theatre-artistry through craftsmanship, and as an artistic technique whose reach extends far beyond the confines of actor training.