Although acting Chekhov doesn't require the Russian accent, I think it's
worth looking into. The actors just finished studying it with Natalie, and
I want to share some of what she had to say with everyone else.
She teaches us that a good way to access an accent is to consider the
geography where it comes from. Keeping in mind the vastness and coldness
of Russia, it makes sense that the Russians speak the way they do. The
most prevalent sound is the backwards C, as in "All." This is also
considered the darkest of the vowels. Natalie also describes the accent as
"throaty and rich;" it typically has a deeper pitch than the other
accents.
In the Russian accent, we can hear the passion and sorrow of a country
that has produced some of the best music and literature in the world.
Here are authentic examples of the accent on IDEA:
http://web.ku.edu/~idea/europe/russia/russia.htm
And here are more on the Speech Accent Archive:
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=find&language=russian
I think the qualities of the accent shed some light on the people we are
portraying, and the world in which they inhabit... "A climate where
blizzards are practically a daily occurrence, and yet we stand around
having polite conservations."
Thanks,
Alex
