ABSTRACT
Brown Paper Studio is the applied theatre process the author created in 2002 while living in Cape Town, South Africa, and is now also practiced in the States. Breath is vital to opening the circle, and provides the foundation of fully embodied work. We send breath to release and expand tense areas of the body. Breath is the animator of the space and the more individual breath in the room the more collective inspiration is available. Training actors in sound movement, improvisation and grounding exercises from and within the African Diaspora are essential components of the rehearsal process. Listening and responding to music in a physical way is a part of the author's Afro-centric approach to theatre training.
