Sam Kogan

Sam Kogan (22 October 1946 – 11 November 2004) was a Russian actor, director, and theatre practitioner. He is best known for developing and establishing his own comprehensive acting technique, The Science of Acting. He founded The Kogan Academy of Dramatic Arts formerly The Academy of the Science of Acting and Directing, and The School of the Science of Acting,^[1] in London, England in 1991. He also wrote the book The Science of Acting, which was edited by his daughter, Helen Kogan.

Early life

Kogan was born to a Jewish family in Sokyriany, a small city in Chernivtsi Oblast in the then USSR, but he grew up in Czernowitz. In his youth he was an accomplished folk dancer and wrestler, competing in both at a national level. In 1966 he gained entrance to GITIS - the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts, where he studied for five years under the tutelage of Professor Maria Knebel.^[2] Knebel was herself a former student of Konstantin Stanislavski,^[3] Michael Chekhov, Yevgeny Vakhtangov and Vsevelod Meyerhold ^[4] as well as a colleague of both Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. Kogan graduated in 1971 and seeking an environment which was conducive to his creative work he left his home, eventually arriving in London in 1974.

Development of The Science of Acting

Now in London, Kogan began to develop his own ideas about acting. Influenced in particular by Stanislavski's acting system and sharing his purpose of "turning audiences into eavesdroppers, peering through an invisible wall on to the lives of real people.",^[5] over the next 30 years Kogan worked to develop an acting technique the implementation of which would enable actors to act as if unobserved. He believed:

We want to watch people who behave as though unobserved to find out how people live, so that we can better understand ourselves. Watching how people live ensures that self-understanding and growth can continue.

— Sam Kogan The Science of Acting, 2010.

Accordingly the technique evolved with the creation of realistic, audience-enlightening theatre as one of its guiding principles.

While he and Stanislavski shared similar ideas, Kogan sought to clearly answer the question 'what is good acting?' ^[6] and to fill in the gaps in Stanislavski's knowledge, particularly those concerning Stanislavski's self-recognised limits to understanding that which was "subconscious in origin".^[7][8]

Questions about the subconscious are not intellectually my business.

— Konstantin Stanislavski An Actor's Work, 1938.

Contrary to traditional drama training, Kogan concentrated on building a universally accessible, clear and concise, scientific technique that centred on the thoughts, often subconscious or 'invisible', which resulted in emotions and feelings, rather than just considering the emotions and feelings alone. For the rest of his life he worked to develop The Science of Acting into a stand-alone technique that would establish points of reference for good acting, opening his own school in 1991 where he served as both principal and head teacher. In the year before his death Kogan described The Science of Acting as a 'complete work...a totality, they now have everything they need.' ^[9]

As an acting teacher and principal of The School of the Science of Acting, I have often been asked, 'Why is it important to understand the workings of the consciousness to become a good actor?' My answer, 'If you want to act well, consider this question - how will you be able to understand and portray the states of mind of different characters effectively if you do not understand the workings of you own mind?'

— Sam Kogan The Science of Acting, 2010.

The Kogan Academy of Dramatic Arts

In 1991 Kogan set-up The School of the Science of Acting ^[10] in Holloway, North London, offering a two year diploma in acting and a three year diploma in acting and directing. After his death in 2004 the school moved premises to Archway and became The Academy of the Science of Acting and Directing. As of 2014 it is known as The Kogan Academy of Dramatic Arts, offering full-time and part-time acting courses and a directing course as well as a three year BA Honours degree in Acting in association with Kingston University.

Controversy

During his tenure as principal of The School of the Science of Acting, Kogan engaged in frequent correspondence with The Stage newspaper, challenging the ethics and techniques of various drama training institutions and bodies. He also placed adverts for his school in The Stage that stated, Nobody cares more, nobody teaches better, causing consternation amongst the drama education fraternity and contributing to the image of Kogan as drama training's most controversial figure.^[11]

Significant Students

• Eddie Marsan
• Richard Brake
• Sara-Marie Maltha
• David Bark-Jones
• Philip Bulcock
• Emma Taylor
• Audrey Sheffield
• Pooky Quesnel
• Irfan Hussein
• Eileen Nicholls

Death

Sam Kogan died of a rare form of cancer on November the 11th 2004. A funeral service was held at The Russian Orthodox Church in South Kensington attended by family and friends as well as many of Sam's students.

References

External links

• The Science of Acting Book
• The Kogan Academy of Dramatic Arts