The “Hintergedanken” of acting Part 2 (PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON)

Do you know what en-clothed cognition is?

Well, let me explain it to you in layman terms (I am probably going to kill it, so bear with me)

An experiment was conducted in 2012, a set of scientists decided to give two teams of participants a lab coat to wear. Team A was told the lab coat belonged to a Scientist, team B to a house painter. Do you know what the experiment showed? Team A had an attention boost in every task that was given to them.

Surprising? Well, no not really. clothes do change our psychology and how we feel, and/or the ideas we have change our abilities.

“but it is a piece of fabric” I hear you say. Think about it, for a moment, a piece of fabric holds meaning…would easily touch a serial killer’s hat ? How about wearing Hitler’s sweater for a few minutes?

We know, even experientially, that formal clothing helps us sometimes feel more authoritative and powerful.
Casual clothed makes us open, friendly, and agreeable.
Activewear makes us make healthier choices.
Luxury brand names …. you guessed it.(what do you think Instagram is all about)

So let’s get back to acting, we know all about the inside out, but is outside-in valid?

ABSOLUTELY

There is not one acting technique (at least the ones that are worth their salt) that at some point will not in one way or another address this.

“Outside in” is not a disguise; you are not just putting on a nose, it is a change in psychology. But I am not talking only about prosthetics here, how about changing the way you move, perceive, gesture ? We can have an internal change by external means.

The only technique that I know of that addresses this in its philosophy in a 100% manner is M.Chekhov’s technique.

The whole technique is based on movement, psychological movement (I am, of course, oversimplifying, so don’t start the barking, yes, he is so much more than that.) His technique is a perpetual exploration of the psychological through the psychical, of the archetypal through impulse.

And while many techniques address the issue in their later stages of progression, usually they come in with too little and too late. Agh! The anguish of a “neck and up” actor! Or of those actors who are constantly rotating their eyes inwardly.

one of the most outstanding teachers of the 21st-century C.Thor brilliantly said.

“THE ROOT OF THE THING IS NEVER THE THING ITSELF.”

so when we go only for the outside in, we have to actually find the root inside

when we go for the inside we do have to address or sometimes even start from the outside

This maxim, this wisdom, goes for every technique out there.

A technique tells you the root is emotion…you have better find it through communication.
A method tells you its all about communication…you better find a away to make your communication personal — emotional or else it is just talk.
if it is bodily …the root might be in the psychological
if it is psychology …. you better express it physically.
When a technique tells you it is external…you better look inside.
When a technique tells you it is internal…you better look outside.

THAT’S HOW ART WORKS

ART IS ALL-INCLUSIVE
BECAUSE LIFE IS ALL-INCLUSIVE.

well that's it for now, this matter if far from over, but for now it will have to do, I do have to try some wigs on….

YOURS TRULY
K.F.

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