ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines several exercises in silent narrative (expanding upon the work of master artists/teachers Robyn Hunt and Steve Pearson) designed to slow actors down so they may be more present to their work and reforge the connection between mind, body, and inner life. This work quiets the overstimulated mind and eases the need for immediate gratification, so the actor can rediscover impulse and increased emotional responsiveness, generating greater expansiveness and a deeper relationship to words and character. At first, these approaches may appear abstract, redundant, or even irrelevant toward the task at hand. It is suggested that by investing in exercises that – on the surface – do not present themselves as speedy conduits toward a polished performance, a valuable deconstruction of prescriptive, pedestrian expression might occur, along with a reawakening of the artist’s unique creative perspective.
