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TRAINING the YOUNG ACTOR: a PHYSICAL APPROACH a Thesis TRAINING THE YOUNG ACTOR: A PHYSICAL APPROACH A Thesis Presented to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Anthony Lewis Johnson December, 2009 TRAINING THE YOUNG ACTOR: A PHYSICAL APPROACH Anthony Lewis Johnson Thesis Approved: Accepted: __________________________ __________________________ Advisor Dean of the College Mr. James Slowiak Dr. Dudley Turner __________________________ __________________________ Faculty Reader Dean of the Graduate School Mr. Durand Pope Dr. George R. Newkome __________________________ __________________________ School Director Date Mr. Neil Sapienza ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING THE YOUNG ACTOR: A PHYSICAL APPROACH...............................................................................1 II. AMERICAN INTERPRETATIONS OF STANISLAVSKI’S EARLY WORK .......5 Lee Strasberg .............................................................................................7 Stella Adler..................................................................................................8 Robert Lewis...............................................................................................9 Sanford Meisner .......................................................................................10 Uta Hagen.................................................................................................11 III. STANISLAVSKI’S LATER WORK .................................................................13 Tension .....................................................................................................17 Intension and Justification ........................................................................19 Mental Action ............................................................................................20 Mind and Body..........................................................................................25 Communication.........................................................................................27 Tempo-rhythm...........................................................................................30 Vocal Action..............................................................................................31 Physical Characterization .........................................................................34 iii Total Action...............................................................................................35 IV. JERZY GROTOWSKI: A BRIDGE TO STANISLAVSKI................................38 Evgeny Vakhtangov..................................................................................39 Vsevelod Meyerhold .................................................................................43 Poor Theatre.............................................................................................55 Environmental Theater .............................................................................55 Holy Actor .................................................................................................56 Montage....................................................................................................58 Score.........................................................................................................60 Contact......................................................................................................61 V. TODAY’S ACTIONS.......................................................................................63 Eugenio Barba ..........................................................................................63 Thomas Richards......................................................................................71 VI. A PRACTICAL ACTION PLAN FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION ...............76 First Day....................................................................................................77 Physical Warm-up.....................................................................................81 Mental Warm-up .......................................................................................92 Vocal Warm-up .........................................................................................95 First Quarter..............................................................................................99 First Quarter Mask Work.........................................................................105 Second Quarter ......................................................................................108 Second Quarter Mask Work ...................................................................115 Third Quarter...........................................................................................122 iv Third Quarter Mask Work........................................................................125 Fourth Quarter ........................................................................................128 Fourth Quarter Mask Work .....................................................................132 VII. CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................136 BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................140 v CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING THE YOUNG ACTOR: A PHYSICAL APPROACH A number of scholars, actors, and directors view acting as a craft, while others view it as art. Some view their method as the only correct way to perform, and still others find value in all of the techniques. The debate will always go on. There seems no clear consensus about how to teach acting. To find an answer, one must define theater in terms of its purpose. If theater is an art, then acting is not just a skill or craft passed down to students, and it is not merely a vehicle for fortune and fame. Acting becomes about asking some basic questions: What is theater? Why am I an actor? What is acting? The answers lead an actor to two important figures in modern theater: Konstantin Stanislavski and Jerzy Grotowski. Both men devoted their lives to answering these questions. They were influenced by great minds before them and around them. Their explorations gave birth to a physical approach to acting. There are many acting techniques that teach a physical approach to adult actors, but how can these principles be adapted for high school students? This thesis will serve as a guide on how to teach acting to secondary school students 1 using a physical approach. Beginning with a basic history of the system of physical actions, as conceived by Konstantin Stanislavski and further developed by Jerzy Grotowski and others, this guide will define the basic principles of physical acting, including physical actions, mental action, mind and body, interaction, tempo-rhythm, verbal action, physical characterization, and total action. Both Grotowski and Stanislavski looked for ways to remove obstacles (via negativa), so the actor could find truth in his or her work. They saw that acting is more than a bag of tricks, method, or technique; that it is an art form that honors the actors, the process, and the surrounding world. This guide will also examine some of Grotowski’s core concepts concerning physical actions: via negative, conjunctio-oppositorum, Poor Theatre, montage, environmental theatre, Holy Actor, score, contact, and sign. Building on Stanislavski and Grotowski, other performance researchers continue to investigate a physical approach to acting today. Eugenio Barba (director of Odin Teatret and founder of the International School of Theatre Anthropology), Thomas Richards (Artistic Director of the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards), James Slowiak and Jairo Cuesta (Co-Artistic Directors of New World Performance Laboratory) have added new ideas to Stanislavski and Grotowski’s original concepts. A look into each of their particular additions is also included in this work. Finally, I will present a course outline and lesson plans to teach young actors a physical approach to acting. The first day or introduction to the course 2 lays out to students what is expected, how to prepare, and how to dress. Proper warm-up exercises are suggested. The course is divided into four parts or quarters, mirroring a typical school year. Each quarter builds upon the previous quarter’s work. A unit on mask work is included. Proper mask work enhances many of the physical concepts presented. Libby Appel’s (former Dean of the California Institute for the Arts) mask work serves as a model for this unit. She designed a workshop, which compliments physical action work. Interweaving her work with that of Stanislavski and Grotowski provides a thorough grounding in the techniques of physical acting. Why are these concepts critical to teach in American secondary education? First, arts programs are the first to feel the effects of the budget cuts facing schools today. As a result, well-intentioned teachers who do not have the experience or resources to teach basic acting fundamentals lead many high school theatre programs. Sadly, they end up teaching diluted technique at best and, at worst, clichés and bad habits. This guide is intended to help the over- loaded teacher instruct young actors in a few basic acting concepts. It also gives the most experienced teacher a more in depth course to stimulate those students who have the curiosity to discover the exciting possibilities physical theatre training offers. Second, American high school drama programs
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