▁while ▁struggling ▁to ▁surv ive ▁working ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁jobs . ▁He ▁appeared ▁as ▁a ▁figur ant ▁at ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Opera , ▁and ▁gradually ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁cast ▁in ▁legit imate ▁stage ▁roles , ▁going ▁on ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁The ▁Living ▁Theatre ▁before ▁found ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁The ▁Open ▁Theater ▁a ▁the ater ▁co - oper ative ▁that ▁progress ed ▁from ▁a ▁closed ▁experimental ▁labor atory ▁to ▁a ▁performance ▁ensemble . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Open ▁Theater ▁allowed ▁Cha ik in ▁and ▁his ▁colle agues ▁the ▁space ▁to ▁experiment ▁with ▁un con vent ional ▁and ▁organ ic ▁drama ▁techniques . ▁They ▁emb rac ed ▁dance ▁and ▁musical ▁performance ▁practices ▁and ▁encourag ed ▁actors ▁to ▁be ▁more ▁express ive ▁in ▁the ▁body . ▁When ▁asked ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁interview ▁why ▁he ▁was ▁comp elled ▁to ▁start ▁Open ▁Theater , ▁Cha ik in ▁respond ed , ▁" I ’ m ▁not ▁cra zy ▁about ▁natural ism ▁on ▁stage . ▁An ▁actor ▁is ▁an ▁interpret ive ▁artist . ▁They ▁can ▁take ▁their ▁talent ▁further . ▁I ▁wanted ▁them ▁to ▁stretch , ▁be ▁cre ative ." ▁ ▁The ▁Open ▁Theatre ' s ▁most ▁famous ▁and ▁crit ically ▁acc laimed ▁production , ▁The ▁Ser pent , ▁was ▁a ▁unique ▁creation ▁developed ▁largely ▁from ▁the ▁actors ' ▁own ▁experiences , ▁using ▁the ▁Bible ▁as ▁text , ▁but ▁incorpor ating ▁current ▁events , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁violence ▁that ▁pl ag ued ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁An ▁Open ▁Theatre ▁exercise