Instructor: Janice Orlandi –
Held in-person:
Winter 2026: Chekhov on Chekhov
Anton Chekhov’s Plays and Michael Chekhov’s Acting Technique
Set in Imperial Russia with Period Style Characters, Dance and Movement!
“All true artists, bear within themselves a deeply rooted and often unconscious desire for transformation.” ~ Michael Chekhov
This class explores Transformation, creating a Chekhovian character utilizing Michael Chekhov’s “psycho-physical” exercises and approach to acting, as outlined in his book, TO THE ACTOR.
Character Monologues from the major plays and short stories of Anton Chekhov will be our texts, adding classical period pieces to your arsenal of audition selections.
Cross-training and warm-ups in a variety of Movement methods will be incorporated, including Loyd Williamson’s Physical Process of Acting, Eight RASA-Emotions, Overlie Six-Viewpoints. These psycho-physical techniques and exercises offer a wide variety of effective physical acting tools which can inspire endless exploration and possibilities for enlarging the actor’s expressive body, physical ease and freedom, inspiring transformation and the actor’s organic connection to their inner life, creative artistic expression and generosity of ensemble collaboration.
We will explore Chekhov’s tools for creating both the overall ensemble and scenic atmospheres of the play, including: The character’s personal atmospheres, character centers, imaginary body and archetypes, leading to transformation and discovery of the character’s Archetypal and Psychological gestures.
To set the Chekhovian characters in the era of the play, we will incorporate Williamson Technique Character Historical Period Style to explore Period Character, Movement and Dance, including deportment, silhouette, manners, protocol, period costumes and props. We will also explore and incorporate Williamson’s and Hagen’s physical processes of creating character Conditions, states, age and/or impediments.
Fall 2025: Physical Technique & Creating Character Transformations
An advanced “Movement for the Actor” course offering cross-training in a variety of psychophysical methods to enrich your approach toward “Character Transformation” and develop a process-oriented “tool-kit” using advanced exercises of Williamson, Viewpoints, Laban and Michael Chekhov Technique. This course is a rigorous and layered physical exploration, designed to build a strong and present acting instrument, a vivid imagination, vulnerability, and physical character traits including: character conditions, history, and altered states. We will explore characters from history and Spoon River Anthology, by Edgar Lee Masters, to create physical character studies referenced from Animal, Object, Image, Physical Conditions, Archetype, and Portraits. Explorations of a Character Portrait Exercise lead to transformation and embodiment of the physical qualities, temperament and personal atmosphere of a character. This course also trains you in a “psycho-physical” approach to creating a character through the physical practice and exploration of Michael Chekhov’s core exercises. This approach enables you to use both your imagination and body to transform. Applying the practice and incorporation of these principals, you develop the ability to transform from your everyday life mannerisms and habits into the physical qualities, behavioral rhythms/tempos and spacial dynamics of a character. You gain access to physical and emotional flexibility and range in order to create fascinating characters, rooted in character objectives, connected to your body and voice, with a rich and full access to a wide range of emotions.
The spirit of this approach integrates these combined practices into rigorous actor training, performance stamina, presence, ensemble empathy, emotional availability, with vocal and physical integration leading towards actor-ensemble driven compositions and devised work. We will also explore creating a character, with conditions, cold, hot, sleepy, as in Hagen’s basic exercises and “Altered States”, as in an impediment of drunk or drugged. A rigorous exploration and cross training in Psychophysical Methods for building a strong and present acting instrument, a vivid imagination, vulnerability and ensemble devising. To enrich the actor’s approach to “Character Transformation’ with variety of ensemble building, story telling and devising methods for finding gesture, action and story leading to devised ensemble and solo character improvisations and character etudes.
Topics explored in this course include:
Creating Character Transformations with Michael Chekhov, Williamson Technique, RasaBoxes and Character Atmospheres, Archetype and Gesture, Psychological Gesture, Hagen Conditions, Historical Character, Williamson Period Styles and Period Character, Physical Conditions, Viewpoints Ensemble, Group Atmospheres and Style compositions, Where-When and Event Driven Atmospheres, set in Historical World, Centers, Qualities, and Creating the Character’s imaginary Body.