Hello all! Hope everyone helped make history today at the polls!
Question:
I received an e-mail from Michael Horn at the Michael Chekhov Theater Company inviting me to audition. Other than that they are producing a Shepherd-palooza, all of Sam Shepherd's plays in two years. I read the reviews, they seem to be good, but there isn't a lot published about them. Has anyone seen anything produced by them or worked with them? Let me know!
Thanks!

Hello!
I have worked with them twice in the past; both times Michael Horn directed. The first time I had a good experience, the second time (which was pretty recent-June 08) I did not have a good experience. Michael is a nice guy and he means well, but he seemed really overwhelmed, and the whole rehearsal and performance period was very disorganized and frankly, I really felt taken advantage of, and that my time was wasted. It was a pretty frustrating experience. If you are new to the theatre world, I say it doesn't hurt to check it out, but otherwise, I would advise "no." That's just based on my opinion and experience. Ok good luck!

I got a callback for them. The audition seemed very ill organized and unprofessional. Lots of people with no headshots/resumes... Seemed to just walk in... I am getting kinda shady vibes, but on the other hand... It's an opportunity to audition and what's the harm? It can't HURT to have to opportunity to be seen, right?
Anyway, if anyone else out there had any more information of these people (Thanks Rabbitcat!), I'd really, really appreciate it!
Thanks all!

I auditioned for a play to be produced at The Michael Chekhov Theater but was to be directed by someone else. The audition was a bit hectic, it was held at the theater but in a small room that people had to pass through to get to the theater. So the set up was not ideal. The callback was in the actual theater and was a bit odd in how they did it, but it worked.

Well it turned out I got the part, but then the production was canceled because there was a problem with the rights.

So, in sum I would say they may be a bit disorganized but I think they are legit.

When I was there, there were always people working twelve hours a week or more with the hopes that they would eventually get on stage. I almost did their Happy Hour show, but then got something else. I didn't get a good vibe.

Update! I went to the so-called "call back" only to be in put in a room with a few other young, fresh out of school actors and actually be BERATED for over an hour and a half by the artistic "director." It was bizarre. He seemed to be trying to pick a fight ("Name one other company in NYC that owns their own space! NAME ONE! NAME ONE! NAME ONE! NO ONE!!!"), was making OUTRAGEOUS claims (no one can do Shakespeare there because everyone is too bad of an actor. Also, Sam Shepherd is the greatest playwright. Ever.) and at the same time, told us we were ACCEPTED into the company! Then a round robin of "Are you in?" I said, "I'll have to think this over. I was preparing for a call back." I ran right out of there! This was about a month or so ago. Two weeks ago or so, right before Christmas, I got a phone call from them asking to schedule a CALL BACK! It's insane! So that was the culmination of my Michael Chekhov Theater Co. experience. Eeek!

Frankly, I'm surprised there are not more warning posts about this guy.

He holds auditions for a show called "Happy Hour" as well as "Michael Chekov Theatre Co"
currently using the 45th Street Theatre.

Through actors access I was called into an audition. Sides were provided, but after reading a line of them he asked all the actresses to put them aside and fake an orgasm.
First red flag.

At the end of the audition he asked everyone if they wanted to be in Happy Hour, ranting "we work really quickly here- are you in?"

Two days later EVERYONE who auditioned got an acceptance email into the 12 person show, from his email but with a fake "producers" name, who ended up being a intern from another country. (90 people cast?). Hmmm

To shortly recap a long story

The first rehearsal consisted of Michael Horn ranting and raving about people who quit his show, including Constantine from Rock Of Ages.
He said he will take him out of the NY theatre circuit forever, and will do the same to us if we miss a show.

Then he made everyone say what ethnicity they are asking are you italian? russian? then "ok, you could do this role."
And "only a real black person can do this part, because only a black girl can tell someone to F off properly"

We were given no role just told to learn all 9 female monologues in the show because he doesn't assign roles until opening night.

He casts 100 people because everyone runs away after the first meeting! Then the remanding victims end up rehearsing at all different times
and maybe meeting each other before going onstage to perform the show.

He gave us two show dates and said if we don't bring people to fill the theatre the first one we won't be allowed to perform in the second show.

I also have a high tolerance for crazy, and know that many theatre people are a little bit!
With that in mind moved forward.

After 8 hours I still hadn't had any rehearsal (just more crazy ranting).
We were then told about having to do audience interaction based of racial profiling (looking at an African man and saying "hi, I bet you have a big anaconda" etc)

I will not be doing this show for those, and many other reasons. I recommend other actors stay far away from this guy!

I too was a part of the "Happy Hour" show at the Michael Checkov Theatre...for like a quick minute. It was sooo weird and he informed us that we HAD to perform exactly as he told us to, no room for interpretation or else we wouldn't get a laugh. Well, of course I didn't find my piece funny at all and so I was having a hard time with it because he wanted me to be sooo over the top in my acting and I felt stupid and not myself. When I tried to go a different direction with my piece, he told me that I was doing it wrong and kind of berated me for it. So, I politely told him that I unfortunately got cast in something that would conflict with the show and so I had to quit. He was kind of rude about it but I left anyway. Then, I would say two months later, I got a call from them asking me to come to a call back for the show "Happy Hour". I was totally shocked and confused and I told them I'd have to call them back and never did. Everything that screenname said is exactly my experience too...very, very weird

I had nearly the same exact experience with Happy Hour. He is so crazy and that I kept thinking I was bieng punked.

He told us a story that he has his staff call actors who quit his show every week for years untill they finally come in for a call back. Then he berets them in person.
Probably what he was going for with you. That, or they are so disorganised that they can't even remember who is who.

All actors need to steer clear of this show and future auditions for him.

hi everyone, I'm a working actress and have worked on several theatre productions with high profile directors- i'm only saying this in order to communicate, that i have a point of reference where the theatre and its customs are concerned. i did Happy hour a month ago and count it as one of my best experiences so far. i can understand why Mike might seem a little intense at first, he is certainly a director with a large personality, but to be honest that was what made it so interesting and educational- yes some things were unconventional and different but not once did i feel my time had been wasted or his conduct was anything but professional. his thing is actually very old school- give the theatre the respect it deserves- he demanded utter attention and once he felt that we got that part about being respectful - he turned into the kindest director i've ever worked with- not to mention his vast knowledge, which he shared with us generously. to be honest most of the unprofessional behavior came from fellow actors who showed total lack of respect regarding time keeping, committing to the material, texting during the rehearsals etc. the work that went into the rehearsals was intense and very much based on stand up and audience interaction. the results were just so fabulous and empowering- we had a full house on each night with the audience waiting for the cast after the show to tell everyone how much they enjoyed it. the feeling i was left with, was that something good had happened in that hour- people were laughing - laughing until they almost cried. i had some fellow thespians come watch the show and to hear them say that they would love to do something like that - simply having the courage to approach something from a totally new angle with energy and curiosity and not be afraid to leave their comfort zone, was actually sobering. many of us actors keep doing the same thing over and over again, without searching for growth and then we are surprised that we're not making it big- hard work has to be part of it. i ve read most of your blogs and recognize some of the stuff but have to say that it is very much taken out of context. But more- what really stands out, is that very few of you seem to have actually done the show... i wish you had - because then the posts would do this site justice and give an informed opinion instead of celebrating the fact that we are perpetuating the common perception that actors are afraid to put in what it takes.
i encourage any actor to do this show - it's a great skill to add to your toolbox.

Nice that the same person can join and post 6 times. Shill

The nay-sayers are hilarious. "He made me fake an orgasm," she says with righteous indignation. Poor Meg Ryan, she faked an orgasm and became an icon. Did you not do any research about the show? It's about sex! Did you think you'd be doing high-kicks in fishnets? I find that much more degrading than intelligent, insightful monologues that are then pushed to the performers' vaudeville limits.

Also, "100 performers cast in a 12-person show," she says with caustic scorn. If you'd hung around long enough you would've realized there are usually 5-6 casts going up all at once. Yes, they were all cast. Overcasting is smart when you know that in a 10-12 person cast someone is going to drop out b/c of a paying gig, someone else will lose interest, another's a flake, and yes, some will have creative differences.

"We had to learn all of the monologues." Poor baby. Good thing I did because the night of the show one girl was stuck in jersey doing a commercial, another had to give a lecture in another state, and a third had sprained her neck. I did ALL of their roles. If I had only learned one monologue the show couldn't have happened. In fact, the monologue that I was originally given to learn is one of the few that I did not ever perform.

So many of the pieces require a stand-up comic style of interacting with the audience. I'd never been required to do it, and I found out I was really good! I could parade around all day making highly specific one-liners based on the varying audience members. Who knew??? Michael Horn knew.

I learned more about vaudeville, pushing my energies and patience, and being a good audience to my friends in Happy Hour than any other show I've been in.

Note that no one is disagreeing with you about him being difficult to take, the frustrations of sitting in rehearsal listening to him talk about the piece rather than getting to perform the piece, etc. However, for those of us who went through the process, he was right about 95% of the time. I had to do the same, stupid move for about 10 minutes, and by the end of it I actually knew what I was doing. I knew how to get the laugh. I wouldn't miss on show night. It was so frustrating, but he really knows what he's doing. Like he always says, "You can't see the system, but there is one, and it works. Don't ask me about it, you won't understand. But it works." Yeah, he's a bit crazy. But I can deal with crazy. If you can't, keep plugging away and get your Off-Off Broadway credit with someone normal, sane, socially perfect, completely inhibited, and placidly unconcerned with the essence of theatre. Someone just like you.

Hello everyone,

I too was in Happy Hour and actually had my last performance last night.

Yes, it was at times a frustrating experience. However, I also found it to be extremely worthwhile. The process and style of acting are unlike any that I have ever done and although nervous, I welcomed the opportunity.

I agree that the process is disorganized and therefore not the ideal, but get over it. Do it or don't do it, but don't spread bad things about the place just because you don't like working that way.

Michael is a bit out there, but he's a really good guy. I did get frustrated when he went into his long stories, because I did want to rehearse. But that's just the way he works and I dealt with it. Things also change after the first week. There is more actual rehearsing, more progress is made, and less stories are told.

It's definitely a different style of working. Michael explains and shows you how to do it, and for a while you may feel like a puppet and as though you don't have much impact on the end result. That however, isn't true in the end. Each one of the casts put their own spin on the pieces and although they held the form that Michael had put in place, they all had their own flavor.

"Then he made everyone say what ethnicity they are asking are you italian? russian? then "ok, you could do this role."
And "only a real black person can do this part, because only a black girl can tell someone to F off properly""

...okay, seriously? He never said anything like that to us. He let every single actor get up and try every one of the roles for their gender. Every one. He then penciled people in for the roles that he thought they did best at, making sure that each person got at least one feature role. He also warned us that it might change if we didn't do what was necessary for the role. It's better than getting fired, isn't it? I saw three casts get up, and in no way did any of the roles seem to be based on ethnicity. I, a blonde, white girl had the same role as a black girl and as a dark-haired, olive-skinned girl. A surfer-dude type did the same part as a new york italian. So give me a break.

"We were then told about having to do audience interaction based of racial profiling (looking at an African man and saying "hi, I bet you have a big anaconda" etc)"

..yes, because it's funny. It's an accepted style of comedy. Please get off your politically correct high-horse.

Most of my cast had their doubts at the beginning, but stuck it out and were glad that they did. We all became very close as well, brought together by this experience.

So yes, it can be frustrating, but if you can take it, it's a rewarding experience. There is nothing inappropriate that goes on. It's just a controversial show with an interesting director.

can we close this thread? there's already another one with tons of fake posters regarding this gentleman and the theatre company.

now it's taking over all of the boards and is getting really annoying.

I agree that this thread is getting out of hand, but thanks to the first amendment we are all exercising a very important right. I find it extremely sad and disturbing that there are individuals who would seek to destroy someone's life's work over a difference of opinion and/or malice. I am a native New Yorker (rare these days), have been acting for 20 years and can smell an illegitimate person/project from miles away. I knew from the moment I met Mike Horn you either "get" him or you don't. You either love him or you hate him. There is no middle ground, he knows this. I absolutely agree that the "Happy Hour" process is unconventional and atypical, but there truly is a method to the madness. Life is full of both good and bad experiences, the point is to take something away from each one and GROW - as a human being and (hopefully) an actor. We are not going to like every director, we certainly don't always like every actor we are cast with, but it's not our job to like them, it's our job to WORK with them and create something. To learn from each of them, whether we agree with the methods or not. The moment you stop learning you should find another vocation, we should never stop learning and growing as actors. This is exactly what Mike does at the 45th Street Theatre, he creates opportunities for actors to WORK, and GROW, and LEARN. He has created a company, actually a community of actors with MCTC, and you would be hard pressed to find any rep company that does not require dues from it's members - especially one that operates from a non-profit status. We pay dues, yes, but we get an acting class every week, have a support system in each other, and - get this - a full season of plays to audition for and perform in, the opportunity to initiate projects and help other artists build their resumes while building ours. As for the accusation that anyone was forced to respond to this thread, I assure you that is not at all the case. It should speak volumes that so many company members took the time to create user accounts and respond to this ridiculousness upon hearing about it. Believe me, our "newbie" status on this forum is due to the fact that we are all actually busy ACTING in a legitimate theatre company rather than reading and responding to chat threads. I ask those of you with such negative opinions what do you hope to gain from this attack? What benefit does it have for you personally? Will you sleep better knowing you are working to destroy another human being's life? What if the tables were turned? I doubt you even considered that. Stop wasting your energy here, go find something positive to put it towards. Please.