Nephew of Anton Chekhov and a disciple of Konstantin Stanislavskii, Russian émigré actor Michael Chekhov (1891-1955) created one of the most challenging and inspiring acting theories of the 20 century. This book is a reinterpretation of Chekhov¿s theory both in the context of the cultural and political milieu of his time and in the light of theatre semiotics: from Prague Structuralism to French Poststructuralism and contemporary performance theory. This work presents Chekhov¿s understanding of the actor¿s stage product ¿ stage mask ¿ as a psychological, psychophysical and cultural construct engaged with the mysteries of the actor/character or, what Mikhail Bakhtin describes as the author/hero, dialectical relationships. It offers new horizons in interdisciplinary and intercultural visions on theatre acting described by Chekhov as a most liberating and cathartic process.

Contents: Stage Figure versus Stage Mask - Semiotics of Actor's Body: Chekhov's Notion of Atmosphere and Creating Space in Theatre - Semiotics of Actor's Voice: Chekhov on Language, Rhythm and Gesture in Theatre Performance - Michael Chekhov Creating the Hamlet Stage Figure - Michael Chekhov Creating a Film Figure.