WEEKEND WORKSHOP in NYC
With Ragnar, September 13 in the East Village
followed by a free event with Martin Anderson
“Don’t be afraid of mistakes – there are none” –Miles Davis–
How to work with psychological events of any kind and turn them into play
The Workshop
Develop skills to face and follow events that usually would confuse and throw you in your work with Michael Chekhov’s awesome imaginary tool: “Psychological Gesture”
When
Sunday September 13, 2026
12pm – 2:50pm
Where
The workshop takes place in the East Village, NYC
Material
Choose a short (1-2 min) text, that has been written by someone else.
Memorize the text.; it can be any style or genre, dramatic, comedy, poetry, commercial, lyrics, etc.
How much does it cost?
The tuition is $90.
Upon acceptance, a deposit is required to hold your space.
How do I apply?
To apply, please send a short message and Ragnar will contact you.
Free Event
“Stories of the American Actor” with Martin D. Anderson
“What we play is life” –Louis Armstrong–
Invite by Martin
“I’ve been acting for many years: studying, working, making my own projects.
Recently, I’ve pivoted into an academic mode, researching the history of the actor and trying to understand where the actor’s role – its scope, shape and assumptions – comes from in American theater. It turns out it is not that easy to create a full picture. The information is scattered and diffuse, almost as if no one has ever wanted to tell the whole story.
In following these glimpses, I’ve put together a sort-of origin story that made me realize how unaware I was of the parameters within which I was working. I’m hoping now to explore this with actors: to see what stems from our own work as actors, and what may be holdovers from theater culture and history.
So I decided to join with Ragnar, in a project of going into stories: stories of ourselves as actors; the stories we share with other actors; the stories of how we became actors; what shaped us; and how we got here. And from there to go into the stories I have come across in my research, to look at the whole, ancient picture, to understand why we may find ourselves in the particular situation we are in as actors: loving the theater and loving this art form, while at the same time feeling disempowered and at the margins of the theater event.
Join this workshop if you are an actor, if you have questions that resonate with the above, and if you would like to go into this with a group of peers as a practical, playful research project.”
When & Where
same day (9/13), 3-5pm
same location
RSVP / Questions?
Write us, using the contact form above!
About Martin
Martin Anderson is a theater maker, actor, director, and filmmaker whose work positions the actor as a generative and authorial creator. He holds a masters degree in Media Studies and Performance from Queens College, CUNY, where he examined the historical and contemporary agency of the American actor, with a focus on performance, labor, authorship, and the systems that organize theatrical and screen work. His practice is guided by “process as principle”: the belief that collaborative methods embody a work’s values. Through work with MICHA and artists connected to Michael Howard and Ragnar Freidank, he has explored nonhierarchical rehearsal and ensemble co-creation inspired by theater companies Pig Iron, Improbable and Cornerstone. Working across live performance and moving-image media, his ongoing work asks how actors can retain and expand creative agency amid digital production, AI-generated performance, and emerging technologies, while drawing inspiration from ecological rhythms, collaborative play, and role-playing game storytelling.
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 DVD series Master Classes in the Michael Chekhov Technique, which he co-directed with Joanna Merlin for 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.
Testimonials
Ragnar’s work, based on the brilliant explorations of Michael Chekhov, is very much his own. He is an excellent listener and willing collaborator and I cannot speak too highly of the man and the teacher.
(MICHAEL HOWARD, actor, director, acting teacher, founder of the ‘Michael Howard Studios’, NYC)
Ragnar is an artist, both as a teacher and as a director. He is on an impassioned and relentless search to discover ways of connecting the actor with his own resources.
(JOANNA MERLIN, Broadway, film, TV actress; author of ‘Auditioning, An Actor Friendly Guide’)
Being in a rehearsal hall or studio with Ragnar is a constant source of clarity and inspiration; it is a keenly observed exploration into the heart of the matter, or certainly somewhere in that vicinity.
(BRENT CARVER, actor, Tony Award for ‘Kiss of the Spiderwoman’)
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Enrollment opens each month:
michaelchekhovschool 