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Approaches to Acting

Approaches to Acting
Study Guide
Jaques Lecoq
This topic explores approaches to actor training in the 20th century and its
realization in theatre production. The study involves the exploration of the
philosophical and practical approaches to two practitioners` work , and the
manifestation of their techniques, process and specific exercises, for performance
on stage. Students must consider the aesthetics and expression of the actors
presence and its relationship to audience engagement. Specific examples from the
practitioners theatre work, contemporary theatre practice and experiential
learning should be used to explore the topic.
Jacques Lecoq: Murray, Simon, Jacques Lecoq, Routledge Performance Practitioners,
Routledge, London, 2003.
You need to be familiar with all aspects of the given rubric for the topic area. Questions
which you should be able to answer are :
1. What is Lecoqs philosophical approach to actor training?
2. What techniques does Lecoq employ in his training process to further his
theatrical intentions?
3. What are the particular characteristics of the Lecoq-trained actor and how do
these characteristics engage the audience ?

4. Are you able to discuss the work of theatre practitioners who approach their
work using Lecoqs philosophy and techniques?
5. Can you give examples from your own classroom experience to support points
you might make in an essay?
1. What is Lecoqs philosophical approach to actor training? Some points you
might consider are :
to be part of a process of cultural renewal after the devastation of World
War 2
to open up artistic activities for working class people thus giving a
voice to the people
to rethink the nature and direction of acting to create a theatre for the
future
to use his school as a laboratory to research and develop new ways of
working as a performer
to use the actors body rather than the spoken text to generate meaning in
the theatre
to create a theatre which could have universal appeal irrespective of age,
gender, race, language or social class
2. What techniques does Lecoq employ in his training process to further his
theatrical intentions?
Some important areas of exploration for the actorintraining are:
to discover the forces and patterns which underpin emotional states
to move from movement towards emotion instead of the reverse

Exercise : In pairs, using a one metre bamboo cane, supported between

the palms of the right hands, push each other through space. Gradually
allow a more dramatic quality to develop as you intensify the dynamic of
pushing. This will generate emotion.
to charge the space between performers with tension

Exercise : In pairs, imagine the bamboo cane connecting you and your
partner. Work slowly at first then develop your push and pull movements,
always keeping the dramatic space between you constant. Extend the
space to a two metre distance and add moments of stillness between
moves. Keep the space dynamically charged during the stillness. When
you have mastered this add a word. The partner who pushes adds the
word ( e.g. Come, Stay, Wait ) either before or after moving.
to investigate dramatic territories associated with popular theatre
Exercise : Melodrama physicalising emotional states - In silence, as
a group, improvise the moment of departure of one member of a family.
The person enters the room for their final leave taking. They might, for
example be pregnant to a married lover or be a gay son going to live with
their boyfriend. Focus on the silent dramatic tension between characters.
Exercise : Ancient Greek chorus work the importance of working
as an ensemble with a group, rather than an individual, objective Using a piece of choral text one person, standing behind another begins

to whisper the text, phrase by phrase. Each phrase is echoed loudly by

the person in front. A third person moves behind. He/she whispers the
text. The two in front echo each phrase spoken by the whisperer behind.
A fourth person takes up the rear position and becomes the whisperer
with the three in front echoing the phrases. Continue adding people until
there are fifteen people in the chorus.
to explore the use of mask and mime as a method of focusing the actor
on expression of emotion through the body
to investigate and promote playfulness essential for progression in
Lecoqs school
Exercise : The Valley of the Giants As a group, wearing neutral
masks, imagine that you are giants. Engage with what is around you, also
giant-sized. Show the audience what it is like to live as a giant.
to make the inanimate animate transformation of material objects
Exercise: In a group of 2-4 people, using a good length and width of
stretch fabric explore the creation of an animate being. Demonstrate your
creature relating to the world.

Exercise : As an individual use found materials to create a simple full or

partial body mask ( string, wire. tubes, stretch fabric etc ). Work with a
partner to develop a short scene during which the two creatures, silently,
relate to each other.
3. What are the particular characteristics of the Lecoq-trained actor and how
do these characteristics engage the audience ?
Some points you might consider are :
The actor functions as part of an ensemble which works collectively to
create the physical and visual imagery.
The actors create the physical and visual imagery over a long rehearsal
period. The work belongs to them and is a manifestation of the groups
collective imagination.
The actors individual presence is often concealed, his/her identity often
not clear to the audience.
The imagery is developed to strongly affect the audience but does not
rely on technical effects but on the physicality and creativity of the
performers, the dramatic tension between them and the imaginative use
of simple materials.
The subject matter aims to have a universal appeal without cultural,
social or specific political associations. It relies on the sense of play
within the actors and attempts to connect with the innate sense of play
within each member of the audience whatever their gender, language or
belief system.
The actor/audience connection is extended by breaking the fourth wall
and including the audience in various ways.
4. Are you able to discuss the work of theatre practitioners who approach
their work using Lecoqs philosophies and techniques
Perhaps you saw Mummenschanz perform at Sydney theatre in February 2006.

This company was formed by students of Lecoq and he worked with them until
his death. They continue to be deeply influenced by his approach to
performance. Many elements of his teaching could be discerned :

clever, inventive , well-rehearsed work, reflective of the spirit of Lecoqs

interest in mask and play
body suits, masks and other animated materials were sourced and
constructed by the performers
little use of technology no music, little sound, minimal sets and basic
lighting
performances which appealed to all ages
no political or issue-based themes concerned with feelings and
emotions recognizable and humorous to all
strong actor/audience relationship in which the fourth wall was often
broken

If you did not see the company, many of the images presented in the given text
were presented during the performance.
Theatre de Complicite, also founded by students of Lecoq, particularly
embodies his deep interest in metamorphosis and transformation. The text gives
many examples of this.
2. Can you give examples from you own classroom experiences to support
points you might make in an essay
It is essential that you demonstrate experiential knowledge of the topic area.
Examples of your own or fellow students work can be presented as evidence to
support your argument.
Finally, are you able to coherently link the various aspects of the rubric ?
Practise writing paragraphs which do this.

Approaches to Acting
Study Guide
Tadashi Suzuki
This topic explores approaches to actor training in the 20th century and its
realization in theatre production. The study involves the exploration of the
philosophical and practical approaches to two practitioners` work , and the
manifestation of their techniques, process and specific exercises, for performance
on stage. Students must consider the aesthetics and expression of the actors
presence and its relationship to audience engagement. Specific examples from the

practitioners theatre work, contemporary theatre practice and experiential

learning should be used to explore the topic.
Tadashi Suzuki: Tadashi Suzuki, The Way of Acting ( trans J Thomas Rimer), Theatre
Communications Group, New York, 1986.
You need to be familiar with all aspects of the given rubric for the topic area.
Questions which you should be able to answer are :
1. What is Tadashi Suzukis philosophical approach to actor training?
2. What techniques does Suzuki employ in his training process to further his
theatrical intentions?
3. What are the particular characteristics of the Suzuki-trained actor and how do
these characteristics engage the audience ?
4. Are you able to discuss the theatrical work of Suzuki and/or theatre practitioners
who approach their work using Suzukis philosophy and techniques?
5. Can you give examples from your own classroom experience to support points
you might make in an essay?
1. What is Suzukis philosophical approach to actor training?
Suzukis writings in the given text demonstrate chose not to provide a manual
for acting training but rather to present his philosophical approach to the stage,
the nature of acting and the place of purpose of performance in contemporary
society. Suzukis ideas, profoundly influenced by Eastern spiritual thought but
also informed by his theatre work in the U.S., particularly engaged theatre
practitioners of the 70s and 80s, who sought a deeper meaning in their theatre
practice and found it in the metaphysical and ritualistic dimensions of Suzukis
method.
Points to consider are his interests in :
linking the spiritual and ritualistic nature of traditional Japanese
performance, Noh and Kabuki theatre, with Western dramatic traditions.
He likened the society of post-World War 2 Japan with that of the
declining Ancient Greek empire and is particularly interested in their
drama.
recovering the use of animal energy, a connection with the forces of
nature, in a world increasingly consumed by non-animal energy, with
little reference to nature or humanity
creating a universal theatre in which the troupe has absolute dedication
and a collective vision, nationality, cultural and social mores, gender and
body shape being of no significance
revealing through performance the real nature of the difficulties of
human existence
2. What techniques does Suzuki employ in his training process to further his
theatrical intentions ?
The Suzuki Method of Actor training rigorous discipline and constant practice.
His method is strongly related to the traditional training of Japanese Noh and
Kabuki actors. Creativity cannot begin until mastery of the skills is

accomplished.
Suzuki holds that an actors basic sense of physicality begins and ends with the
feet . We are part of the ground and will return to it when we die. A
performance begins when the actor first has the sensation that he/she is putting
down roots.
Exercise : Hah! promotes focus and a sense of collectivity It is an
introduction to Suzukis technique and needs much practice.
Form a silent circle and on a given signal vocalize a Hah! from the diaphragm.
The Hah! is expelled at the moment of landing from a jump. The landing
position is an open one, with bent knees and arms, and the emphasis on
connecting with the earth. After perfecting this, focus on the centre of the circle
marked by someones fist. The fist is removed , all close their eyes , lower their
heads and visualize the fist. The Fist nominates a member of the circle with a
tap on the shoulder. In their own time the selected student will do the action and
sound of the Hah!. The others must simultaneously synchronise a Hah! with
them.
Exercise : Rhythmic Stomping ( Ashi-byoshi ) with its origins in Japanese
ritual is an essential exercise which must be executed constantly. It is
intended to link the actor with the spirits of the earth and hence all
humanity. Practically speaking its purpose is to increase breath support and
concentrate strength in the body.
Using a rhythmic beat or music with a strong beat pound the feet vehemently as
you move through the space for a set period of time ( three minutes ). The centre
of gravity must be low, energy controlled and contained in the pelvic region. The
force of the stomp must be maintained. The upper body remains motionless. Try
to connect with the ground. When the beat stops the performer uses the last of
his/her energy before sinking to the ground and lying flat and motionless. When
the beat resumes the actor rises slowly, like a puppet, with the beat, to a vertical
position.
Exercise : Sliding the Feet ( Suri-ashi ) also symbolically and physically
increases the actors intimacy with the ground and is part of the physical
grammar that Suzuki developed as a source for actors to use in
performance. Practically it trains the actor in the controlled muscularity
and intense focus necessary for performance. Patterned movement also
promotes the required ensemble spirit.
Again using the rhythmic beat or music and with a low centre of gravity move in
the Suzuki shuffle. Keep upper body motionless. Imagine that there is a grid
drawn on the floor and follow the grid, moving only vertically and horizontally,
no curves, no diagonals. Avoid other performers. Be ready to change directions.
On a given cue begin making intense eye contact with others who are in your
field of vision. On a further cue, close eyes, point to the closest person and
whisper their name. Gradually increase the whisper to a loud vocalization.
Exercise : Statues is related to the release of the animal energy associated

with pre-modern theatre. It explores the balance between earth and sky,
towards heights and depths. Practically, it strengthens control and stability
of movement and helps centre the voice firmly from the diaphragm.
Establish yourself firmly in the Suzuki crouch, low centre of gravity, feet apart.
Respond to a given cue by rising with speed onto the toes, at the same time
creating a statue. On second cue return to the neutral crouch. Repeat the
sequence several times, each statue being a unique, creative , visual image.
When this exercise is secure add voice. Use , preferably, a section of text from
Ancient Greek Theatre. Begin in the silent crouch position. On cue, after you
rise to first statue position, begin vocalizing the passage. Each time you return to
the crouch fall silent. Continue the dialogue after forming your second statue
and so on. Vary lengths of silence and speech.
3. What are the particular characteristics of the Suzuki-trained actor and how
do these characteristics engage the audience ?
Some points you might consider are :
The actor uses a particular physical grammar based on the feet which
aims to connect him/her with the ground and thus tap into the power of
animal energy
The actor employs a body strength which radiates from the pelvic area
and presents the audience with a charged and heightened physicality
The actor has a voice which is controlled from the diaphragm and is
charged with energy and tension
The actor has intense concentration and a powerful muscularity even in
stillness, seen in the use of statues
Actors work in a presentational style
Actors work with classic plays and reconstruct them to find universal and
contemporary meaning
Actors work as an ensemble which usually utilizes a chorus to comment
on the action
The actor aims to establish a connection between his/her body and the
performance space the sacred space. Some, like Suzukis company,
might have creative base , a spiritual home, like Toga-mura , an adapted
farmhouse in the Japanese countryside
Actors have an affinity with nature, welcoming its presence, sometimes
performing outdoors
Actors try to make theatregoing a more satisfying social experience as
well as a cultural event by encouraging sharing of food, conversation,
even accommodation, as at Toga-mura
4. Are you able to discuss the theatrical work of Suzuki and/or theatre
practitioners who approach their work using Suzukis philosophy and
techniques ?
Suzukis companies have worked globally, including in Australia, with a
landmark production of The Bacchae. There are countless websites which detail
Suzukis work with companies. Find your own examples.
Some information on a variety of Greek tragedies he has directed can be found
on :
www.didaskalia.net/issues/vol1no4/mcdonald.html

A review of his New York production of Electra can be found on :

www.villagevoice.com/theater/0145,mcnulty,29704,11.html
Frank Theatre , based in Brisbane, has been working for many years on
productions based on Suzuki techniques, Oedipus Rex being one of its most
celebrated. They recently presented a work based on the Doll Trilogy ( Summer
of the Seventeenth Doll ) using his techniques. For further information start
with :
www.ozfrank.com
5. Can you give examples from your own classroom experience to support
points you might make in an essay ?
It is essential that you demonstrate experiential knowledge of the topic area.
Examples of your own or fellow students work in classroom exercises or
prepared assessment tasks can be presented as evidence to support your
argument. Be sure that you have ready examples.
Finally, are you able to coherently link the various aspects of the rubric ?
Practise writing paragraphs which do this.

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