MICHA and University of Windsor Launch Digital Version of MICHAEL CHEKHOV: THE ACTOR IS THEATRE Archives

The Michael Chekhov Association (MICHA)--the not-for-profit association dedicated to preserving the artistic vision and technique of actor/director/author Michael Chekhov-- in collaboration with the University of Windsor, today announced the launch of the digital version of Deirdre Hurst du Prey's Michael Chekhov: The Actor is the Theatre Archives. The collection features more than 3600 pages of manuscript notes by longtime Chekhov compatriot Deirdre Hurst du Prey, who documented the work of the Chekhov Theatre Studio from 1936 to 1942. With this ground-breaking launch, the works and methods of Michael Chekhov are now available to international scholars, researchers, and performers through a new digital archive available online at https://collections.uwindsor.ca/chekhov. Additionally, MICHA, in collaboration with the Michael Chekhov Estate, and the family of Nonny Gardner Cangelosi visually enhanced the offering with archival photographs and ephemera that lend additional context to the collection.

"Previously, Chekhov scholars who wanted to view this material would require an archive visit, which for many meant international travel," said special collections librarian Peter Zimmerman. "With the launch of this exhibition, the archive will now be available to anyone, anywhere, any time."

"The completion of this project will allow scholars and practitioners from around the world to access Chekhov's original notes to help them inform their teaching, directing, and scholarly publications," said Professor Lionel Walsh. "Having these available digitally ensures that Chekhov's legacy will be preserved not just for a select few scholars, but to theatre artists and teachers, who can employ his lessons in their practice."

To celebrate the digitization of the archive, MICHA launched a community project that produced 38 short films made by Chekhov schools, collectives and theaters companies in 22 different countries. The first five shorts were released on December 12th; the remaining 33 films will be released on a monthly basis throughout 2021.

This month MICHA features contributions from:

The Chekhov Collective, UK

The International Chekhov Studios Cooperative

The Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Skopje North Macedonia

Arlekin Players Theatre, USA

Michael Chekhov, the Student Movement

"These amazing films seek to perform the archive and show us Chekhov's teachings as they intersect with the artistry of his legacy in the 21st century," says Jessica Cerullo, MICHA Artistic Director. "At a time when so many artists are isolated and craving connection, I hope these films will educate and inspire."

"Our goal at MICHA is to cultivate and educate practitioners and performers about the power of Michael Chekhov's work," says Joanna Merlin, Founder and President of the organization. "We're forever grateful to Jessica Cerullo and the team at University of Windsor for their hard work in bringing this extraordinary project to life."

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Chekhov Community Performs The Archives

Project Ideation: Jessica Cerullo
University of Windsor Librarians: Brian Owens and Peter Zimmerman
Project Editing: Aruna Bhalla

The full list of film contributors includes: Arlekin Players Theatre USA • Bali Theater Work Center • Chekhov Studio Chicago • Schule für Schauspiel Hamburg • Chekhov Training and Performance Ireland • Chekhov Collective UK • Faculty of Dramatic Arts Skopje • GITIS Moscow • Glad Teater Denmark • Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium • Inspired Acting Lab University of Windsor • Intl Chekhov Studios Cooperative • Chekhov Community of Havana • Living Space Theatre Poland • Meisner/Chekhov Integrated Training Studio San Diego • Michael Chekhov Actors Studio Boston • Michael Chekhov Center Cleveland • Michael Chekhov Europe • Michael Chekhov Israel • Michael Chekhov Istanbul • Michael Chekhov School Hudson • Michael Chekhov Studio Brooklyn • Michael Chekhov Studio Korea • Michael Chekhov Studio Rome • Michael Chekhov: the Student Movement • mVm Miller Voice Method • National Michael Chekhov Association • Performing Arts International • Real Live Theatre • Shanghai Theatre Academy • Seven Siblings Theatre • Studio AZOT Michael Chekhov/Meisner Paris • StudioChekhov Croatia • Taipei Theater Lab • Tiny Hero Productions Amsterdam • The American Southwest Theatre Company • The Praxis Acting Studio Los Angeles • VÉRTICO Madrid

ABOUT THE ARCHIVES

In 1935, Deirdre Hurst and Beatrice Straight met Michael Chekhov in New York, where they received three acting lessons from him. Straight's parents, Leanord and Dorothy Elmhirst, invited Chekhov to establish a theatre studio at Dartington Hall, UK, and in 1936 the Chekhov Theatre Studio officially opened on October 5. The Studio moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut, in 1939, mounting a number of successful productions, but World War II had a significant impact on the company and the Studio disbanded in 1942.

As a member of the Studio, Deirdre Hurst continued working with the company, and -- importantly for our purposes -- continued taking notes throughout these years. She would return to those notes in the 1960s and early 70s, transcribing them from the original shorthand into the collection we are fortunate to exhibit here. Ms. Hurst du Prey, with her son Pierre du Prey, donated a carbon copy of the notes to the University of Windsor's Archives and Special Collections in 2003.

Over 3,600 pages were subsequently digitized under the guidance of Prof. Lionel Walsh and Archivist Brian Owens, who has since retired; and the website has been developed by the Leddy Library's Centre for Digital Scholarship.

The website runs on online exhibition software called Omeka S, which is developed jointly by the Corporation for Digital Scholarship, the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media, and George Mason University.

The documents are in PDF format but were originally scanned as images. Optical Character Recognition -- better known as OCR -- has been applied to allow converting the images to text. For example, it is possible to highlight, copy, and paste text into another document; however, researchers should be aware that OCR is less than 100% accurate.

Finally, index terms and tags have been identified to improve the findability of key artists and authors, works such as plays that are referenced in the archive, and Chekhov's acting concepts.