The presentation of Chekhov lab has taken place on 4-th International congress IDEA (World Congress of the International Drama/Theatre and Education Association), Bergen, Norway, July, 2001; and also in Moscow (the Central House of the actor), Melikhovo (III-th International Theatre festival «Melikhovo’es Spring - 2002») and Saint Petersburg (Aleksandrinsky theatre) in May, 2002 where the Russian-American project «The Nina Variations» by Steven Dietz (on motives of Chekhovian "The Seagull") has been submitted. The Russian version of performance has been shown on the International Chekhovian readings in Yalta in April 2003 and has been included into program V-th International Chekhov’s festival in Moscow (May-July 2003). In August of this year Chekhov lab has been submitted at 24-th International festival «Days of Youth theatre» (Workshops on “Alternative Academy ”) in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina; in September – at the International festival of experimental theatre in Cairo, Egypt. Now we release a new our performance “The Cherry Orchard” by Anton Chekhov.
The Chekhov Lab is aimed to deep an audience into the poetic world of Chekhov’s plays using organic combination of theoretical and practical studies.
Methodology: The following methodology of studies seems to be the optimal: a) theoretical thesis-ground b) practical development of the mentioned thesis using a sketch method with actor’s participation c) further search-improvisation and discussion on found variants d) summing up of found results, fixing of material either in play fragments, or in fantasies based on the play subject, or in complex performance
Main subjects: 1) Tourgenev – Chekhov - Gorky 2) Chekhov and Gogol 3) Chekhov and Dostoevsky 4) Ibsen – Strindberg – Chekhov 5) Chekhov and Moscow Art Theatre 6) Experience of Stanislavsky, Nemirovich-Danchenko and other producers in Chekhov’s plays: starting from “theatre of feeling” to “theatre of performance” 7) Chekhov in the culture of XX Century 8) Chekhov and “new drama” of XX Century 9) Chekhov and “theatre of absurd” 10) Base of Chekhov’s theatre 11) “Space” and “time” in Chekhov’s plays. Chekhov and Einstein. 12) Sense of stage direction in Chekhov’s plays 13) Function of pause in Chekhov’s plays 14) Features of finals in Chekhov’s plays 15) “Through” and “fluctuating” characters in Chekhov’s plays 16) Russian Eros in Chekhov’s plays 17) Chekhov’s characters up to the end of XX Century: who’ll see “the sky in diamonds”? … 18) Chekhov in the East and the West cultures … Etc.
Audience: An audience of Chekhov Labs may be formed with participation of actors, directors, theatre researchers, Slavonic philologists, students and postgraduates of theatre institutes or faculties. An optimal group quantity is from 30 up to 50 peoples for every study.
Studies organization: Minimal duration of Chekhov Lab is 2 weeks. Maximal duration is 8-12 weeks. Set of themes and material richness will be based on the Lab duration and group professional features. Play’s fragments, study or commercial performances may be prepared as a result of Lab studies.
Abilities: Chekhov Lab studies may be held in memorial Chekhov’s buildings (Moscow, Melikhovo, Taganrog, Yalta, Gurzuf, etc.) or in native countries of interested groups.
Contacts: Mr. Victor Goultchenko Fax: +7 (095) 197 17 45 E-mail: [email protected]
