Acting and Performing Final Essay Question Please read all of the below carefully By this point in the year, it should be quite clear that psychophysical and psychological approaches to acting are very much intertwined, despite seeming to be completely different schools of thought. Working psychophysically does not appear to negate the need to know what it is the character wants in order to create something believable for the audience. Nor does understanding the emotional arc of the character mean that one need not worry about developing awareness of the other performers on stage. Your task is to offer your own observations as to how they might work together. Assignment: Essay, 2500 words Do psychological performance practice and psychophysical performance practice come together in any way? Using your own experience in rehearsing and performing the Beckett scene along with research from outside sources, examine how the ideas of practitioners from both schools of thought affected you. How were they used in creating your performance? Did you find yourself depending on one technique more than the other? You will need to: define both terms in order to contextualize your discussion use outside source material in order to develop your definitions use examples of your own use of the psychophysical and the psychological in your practice Guidelines for the Assessment of Written Work The following guidelines will be applied, as appropriate, in the assessment of your work: Understanding of the subject matter/s addressed Accurate interpretation of the assignment Clear and appropriate structure Contextualised and substantiated argument Appropriate original ideas, insights and synthesis Critical analysis Use of appropriate reading and research Evidence of appropriate reading and research Appropriate range and use of source materials Appropriate use of examples and evidence Clear, lucid expression Accurate referencing according to standard form Accurate spelling, punctuation, and syntax
