The Actor’s Tools

Abstract

The claim made in the first chapter is that a general theory of acting is possible because there are a number of concepts held in common that form the foundations of the dominant approaches to actor training. The underlying assumption is that actors take the methods learned in the studio into the practice of theatre. Although actors learn new techniques and develop hybrid forms, the values and beliefs about what constitutes good acting remain relatively consistent throughout a career. Chapter 2 argues for a model of cognition that has the potential to account for the similarities and differences among the various approaches to the art, as well as for the actors’ penchant for learning new techniques to enhance their process. Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) provides a structure for exploring the principles on which acting discourse is based and for resisting the tendency to differentiate between qualities that arc seen as valuable (emotional availability) and qualities that are denigrated (intcllcctualism). A dynamic system is different from other systems in that it is not closed, but responsive to changes in the environment (internal and external). What happens in the world affects the actions performed and vice versa. Reciprocal communication between actors mirrors precisely this tenet of DST not only because it reflects qualities inherent in good acting regardless of the form, but also because it is the nature of human interaction.