ABSTRACT
Talk to any student actor at an established drama school and they will tell you about the animal studies they have been doing, the neutral mask work which underpins their movement work, the group and ensemble exercises they do, and perhaps the classes they have had on commedia dell’arte or clowning. These exercises are the backbone of contemporary actor training, deeply informing much of the student actor’s development, shaping and building their psycho-physical technique. The exercises that follow give the reader an opportunity to experience (or, if they prefer, to review) the extent to which Copeau’s ideas have become part of the international language of occidental actor training.
