Coming from a background in athletics and music when I began acting I suppose it was natural for me to be drawn toward the physical discipline of theatre, mime, dance, stage combat, tumbling etc. I received movement training from a graduate of the Lecoq School of Physical Theatre. I continued, and still continue, to explore various methods of training and performance based upon the concept of the psycho-physical approach to acting. While living in NYC I took classes in Michael Chekhov Technique and while working on my MFA in directing, I explored and took classes in Grotowski based movement training and later began exploring Meyerhold's Biomechanics. The result is that I offer a well rounded and accessible program of training that can be useful to every type of actor/artist. I have found over the years that these various philosophies and systems of training have a great deal of carry over and I am continually exploring and rethinking how they can serve to support and expand one another in the training of the actor.
What is psycho-physical acting? When Constantin Stanislavski first started to develop his system of actor training in 1911 he focused a great deal on the inner emotional truth of the performer, however the system was never meant to be static and as his theories and ideas developed he realized that the internalized truth of the performer was not being effectively communicated in her outward physicality. As he continued to develop his system, Stanislavski found that an actor could access often elusive emotional states much more effectively by developing a series of physical actions rooted in the characters objectives and given circumstances. This Method of Physical Actions became the foundation for the psycho-physical technique. Simply put, all emotional states are expressed physically, breathing patterns change, tensions form and internal rhythms shift into higher or lower patterns. Working in reverse, recreating some of these physical triggers can open the door to a subconscious psychological state. Once this door is open, the actor's imagination brings forward the emotion into the world of the play, suiting the action to the word the word to the action.
Michael Chekhov Technique The nephew of the famous writer Anton Chekhov, Michael Chekhov is considered to be one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. In 1911 Chekhov auditioned for Stanislavski and became a member of the Moscow Art Theatre. A talented character actor, Chekhov leaned more toward the physical as a means of developing his characters and he and Stanislavski would have disagreements about the proper way of presenting truthful acting on the stage. Chekhov resisted Stanislavski's early focus on inner emotional truth and began developing his own psycho-physical technique which would later grow into a complete and effective methodology for training actors. Exploration into creative movement, atmosphere, image and character center work, imaginary bodies and psychological gesture form the core of the Chekhov technique.
Meyerhold's Biomechanics Vsevolod Meyerhold, also a student of Stanislavski, created a way of training actors that eventually developed ipon a series of proscribed movements called Etudes. The Etudes contained the principals of movement that Meyerhold used to stage some of his most famous works such as The Magnanimus Cuckhold. " What you can do with the nose you can do with the whole body" is a quote that Meyerhold often used. The training focuses on using circus skills, Commedia dell' Arte and gymnastics to create a body dynamic based in absolute awareness, control and economy of movement. The Etudes are stylized mimes built around both solo and partnered themes. I compare the Etudes to forms or katas in martial arts training, or even a Tai Chi or Yoga series. Based upon specific physical actions such as Throwing the Stone, The Slap, Stab with a Dagger and Shooting from the Bow, rather than specific martial techniques, the Etudes are expressionistic in nature. Each segment of movement is learned separately and then the pieces are put together to form the whole Etude.
Grotowski's Movement based training Jerzy Grotowski was a Polish director and actor trainer. Famous for his concept of Poor Theatre, Grotowski explored training and performance modes that would remove the traditional barriers between performer and audience member. Grotowski believed that the actor must make a gift of his or her self to the audience and the training and staging of the actors served to promote this idea. The Polish Laboratory Theatre explored various seating arrangements for productions and used little to no design elements. Instead the actors created the environment and atmosphere of the piece of theatre with the audience members often no more than a few inches away from the action. Grotowski's physical training combines various expressive movements and images that open the actor to emotional experiences through physical rigor.
Neutral Mask and Dramatic Territories based on Jacques Lecoq's actor training Perhaps the most definitive and influential actor trainer of the 20th century, Jacques Lecoq's school uses a variety of masks, physical explorations and exercises to create a dynamic and physically available actor. Exploration in Neutral Mask helps the actor to find a blank slate upon which to build character. Various character masks are explored as well as Commedia Dell' Arte and Clown. The dramatic territories of Tragedy, Farce, Melodrama and Buffoon are explored. There is also an investigation into and Elements of Nature, animals, objects and paintings. Students use these various objects and ideas to create small pieces called auto cours, these in turn lead into the development of character for scripted and non scripted performance.