Document Type
Panel Presentation
Start Date
21-4-2017 3:00 PM
End Date
21-4-2017 4:15 PM
Keywords
psychology, theater, attitudes, behavior
Biography
Ethan Lyvers is a junior in the Theatre Program. Past roles at Marshall University include James in Circle Mirror Transformation, Sterling in Mauritius, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, and Hal in Picnic. Ethan is currently completing a course in the Psychology Department and hopes to form an interdisciplinary relationship between the Psychology Clinic and the Theater Department.
Major
Theater
Advisor for this project
Dawn Howerton, Associate Professor, Psychology
Abstract
The actor’s job is to be believable in every role that he/she plays. Sanford Meisner defines acting as “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” Behavior is a word that is used often by psychologists and actors alike. As actors, we are expected to produce genuine and current behavior on stage. Once off stage, we are expected to immediately jump out of those attitudes and return to homeostasis.
The current project seeks to provide an outlet for actors to debrief and detox after performances in order to maintain a healthy emotional life. We plan on accomplishing this by establishing an interdisciplinary connection with the MU Theatre Department and the MU Psychology Clinic. With any luck, actors at Marshall University will step out of roles as seamlessly as they stepped in, and they will be emotionally rewarded for their efforts. This potential relationship between the two departments could be an enormous help for future students of the MU Theatre Department in a way that will allow them to return to homeostasis and approach their next role with a strong sense of self.
You are what you Play: An interdisciplinary approach to healthy acting technique
The actor’s job is to be believable in every role that he/she plays. Sanford Meisner defines acting as “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” Behavior is a word that is used often by psychologists and actors alike. As actors, we are expected to produce genuine and current behavior on stage. Once off stage, we are expected to immediately jump out of those attitudes and return to homeostasis.
The current project seeks to provide an outlet for actors to debrief and detox after performances in order to maintain a healthy emotional life. We plan on accomplishing this by establishing an interdisciplinary connection with the MU Theatre Department and the MU Psychology Clinic. With any luck, actors at Marshall University will step out of roles as seamlessly as they stepped in, and they will be emotionally rewarded for their efforts. This potential relationship between the two departments could be an enormous help for future students of the MU Theatre Department in a way that will allow them to return to homeostasis and approach their next role with a strong sense of self.
