WHAT IS MICHA?

MICHA, the Michael Chekhov Association, is a not-for-profit organization that links the artistic vision Michael Chekhov created with the work of actors, teachers and directors of today. MICHA aims to add a much needed dimension to current methods of acting training. We hope to train a new generation of practitioners that will incorporate Chekhov's psycho-physical approach into their acting technique.

A Commitment to Teachers

MICHA commits itself to teachers who are interested in teaching the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique. Our International and Teacher’s Workshops create opportunities for teachers to complete a comprehensive training so that they may return to their classrooms with a greater grasp of the elements of Chekhov’s technique.

Michael Chekhov to MICHA: a history of teaching the technique (Ted Pugh)

"In 1953, Michael Chekhov sent copies of his book, TO THE ACTOR, to universities and colleges for their libraries. As the text began to draw the attention of theater students over the years, an interest in Chekhov and his method began to develop. However, Chekhov died in 1955, and while his legacy was a rich one, and his students prominent in the profession (Beatrice Straight, Yul Brynner, Hurd Hatfield, Paul Rogers, Gary Cooper, Marilyn Monroe, Anthony Quinn, to name a few), there existed no studio or school where interested parties could study. Twenty five years later, in 1980, Beatrice Straight and Robert Cole opened The Michael Chekhov Studio in New York City. Due to extenuating circumstances, the Studio closed its doors in 1990.

The Michael Chekhov Association, (MICHA), incorporated in 1999 and is an organization dedicated to the task of furthering the work of Michael Chekhov. Its faculty includes individuals taught at the former Michael Chekhov Studio by the only teachers certified by Chekhov himself - Beatrice Straight and Deirdre du Prey. One of the organization's founders, Joanna Merlin, was a student of Michael Chekhov in California. MICHA'S associations and roots date back to the beginnings of Chekhov's work in this country and to Dartington Hall in England. It is therefore fitting that MICHA is bringing this work to institutions all over the world by training a new generation of teachers who are trained to teach this remarkable work as it has been passed down from Michael Chekhov himself."

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