170210 PS Introductory Seminar "Concepts and Techniques of Acting" (2025S)

XX and XXI century methods in Western lineages of stage acting are explored through a combination of readings and viewings of representative works of selected artists. Should actors "feel" while performing and what types of corporeal engagement are specific to their art? To what extent different rehearsal techniques result in distinct kinds of performances? In what manner do actors’ diverse backgrounds impact character creation and storytelling? What are the ways of describing what actors do? And how are we to assess an acting performance in order to factor in changing times, various documentation media, and heterogeneous cultures? Acting methods examined include Stanislavsky, Meyerhold, Grotowski, Boal, Viewpoints, Suzuki, and Fabre.

By the completion of this course, students will be expected to acquire -- through lectures, viewings, discussions, and other in-class activities -- a deeper understanding and appreciation of the history of modern and contemporary acting for theatre. They will have learned to identify and define particularities of various acting practices, as well as to trace networks of influence among them. Upon doing readings and analytical assignments, they will have also sharpened their critical thinking about and ways of analyzing the art of acting.