Psychology for Actors
Psychology for Actors

Author: Kevin Page

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-10-09

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 1351130935

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Psychology for Actors is a study of modern psychology, specifically designed for the working actor and actor-in-training, that covers discrete areas of psychological theory that actors can apply to their creative process to form and connect with characters. The book investigates many post-Stanislavsky ideas about human psychology from some of the twentieth century’s most brilliant minds – from Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung to Abraham Maslow and Ken Wilber – and offers step-by-step exercises to help actors understand their characters and effectively bring them to life on stage or in front of the camera. Psychology for Actors also offers advice on how to cope with the stresses and strains of a highly competitive field, and provides tools for deeper self-awareness and character exploration.

The Actor and the Character
The Actor and the Character

Author: Vladimir Mirodan

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-11-12

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1317527941

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Transformative acting remains the aspiration of many an emerging actor, and constitutes the achievement of some of the most acclaimed performances of our age: Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln, Meryl Streep as Mrs Thatcher, Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter – the list is extensive, and we all have our favourites. But what are the physical and psychological processes which enable actors to create characters so different from themselves? To understand this unique phenomenon, Vladimir Mirodan provides both a historical overview of the evolution of notions of 'character' in Western theatre and a stunning contemporary analysis of the theoretical implications of transformative acting. The Actor and the Character: Surveys the main debates surrounding the concept of dramatic character and – contrary to recent trends – explains why transformative actors conceive their characters as ‘independent’ of their own personalities. Describes some important techniques used by actors to construct their characters by physical means: work on objects, neutral and character masks, Laban movement analysis, Viewpoints, etc. Examines the psychology behind transformative acting from the perspectives of both psychoanalysis and scientific psychology and, based on recent developments in psychology, asks whether transformation is not just acting folklore but may actually entail temporary changes to the brain structures of the actors. The Actor and the Character speaks not only to academics and students studying actor training and acting theory, but contributes to current lively academic debates around character. This is a compelling and original exploration of the limits of acting theory and practice, psychology, and creative work, in which Mirodan boldly re-examines some of the fundamental assumptions of actor training and some basic tenets of theatre practice to ask: What happens when one of us ‘becomes somebody else’?

Perceiving, Acting and Knowing
Perceiving, Acting and Knowing

Author: Robert Shaw

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-03-27

Total Pages: 515

ISBN-13: 1315467917

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Originally published in 1977, the chapters in this volume derive from a conference on Perceiving, Acting and Knowing held by the Center for Research in Human Learning at the University of Minnesota in 1973. The volume was intended to appeal, not just to the specialist or the novice, but to anyone sufficiently interested in psychology to have obtained a sense of its history at the time. Through these essays the authors express a collective attitude that a careful scrutiny of the fundamental tenets of contemporary psychology may be needed. In some essays specific faults in the foundations of an area are discussed, and suggestions are made for remedying them. In other essays the authors flirt with more radical solutions, namely, beginning from new foundations altogether. Although the authors do not present a monolithic viewpoint, a careful reading of all their essays under one cover reveals a glimpse of a new framework by which theory and research may be guided.

Embodied Acting
Embodied Acting

Author: Rick Kemp

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 0415507871

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A pragmatic intervention in the study of how recent discoveries within cognitive science can and should be applied to performance. Drawing on his experience the author interrogates the key cognitive activities involved in performance inc non-verbal communication; thought, speech, and gesture relationships; empathy, imagination, and emotion.

Acting Emotions
Acting Emotions

Author: Elly Konijn

Publisher: Amsterdam University Press

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 9789053564448

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Actors and actresses play characters such as the embittered Medea, or the lovelorn Romeo, or the grieving and tearful Hecabe. The theatre audience holds its breath, and then sparks begin to fly. But what about the actor? Has he been affected by the emotions of the character he is playing? What'sgoing on inside his mind? The styling of emotions in the theatre has been the subject of heated debate for centuries. In fact, Diderot in his Paradoxe sur le comedien, insisted that most brilliant actors do not feel anything onstage. This greatly resembles the detached acting style associated with Bertolt Brecht, which, in turn, stands in direct opposition to the notion of the empathy-oriented "emotional reality" of the actor which is most famously associated with the American actingstyle known as method acting. The book's survey of the various dominant acting styles is followed by an analysis of the current state of affairs regarding the psychology of emotions. By uniting the psychology of emotions with contemporary acting theories, the author is able to come to the conclusion that traditional acting theories are no longer valid for today's actor. Acting Emotions throws new light on the age-old issue of double consciousness, the paradox of the actor who must nightly express emotions while creating the illusion of spontaneity. In addition, the book bridges the gap between theory and practice by virtue of the author's large-scale field study of the emotions of professional actors. In Acting Emotions, the responses of Dutch and Flemish actors is further supplemented by the responses of a good number of American actors. The book offers a unique view of how actors act out emotions and how this acting out is intimately linked to the development of contemporary theatre.

Handbook of Embodied Psychology
Handbook of Embodied Psychology

Author: Michael D. Robinson

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021-10-31

Total Pages: 630

ISBN-13: 3030784711

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This edited volume seeks to integrate research and scholarship on the topic of embodiment, with the idea being that thinking and feeling are often grounded in more concrete representations related to perception and action. The book centers on psychological approaches to embodiment and includes chapters speaking to development as well as clinical issues, though a larger number focus on topics related to cognition and neuroscience as well as social and personality psychology. These topical chapters are linked to theory-based chapters centered on interoception, grounded cognition, conceptual metaphor, and the extended mind thesis. Further, a concluding section speaks to critical issues such as replication concerns, alternative interpretations, and future directions. The final result is a carefully conceived product that is a comprehensive and well-integrated volume on the psychology of embodiment. The primary audience for this book is academic psychologists from many different areas of psychology (e.g., social, developmental, cognitive, clinical). The secondary audience consists of disciplines in which ideas related to embodied cognition figure prominently, such as counseling, education, biology, and philosophy.

Memorization for Actors
Memorization for Actors

Author: Alexa Ispas

Publisher: Word Bothy

Published: 2021-05-30

Total Pages: 77

ISBN-13: 1913926060

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Imagine if you could learn your lines in half the time yet feel confident they will roll off your tongue when needed. Memorization for Actors provides you with a range of practical psychology tools and a bullet-proof memorization process that will put you miles ahead of the competition. Inside you will discover: · How to become a master at learning your lines · Simple tricks to learn more lines in less time · Advanced tools to turbo-charge your memorization process · Proven strategies to remember your lines in high stress situations · When to schedule your memorization sessions for maximum effect Short enough to read in an afternoon, yet jam-packed with practical advice, Memorization for Actors will transform your acting career. This is recommended reading for any actor, from acting students to experienced professionals. Alexa Ispas holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Edinburgh. The books in her Psychology for Actors Series provide actors with proven psychology techniques to thrive and build a successful career.

Tools and Techniques for Character Interpretation
Tools and Techniques for Character Interpretation

Author: Robert Blumenfeld

Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 9780879103262

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(Limelight). A must for both the aspiring and seasoned artist. Uniquely geared to the work of theatre and film artists, this book, for the first time, sets out clearly and concisely the ideas, principles, and character typology of various psychological schools from Freudian, Kleinian, and Jungian to contemporary developments. The practical uses and applications of their theories are graphically demonstrated throughout the book by means of numerous examples and in-depth analyses drawn from classic and contemporary theatrical and cinematic literature. Stanislavskian methods are also discussed. An immensely useful, essential tool for character creation and analysis. Features a foreword by noted acting teacher Alice Spivak.

An Internet in Your Head
An Internet in Your Head

Author: Daniel Graham

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2021-05-04

Total Pages: 428

ISBN-13: 0231551614

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Whether we realize it or not, we think of our brains as computers. In neuroscience, the metaphor of the brain as a computer has defined the field for much of the modern era. But as neuroscientists increasingly reevaluate their assumptions about how brains work, we need a new metaphor to help us ask better questions. The computational neuroscientist Daniel Graham offers an innovative paradigm for understanding the brain. He argues that the brain is not like a single computer—it is a communication system, like the internet. Both are networks whose power comes from their flexibility and reliability. The brain and the internet both must route signals throughout their systems, requiring protocols to direct messages from just about any point to any other. But we do not yet understand how the brain manages the dynamic flow of information across its entire network. The internet metaphor can help neuroscience unravel the brain’s routing mechanisms by focusing attention on shared design principles and communication strategies that emerge from parallel challenges. Highlighting similarities between brain connectivity and the architecture of the internet can open new avenues of research and help unlock the brain’s deepest secrets. An Internet in Your Head presents a clear-eyed and engaging tour of brain science as it stands today and where the new paradigm might take it next. It offers anyone with an interest in brains a transformative new way to conceptualize what goes on inside our heads.

Shakespeare’s Imagined Persons
Shakespeare’s Imagined Persons

Author: P. Murray

Publisher: Springer

Published: 1996-05-10

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 0230376754

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Challenging our understanding of ideas about psychology in Shakespeare's time, Shakespeare's Imagined Persons proposes we should view his characters as imagined persons. A new reading of B.F. Skinner's radical behaviourism brings out how - contrary to the impression he created - Skinner ascribes an important role in human behaviour to cognitive activity. Using this analysis, Peter Murray demonstrates the consistency of radical behaviourism with the psychology of character formation and acting in writers from Plato to Shakespeare - an approach little explored in the current debates about subjectivity in Elizabethan culture. Murray also shows that radical behaviourism can explain the phenomena observed in modern studies of acting and social role-playing. Drawing on these analyses of earlier and modern psychology, Murray goes on to reveal the dynamics of Shakespeare's characterizations of Hamlet, Prince Hal, Rosalind, and Perdita in a fascinating new light.