Jurij Alschitz

Jurij Alschitz.

Jurij Leonowitsch Alschitz or Jurij Al'šic (Юрий Альшиц; born 9 August 1947) is a theatre director and theatre and acting theorist who has lived in Berlin since 1992.

His life

Born in Odessa, Soviet Union, Alschitz comes from a theatre family - his mother was the actress Raisa Stavitskaja and his father was the well-known stage designer Leon Alschitz.

Alschitz, recognised for his specific and personal ways in practical theatre research has developed theory and practice for new methods of actors training, and new ways for practice in directing, always with focus on the pedagogical aspect. The significant sign of his practice in teaching and research is the internationality, the incorporation of different west European roots with the Russian theatre tradition, as well as elements of the East-Asian theatre.The long way to become a teacher and a scientist in theatre, started with a directing education at the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts from 1969 to 1973. Jurij Alschitz studied with Prof. J.N. Malkowskij, one of the ten last still living pupils of Stanislavsky, and Prof. Oleg Koudriachov. Then, after numerous productions in state theatres of Moscow, Kiew, Odessa, Riga, a.o. he received his second course of training at the GITIS, the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts, under the masters Prof.Mikhail Butkevich and Prof. Anatoly Vasiliev, where he subsequently held a teaching post.

PhD (doctor of Philosophy, Fine Arts), acting pedagogue, scientist for applied theatre research, director, artistic director of the European Association for Theatre Culture

First theatre experience

The long way to become a teacher and a scientist in theatre, started with a directing education at the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts from 1969 to 1973. Jurij Alschitz studied with Prof. J.N. Malkowskij, one of the ten last still living pupils of Stanislavsky, and Prof. Oleg Koudriachov. Then, after numerous productions in state theatres of Moscow, Kiew, Odessa, Riga, a.o. he received his second course of training at the GITIS, the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts, under the masters Prof. Mikhail Butkevich and Prof. Anatoly Vasiliev, where he subsequently held a teaching post. In 1987 Jurij Alschitz took part in the foundation of the “School of Dramatic Arts - Anatoly Vasiliev”, where he regularly participated as director, actor, and pedagogue from its inauguration and where he went on further developing his own rehearsal and training methods. Until 1989 he completed more master classes of the ministry for Culture of the USSR for „directing-pedagogy“ at the “School of Dramatic Arts“. Jurij Alschitz took part as actor and pedagogue in the legendary production of “Six Characters in Search of an Author “ by Luigi Pirandello, directed by Anatoly Vasiliev and performed it at Festivals like Le Festival D’Avignon, London International Festival of Theatre, Berliner Festspiele, Vienna Festival, Salzburg Festival, Teatro Festival Parma - Meeting europeo dell’attore, Festival de Téâtre des Ameriques (Canada), Gran Festival Guida de Mexico, The International Performing Arts Festival New York City.

The practical experience as member of an extraordinary ensemble like the one of the “School of Dramatic Arts“ and the research on the theme of the personality of the actor as artist in the European comparison since 1992, found its expression in the dissertation „Ensemble and Personality – its artistic and ethic relation“ written at the Russian Academy for Theatre Arts – GITIS 2003.

Teacher in Europe

After moving to Berlin in 1992, Jurij Alschitz concentrated exclusively on the subject of education, namely the continuous education for professional actors and directors, as well as the development of a pedagogy and teaching methods for acting teachers. It started the time of intensive practical research.He accepted the numerous offers from Germany, Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Spain and taught at institutions like Staatlichen Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst (Stuttgart), Folkwang Hochschule (Essen), Berlin University of the Arts (Berlin), Dramatiska Institutet (Stockholm), Civica Accademia D’Arte Dramatica Nico Pepe (Udine), Film Institute (Rome), Pontedera Teatro, Scuola D’Arte Drammatica Paolo Grassi (Milan).

Foundation of the European Association for Theatre Culture

The wish and the aim to realise concentrated actors training and research on a long-term basis with his own master-students as a pedagogical team, led him to the decision to create a number of theatre centres in Europe: in 1994 Jurij Alschitz founded SCUT Skandinaviskt Centrum for Utforskning av Teater in Stockholm, followed by AKT-ZENT Internationales Theaterzentrum Berlin, and PROTEI Progetti Teatrali Internazionali in Rome in1995. In the year 2000 these independently working centres, together with the newly founded KOINE Languages Transartistiques Paris, formed together the European Association for Theatre Culture (EATC) under his artistic direction. Together with his master students – all experienced theatre practitioners – Jurij Alschitz has created a vast number of pilot-projects, which have been realised in various collaborations all over Europe: GITIS in Europe: in 1995 Jurij Alschitz and the then rector of the Russian Academy for Theatre Arts, Prof. Dr. Sergej Isaev established a long-term co-operation agreement for the project „School after Theatre“, a.o.. Alschitz introduced with this three-year education in international classes for the first time continuous in-service training for acting and directing in Western Europe. Later he introduced a specific line for acting teachers, the “International Directors’ and Trainers’ Colloquium“.Jurij Alschitz was invited to present this innovative form of a professional postgraduate education for trainers and directors at the Theatre Olympics 2001 in Moscow. Since 2005 it is conducted in co-operation with leading State academies like DAMU (Prague) or VSMU (Bratislava). Jurij Alschitz is permanently redefining the profession of the acting pedagogue, hereby re - evaluating its fundamental importance for the theatre. This must be done first of all through discussion of methodological approaches and their dissemination. The postulation for “Training of Trainers“ in the field of acting education was reinforced by him during events like the International Theatre Institute / UNESCO Chair World Conference of Rectors of Higher Education Theatre Institutions in Sinaia (Rumania), 1999 and 2000; and put into practice by the Theatre Training & Education Committee International Theatre Institute / UNESCO)etc.

In 1999, Jurij Alschitz invented the festival METHODIKA, which presents and discusses theatre training methods. It was the first in its kind for western theatre culture. Theatre artists have met in different European countries to discuss and work practically on “Personality and Ensemble“ (1999), “Energy and Theatre“ (2001), “The Face and the Mask of the Actor” (2003) and “The Theatre of Centaur” (2007). METHODIKA developed to a highly acclaimed think tank for new unexplored Ideas and practices in theatre education and rehearsal methods. Through the years Jurij Alschitz has educated actors and directors in seminars and laboratories. Hereby he built up his so-called “European Team of Teachers“, which teaches today in whole Europe his method in a unique polyphonic way. This gave room for more pilot-projects, such as “transARTlantica”: an education module specifically designed for US-American Universities. M.A. students study for one semester in Moscow, Berlin, and Italy. Jurij Alschitz is following his lines of research over several years, such as “The Vertical of the Role. A method for the actor’s self-preparation “. As in all of his work, the central aspect is the artistic independence and autonomy of the actors – he calls them “Authors of their Roles“. In this direction he is also teaching directors and pedagogues, always with the aim to educated emancipated artists for the future theatre.This theatre research, unique in its form and content, held in seminars, laboratories, festivals, publications and productions led to the appointment of AKT-ZENT as Research Centre of the Theatre Education & Training Committee of the International Theatre Institute / UNESCO under the artistic direction of Jurij Alschitz.

External links

• http://www.theatreculture.org
• http://www.alschitz.de