Actor Training: A Gestalt/Michael Chekhov Approach

About

Franklyn Wepner — Artist, Teacher, Theater Director (Updated August 2024) Phone: +972-58-467-7974 Email: [email protected] Languages: English (native), Hebrew (fluent since 1981), French (basic) About Teacher of acting (English or Hebrew), Gestalt therapist, musical theater director, playwright, composer, and klezmer musician. Franklyn’s work fuses Gestalt therapy, personal myth, and awareness training with traditional actor techniques (Chekhov, Brecht, Mabou Mines). He focuses on spirituality expressed through nature and Kabbalah—especially Breslav—within the wider tradition of dialectical philosophy. He has created hundreds of videos, dozens of performance projects, and extensive essays on Judaism, Gestalt Therapy, the performing arts, and Kabbalah. Creative Philosophy & Method For over five decades, my work has combined Gestalt therapy—awareness, dreams, and personal relationships—with traditional actor-training techniques, especially those of Michael Chekhov, Bertolt Brecht, and Mabou Mines. I focus on the performer’s inner experience: peeling away social layers, ego patterns, and unresolved personal narratives to uncover what Chekhov called “psychological gestures.” From these essences, I reconstruct character, dramatic movement, and theatrical structure. My approach seeks spirituality in nature and creativity, drawing inspiration from Jewish mysticism, particularly Breslav Hasidism. I integrate these concepts with avant-garde musical theater and dialectical philosophy to generate authentic artistic work — not imitation. Music is another pillar of my practice. I perform as a klezmer musician using trombone, trumpet, piano, and 12-string guitar, often incorporating live instrumentation into theatrical storytelling. Professional Resume Born: 1941, New York – Age: 84 Certifiable in: Music, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science Key Skills Musical performance: keyboard, trombone, trumpet, 12-string guitar Computer music & video production Directing musical theater, teac