A genealogy of the embodied theatre practices of Suzanne Bing and Michael Chekhov: the use of play in actor training Cassandra Fleming PhD Thesis Student ID: PO2108090 De Montfort University, Faculty of Humanities Department of Performing Arts S ubmission: September 2013 First supervisor: Professor Ramsay Burt Second supervisor: Mr Mike Huxley Contents _______________________________________________________________ Abstract Acknowledgements Preface i-xi Introduction 1-28 1. Introduction 2. Case studies 2.1 Copeau’s Bing…. Or Bing’s Copeau? 2.2. Kaleidoscopic Chekhov 3. Genealogy as Methodology and New Forms of Feminist Historiography 4. Foucault’s Notion of Genealogy 5. Genealogies of Embodied Practice 6. Feminist Forms of Historiography 7. Expellees and Unbelonging 8. The Structure of the Thesis Chapter 1: Tangled Taxonomies and Literature 29-72 1. Introduction 2. Tracing the Field 3. Embodied Theatre 4. Tangled Taxonomies 4.1 Mime 4.2 Total Theatre 4.3 Dance-Theatre 4.4 Visual Theatre 4.5 Physical Theatres 4.6 Movement for Actors 4.7 Psychophysical Acting 5. Honing the Focus: Embodied Theatre 6. Literature 6.1 Suzanne Bing 6.2 Michael Chekhov 7. Writing about Embodied Theatre Chapter 2: Mapping Embodied Play Methods 73-118 1. Introduction 2. From Embodied Theatre to Embodied Play 3. Tracing the Play Terrain 4. Expanding the Notion of Play 5. Chekhov’s Embodied Play 6. Re-considering Bing’s Embodied Play 7. Embodied Play as a Principle 8. Rules, Frames and Ways of Playing 9. Teaching Embodied Play: Systems or Approaches? 10. Play Frames and Tools 11. Progressive Pedagogy and Play 12. The Potentiality of Play 13. Pre-requisites for Play? 14. Playful Modes and Styles of Performance 15. Playing Outside Theatrical Parameters 16. Risky Play, Dark Play and Psychodynamics Chapter 3: Chekhov’s Embodied Play 119-161 1. Introduction 2. Playing with the Imaginary Centre 2.1 Playing to Develop Imaginatively-embodied Skills and Attitudes 2.2 Playing with Sound, Voice and Word 2.3. Play and the Flow Experience 2.4 Features and Forms of Play in the Imaginary Centre 2.5. Playing with Difference and Transformation 2.6 Play and Ego Control 2.7 Creating with the Imaginary Centre 3. Other Methods of Embodied Play 3.1 Playing with Psychological Gesture 3.2 Playing with Objective Atmosphere 3.3 Playing as Clowns 4. A Playful Technique 5. Playful Analysis 6. Chekhov’s Play-enabling Style 7. Different Routes to an Embodied Play Consciousness Chapter 4: Bing’s Embodied Play and Obscured (Her)stories 162-234 1. Introduction 2. Bing: The Obscured (Her)story of the Embodiment of Play 3. Bing’s Embodied Play and Transformations 4. Early Collaborations in Embodied Play 4.1 Working with Jouvet and Dullin 4.2 Early experiments with Copeau at the Club de G ymnastique Rhythmique 5. Bing’s playful experiments and acts of cross-fertilisation 5.1 Bing and Naumburg 5.1.1 Bing and N aumburg: Somatic Awareness, Habit and Neutrality 5.1.2 Another Forgotten Her-Story 5.1.3 Naumburg’s Extended Play 5.2 Bing and Marie-Hélène Dasté 5.2.1 Female Archivists and Publishing Catalysts 5.3 Bing and Howarth 5.4 Play in the Paris school; Training and Making (1920-1924) 5.5 Play in Burgundy 6. Objects and Play 7. Animals and Play 8. Rhythmic Play 9. Play-enabling 10. Gender, Play and Absence Chapter 5: Extending Embodied Play 235-293 1. Introduction 2. Playmates and Cross-fertilisation 2.1 Bing’s Playmates 2.2 Chekhov’s Playmates 3. Pedagogues Enabling Extended Play 4. Extending Play through Fantastical Frames 4.1 Fairytales, Folktales and Myths as Frames for Fantastic Extended Play 4.2 Character Type and Mask as Catalysts for Extended Play 5. Extending Play in Basic Frames 5.1 Sailors and Fishers 5.2 Other Simple Frames for Extended Play 5.3 Internally Generated Frames for Extended Play 5.4 Bing: Taking Extended Play into Public Performance 6. Extended Play with Texts and Writers 6.1 Compagnie des Quinze: ‘Writing’ Embodied Play 6.2 Chekhov: Extending Play with Texts 6.2.1 Radical Application of Embodied Play: Turning Play-scripts into Play-frames 6.2.2 Taking ‘Liberties’ with Adaptation 6.2.3 Playing with Writers 6.3 Chekhov: Taking Extended Play into Public Performance Conclusion 294-312 1. Introduction 2. Genealogies of Embodied Play and Devised Theatre 3. Genealogical Traces and Transformations of Chekhov’s Embodied Play 4. Genealogical Traces and Transformations of Bing’s Embodied Play 5. Le Jeu into Embodied Play 6. Embodied Theatre: Strands of Physical Theatres 7. The Politics of Embodied Play and Embodied Theatre 8. Quiet Radicals Appendices Appendix I Training Pathways – Bing 313-317 Appendix II Training Pathways – Chekhov 318-320 Appendix III Play and Professional Repertoire 321-325 Appendix IV Play and Autocours 326-327 Appendix V Chekhov’s World of Gesture and Archetype 328-334 Appendix VI Bing’s Embodied Play with Mask 335-340 Appendix VII Fairytale and Folklore 341-342 Appendix VIII The Fishers’ Scene 343-345 Appendix IX Les Copiaus and Compagnie des Quinze 356-349 Bibliography 350-372 Abstract _______________________________________________________________ This project investigates the previously unrecognised significance of the ways in which the Embodied Theatre practices of Suzanne Bing (1885-1967) and Michael Chekhov (1891-1955) utilised forms of what I term Embodied Play as a constituent part of their actor training processes. A methodology is developed in the introduction which draws on Foucault’s notion of genealogy and F eminist approaches to historiography in order to trace and review accounts of these often marginalised play practices in order to re-configure the contributions of Bing and Chekhov in historical terms. It also challenges notions of authenticity and singular ‘ownership’ of technique by considering the importance of collaborative cross-fertilisation with other practitioners. This research includes a broader exploration of the literature, histories and discourses about the variety of practices that are often problematically classified as Physical Theatre in relation to the identification of the key components of Bing and Chekhov’s pedagogy. The first chapter presents this mapping in tandem with the argument that McDermott’s term of Embodied Theatre is more appropriate for Bing and Chekhov’s practice. The second chapter further refines the frame of analysis to Embodied Play. Chapters three and four consider how Chekhov and Bing respectively used forms of Embodied Play. Chapter five considers how Bing and Chekhov extended their methods of Embodied Play in training which led to radical approaches to working collaboratively with text and writers. It concludes that this movement from the use of play solely for the acquisition of discrete skill or character creation to extended forms of Embodied Play enabled them to train actors to work as empowered creators of small-scale performance in their Schools/Studios, and ultimately to engage in devising processes for professional productions. Consequently, this helps to fill the gap in scholarship on the early experiments in devised Embodied Theatre. In conclusion the focus on Bing addresses the either inadequate, or absent, analyses of her practice in many of the existing historical studies which are dominated by the patrilineal narratives of Jacques Copeau and Michel Saint-Denis. The consideration of Chekhov’s practice also challenges the current discourse on play centring on Le Jeu and presents the argument for an expanded term able to consider different artists not just those from the French male lineage. Concurrently, this focus on Chekhov’s use of Embodied Play has added to the scholarship on his pedagogic and theatre-making practices. Acknowledgements _______________________________________________________________ The author gratefully acknowledges the financial support of her employers, the department of Theatre and Performance, Goldsmiths University of London. Personal acknowledgements With love to my daughter Lorelei who has taught me so much about play and has been so patient during the lengthy process of writing this thesis. With heartfelt thanks to Ramsay Burt, Mike Huxley, Enid Levin, Lon Fleming and Lorraine Moir for their constant help and support with this project. I am eternally grateful to you all. Lastly, thank you to the wonderful teachers, actors and directors that I have been lucky enough to learn from over the past 27 years and to the many professional actors and students at Central, Rose Bruford, Brunel University and Goldsmiths who have willingly played with me in the past and who continue to inspire me. Preface _______________________________________________________________ This thesis investigates and analyses the ways in which the Embodied Theatre practices of Suzanne Bing and Michael Chekhov utilised forms of embodied play as an integral part of their actor training processes. The work of Bing in general, and Chekhov’s use of embodied play, has not been adequately recognised and has therefore existed in the margins of actor training histories. Therefore this study uses a methodology that draws on both Foucault’s notion of genealogy (1977) and feminist forms of historiography (Scott, 1999) and presents a contrast to many traditional histories which, as Foucault notes, involves historians pretending to ‘[examine] things furthest from themselves’ (1977A, p.155). I n contrast, this thesis examines two genealogical webs of actor training practice which are very close to my own training and work as an arts practitioner and teacher over the past 27 years. Consequently, there is an explicit interconnection between my personal (embodied) experiences of practice and the subject of this academic study, and it therefore seems appropriate to preface this thesis by presenting a brief trace of my work and the way it informs the feminist methodologies I am using. After training in dance from the age of 3, my introduction to acting came at 11 through the outreach programme at the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn, North West London.