Michael Chekhov: Shorthand Notes and Transcripts of Lessons at Dartington and Ridgefield, Connecticut (The Actor is the Theatre).

DATE: 1935-1977

LEVEL: Series

Shorthand notebooks containing Deirdre Hurst du Prey's dictation of Michael Chekhov's lectures at Dartington and Ridgefield, Connecticut. The notebooks also contain Chekhov's dictated English correspondence. Also, lectures of other visiting instructors at the Chekhov Theatre Studio including Christopher Martin, Leonard Elmhirst, Georgette Boner, and others. Notes were transcribed in the 1960s and 1970s by Deirdre du Prey with the intention that the lessons would be of use to drama students and instructors, as well as source material for books. The transcriptions eventually grew to about 3500 pages in 11 volumes and an appendix called 'The Actor is the Theatre'. Seven copies were made and distributed to various American libraries and Dartington Hall.

Deirdre du Prey's vision for her proposed book based on Chekhov's lessons at Dartington and Ridgefield took various forms. She collaborated with several co-authors, particularly Arnold Sundgaard in 1978-80. Deirdre and her colleagues at various times proposed shorter versions of "The Book". There were versions containing Chekhov's lectures based on categories, versions condensing over 500 original lectures into 25 or 30 lessons, and a proposed biographical work.

Ultimately, du Prey edited two published books, 'Lessons for the Professional Actor' (1985), and 'Michael Chekhov: Lessons for Teachers of his Acting Technique' (2000). These were based on lessons given outside the auspices of the Chekhov Theatre Studio, in New York City in the winter of 1941-42. 'Lessons for Teachers' was based on Chekhov's preparatory lessons given to Beatrice Straight and Deirdre Hurst du Prey at Dartington in 1936, prior to the first term of the Chekhov Theatre Studio. The vast majority of du Prey's transcriptions of Chekhov's lessons remain unpublished. Du Prey provided complete sets of all 11 volumes of 'The Actor is the Theatre' to six academic and national libraries in the United States. The set at Dartington is the seventh and the master set.

Michael Chekhov was an actor, director, author, teacher, and a student of Stanislavsky. In 1935, with the help of Beatrice Straight, he established the Chekhov Theatre Studio at Dartington Hall. Chekhov was assisted in his lessons by Deirdre Hurst du Prey, who accompanied him when the school was relocated to Ridgefield, Connecticut between 1939 and 1942. Deirdre also assisted Chekhov in writing his book 'To the Actor' in 1942, typing versions of the manuscript and co-operating with Professor Paul Marshall Allen in revising the text.

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