Onstage: Мастер-класс Константина Райкина/Konstantin Raikin Master-Class

Last night I attended Konstantin Raikin's "Master class" (a discussion about teaching and pedagogy) at the Meyerhold Center.  Raikin spoke about teaching, how and why he uses the methods he does, and his first year course performed excerpts from their acting exam to a packed house on the mainstage.  

I was extremely happy for the first years last night.  After sitting in and assisting with them any way I could this last semester, I was thrilled that they were given the opportunity to play in front of such a large house.  In general the transition from a small auditorium like 4-1 (those who know the Moscow Art Theater School know what I'm talking about) to a space the size of the one at the Meyerhold Center is always difficult, and such transitions for actors and the material being performed are always a trial by fire to some degree; both the actors and the material can be burned by the adjustments that have to be made, and things that work in the intimacy of a classroom enivornment might be lost in a larger space.  That said, all of these dangers are part of the growing pains of any process, and while not everything translated well to the bigger stage, I was thrilled that the students got to have that experience together as a course for the first time.  The step to the big stage as a course is a big but inevitable one, and they handled themselves well.  One of the students quipped afterwards 'Playing 'The Beatles' etude tonight was like performing at a stadium!...'

Raikin is always a powerful speaker, no matter how many times you've heard him speak.  Most, if not all of his words bear repeating, and even so there are always more than a few gems of ideas that shine brightly in our memories.  Valery Fokin introduced the event and described the ability to truly teach as a truly rare one requiring the ability to wait, to listen, and to believe and have faith.  Raikin then spoke about his views on work, school, and how he formulates his pedgogical curriculum.  He spoke about his love for work and his 'special inability to stand laziness'.  'Everyone hates laziness,' he said.  'Who likes it?  It's just that I especially don't like it.'  He spoke about his training at the Schukin Theater School, saying that his experiences, both positive and negative influenced heavily the way he structures his lessons with his first-year students.  Things like ПФД (память физического действия/sense-memory exercises) and etudes on 'myself in given circumstances' while to some degree a necessary part of training, don't factor into his approach as prominently as in other classrooms.  "I've never understood the necessity to sit on things like 'myself in given circumstances' for longer than a month, let alone seven or eight...It's a necessary part of training, but it exhausts itself as a teaching tool very quickly...when I was a student our teachers told us that 'we know that it's boring' and 'please don't think that this has any relationship to theater'...but I don't want to be bored when I watch...To me, part of the goal of the first year of study is to 'infect the student with theater'..."

Raikin also mentioned how he preferred etudes based on things such as 'myself in fantastical given circumstances', which would make perfect sense, given he was trained at the Vakhtangov school (see Vakhtangov and his genre of theatrical fantastical realism for more info.  It's great stuff.). 

It is apparent in everything he says that Raikin has a great love for teaching.  He calls the first year of study a 'honeymoon' of sorts, a time of заблуждения (delusion). "We always think during the first year that our students are the best and most talented...This is, of course, a delusion.  The students come with such energy and love, thinking that their teachers are the best teachers in Moscow...this is also a delusion..."  Raikin continues however, saying that such delusions and love are necessary to the process, "Без очарованность не бывает ничего настоящего" (without loving fascination, nothing real is attainable). 

I particularly liked those words.  It reminded me of a conversation about the relationship between student and teacher I was having with one of friends a couple of nights ago.  I remember coming very clearly to the conclusion that I can't give constructive notes if I don't love the student.  If I love them, then it makes me pay even more attention to how and when I give notes because I have a personal interest vested in the result.   And if I have to tear something apart or criticize because it's bad, I can do that because my love and desire to see the success of the student or actor outweighs my desire not to hurt their feelings.  Raikin went further, saying 'really, there's no point in the work if you don't have 'loving facsination' (очарованность) for them (the students).  If you don't, then who needs it?'

There is lots more that could be said about this evening, and I hope to have pictures up soon.  In the end, the event was very pleasant, and the evening was a very big step for the students to take.  I'm glad I was there to be a part of it.  What a pleasant way to spend my birthday. 

-A