Michael Chekhov's Imagination of the Creative Word and the question of its integration into his future theatre

Abstract

Michael Chekhov (1891–1955) endeavoured to include Rudolf Steiner's (1861–1925) Creative Speech, also known as speech formation, into his Technique, by devising preliminary exercises that could lead the actor to an experience of the Creative Word. The question of how to incorporate the Creative Word more fully into the Technique is the purpose of this paper. Addressing the issue of how to access invisible worlds to come to an imagination of what Steiner refers to as the ‘substance’ of speech, the article suggests that it is useful to develop and exercise a philosophical attitude that will assist practitioners in contemplating and working with Steiner's esoteric ideas in order to extend Chekhov's theatre indications towards his ideal of an integrated future theatre.