Michailo Čechovo metodo vystymasis Lietuvoje
The emergence of Chekhov’s creative method during his work in Lithuania

Summary/Abstract: In 1928 Michael Chekhov in his creative work achieved the peak of (traditionally understandable) actor’s excellence, implemented it on the stage, and found a spiritual teaching – anthroposophy, which fulfilled his aspirations. Thus, Chekhov’s great odyssey searching for his “future theatre” began. This search organically led him towards more and more intense transition of the “creation within himself ” in the sense of time and space. It is obvious that Chekhov’s work in the multicultural space when he tried to create the “international theatre”, his teaching practice trying different elements of the method with the students of various nationalities and mentality made the method even more universal and receptive for further post-Chekhov theatrical researches.Disappointed in the reigning “matjerialism” both in the Soviet Union and in the free West, he found a suitable soil for his researches in newly founded Baltic states. “New art could be born only in a country which has a new world-view and which recognizes it as the basis. <…> The younger country, the more thinking about culture, and ambition – the more possibilities appear for creating a new theatre”, – said Chekhov for the newspaper “Septynios meno dienos” in May of 1932, just after his arrival to Kaunas, the provisional capital of the Republic of Lithuania.In Kaunas, at the State Theatre and its studio, both led by his friend and colleague from MAT-2, Andrius Oleka-Žilinskas, Chekhov staged 3 performances and offered 16 inspiring, unforgettable lessons. Enthusiasm both of actors and young students made it possible to make a lot of experiments and send their results to Georgette Bonner in Paris for starting to fix the so-called “Chekhov’s method”.

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