Michael Chekhov School

Fern Sloan, an actress for over 50 years, is co-founder and co-artistic director of The Actors’ Ensemble and has performed and taught the Michael Chekhov technique in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia. Along with Ted Pugh and Ragnar Freidank, she is also co-founder of The Michael Chekhov School in Hudson, NY. Fern was certified by the Michael Chekhov Studio in New York City to teach the work of Michael Chekhov and was on its faculty for the last three years of its existence. She was co-director and on the faculty of the Speech and Drama Program of Sunbridge College. Prior to founding The Actors’ Ensemble, Ms. Sloan played leading roles in numerous regional theaters in the US and Off-Broadway.

Ted Pugh is the co-artistic director of The Actors’ Ensemble of New York and has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Regional theaters around the United States. After having trained at the Michael Chekhov Studio in New York City, Mr. Pugh was certified as a teacher by Beatrice Straight and Deirdre du Prey in 1983, and was on the faculty at the Studio for the last seven years of its existence. Mr. Pugh has also taught workshops throughout the U.S., Europe, Russia and Australia. A founding member of the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut under the direction of Jon Jory, he began his career at Arena Stage in Washington DC in 1962. Along with Ragnar Freidank and Fern Sloan, he is co-founder of The Michael Chekhov School in Hudson, NY.