PROCESS & PERFORMANCE LAB

This is a DRAFT

20 hour Acting Laboratory

With Ragnar in NYC – Summer 2024

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA“If we really try to get the idea of the theatre as a social factor, we should forget ourselves on the stage and think, rather, of the many people there before us. But we are frightened before the audience: we cringe before the audience instead of asking ourselves what we can give our audience as part of our social life. This we can do if we realize that the audience is before us, and not we before the audience”. Michael Chekhov

The Sessions
In a 20-hour series of sessions we will be working with the world of a play.
And playing with characters in a more fluid way, where we “know” the play (somewhat, however sketchy) and then take on parts from the play -momentarily- when a particular energy shows up in us.
For example, if the play was “Hamlet” – and all of the sudden I feel a bit in a stinky mood, I pick up immediately the uncle / king and give him a voice. Or if I feel all of the sudden really superior, I pick up -whatever- Ophelia’s dad.
In that sense all parts would be open to all actors in the room at any given moment – multiple versions of the same character may inhabit the stage at the same time, or characters might show up on stage through their absence (i.e. nobody feels them, or picks them up).

Cost
TBD

When & Where
July 12 – 15, 2024
(Friday – Monday, 20 hours total)
in New York City

Gabriela Bonomo, working with material for a film

About Ragnar
Ragnar has been creatively working with Michael Chekhov’s Acting Technique for the past 30 years as actor, director and filmmaker. He is one of the featured master-teachers of the acclaimed DVDseries Master Classes in the Michael Chekhov Technique, which he co-directed with Joanna Merlinfor the Michael Chekhov Association (MICHA). He has been part of the acting faculty at the Michal Howard Studios, Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, Brooklyn College, Marymount Manhattan and taught for 14 years at The New School in NYC. He co-wrote and directed the award-winning narrative film Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn, starring Michael Chekhov’s direct student Joanna Merlin, executive producer Bob Balaban. He made the D&D Roadshow Movie for Improbable Theatre(UK) and collaborated on Improbable’s Show Tao of Glass, with Phelim McDermott and composer Philip Glass. Most recently, he edited the documentary Something Divine by Thomas Essig, featuring Ray Cappo (Raghunath) of the hardcore punk band Youth of Today.

How to Apply
Please use the form below to contact us for details about the admission process:

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More Information
If you have additional questions; or you would like more information, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Gabriel Rodriguez is exploring “A Brief for the Defense” by Jack Gilbert.

Title Image photographed by Yuan-rong Liao @ the Michael Chekhov School.