One Conscience or more: Is the Actor more than one at a time?

Authors

  • Tudor Lucanu Faculty of Theatre and Film, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca

Abstract

This paper approaches an important theme in the study of actors work: the multiplication of the consciousness, from the perspective of the actor’s training correlated to psychology and neuroscience. We will refer to some of the best known works used in the training of the actor or which have as object of study the art of the actor, namely K. Stanislavsky − An Actor Prepares; Michael Chekhov − To the Actor: On the technique of acting, Lee Strasberg − Strasberg at the Actors Studio, Jerzy Grotowski − Towards a Poor Theatre, Bertolt Brecht − Brecht on Theatre, Denis Diderot − Paradox of the Actor. Conversations on The Natural Son on one hand, and Antonio Damasio’s studies on the self, on the other hand, noting that theories about the cognitive functions of the human brain provide a valuable perspective on the art of the actor, especially by how it applies to the conscious and subconscious of the actor on stage. What happens to the actor while performing? How does the actor process different stimuli to build a character, and then an entire artistic act? What are the
roles of the mind and body in the creative process? These are just a few questions that I will try to find answers to, while examining the actor’s
multiplication of consciousness.

Author Biography

Tudor Lucanu, Faculty of Theatre and Film, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca

Tudor Lucanu is artistic stage director at the “Lucian Blaga“ National Theatre in Cluj- Napoca. He asserted himself on the Romanian theatre stage both as a director and as a set designer and actor. He graduated Acting at the Faculty of Theatre and Television at the Babeș-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca, and Theatre Directing at the National University of Theatre and Cinematography “I. L. Caragiale“ Bucharest. The shows he directed have participated in numerous theatre festivals in Romania, but also abroad. His directing success has resulted in several important awards, such as the “Aureliu Manea“ award for the best director of the 2014/2015 season, at the Awards Gala of the “Lucian Blaga“ National Theatre, Cluj-Napoca in 2015, the award for the best director at the Oradea Short Theatre Festival for
the performances “Emigrants“, production of the Theatre Cluj-Napoca and “You are an animal,  Viskovitz! “, from the “Anton Pann“ Theatre in Râmnicu Vâlcea and the award for the best director and the best show for “You are an animal, Viskovitz! “, at the Pledez pentru tineri Theatre Festival, in Piatra-Neamţ.

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Published

2021-02-02

How to Cite

Lucanu, T. (2021). One Conscience or more: Is the Actor more than one at a time?. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai - Dramatica, 65(2), 243–260. Retrieved from https://dramatica.ro/index.php/j/article/view/61