ABSTRACT
Aspects of Buddhist philosophy and practice can offer much in the way of considering the nature of the experience of performance and performing. This chapter will examine a few of the main concepts from Theravādin Buddhism, particularly the idea of anattā and parts of the Mahāsatipattāna Sutta. This leads to an understanding of two key points that relate the philosophy to performance: the idea of non-self or emptiness of both performance and performer; and a deeper understanding of the embodied practice of mindfulness/insight, both of which can help the actor to a new way of understanding and creating a ‘character’, which is ‘neither the same nor another’. Drawing together insights from Theravādin Buddhism and the ideas and exercises of Russian practitioner Michael Chekhov, the essay argues that there is a process of revealing or ‘unconcealment’ through the embodied philosophy of Buddhism that may also be seen in theatre, which creates an imaginary world that can uncover the reality of our lives.
