There followed ten years of wandering through Europe, with sojourns in Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania and finally England. There, with the support of Beatrice Straight and the Elmhirst Family, Chekhov established his first acting school in English. The onset of World War II inspired the Elmhirsts to move the school to Ridgefield, Connecticut in 1938. Here and in New York, Chekhov trained numerous actors from the Group Theater and the Actors Studio before moving to Los Angeles in 1942.
Michael Chekhov was deeply respected by his peers- Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Lee Strasberg, Herbert Berghof, Morris Carnovsky and Harold Clurman. He received an Oscar nomination for Hitchcock's "Spellbound" and spent his last 13 years, acting in films and coaching some of our greatest actors in film history. His student, Deirdre Hurst du Prey transcibed every class from 1936 to 1942. Keep your eyes open for future publications based on these notes.
His books "On The Technique of Acting" and "Lessons for the Professional Actor" are recommended for all actors, teachers, writers and directors. Noted actors Jack Nicholson, while receiving his 1999 Golden Globe Award, and Anthony Hopkins, on "Inside the Actors Studio", both acknowledged the power of Michael Chekhov's Psychological Gesture. Today, the Chekhov techniques are gaining world-wide recognition in an amazing expansion of interest as artists seek to discover a consistent means to peak states of performance. Current technology can scientifically support the once considered "too mystical" means of Mr. Chekhov and humanity is now ready to embrace this inspirational, organic means to accessing one's highest artistic aims.