ABSTRACT
Chapter 9, ‘Character on the couch’, is concerned with the application of psychoanalytic principles to key aspects of acting methodology. The chapter looks afresh at the Stanislavskian notion of the Super-Objective, arguing that the idea of an independent character entails the creation of a ‘Super-Objective of the character’, not – as in traditional interpretations of this concept – of the play or the actor.
The chapter then looks in detail at the concept of Attitude, first encountered in Jung’s typology, but here conceived as an indivisible unity between physicality, psychological inclinations, and social views, powerfully shaping the actor’s interpretative stance towards the character. To do so, the chapter draws on a recent in-depth anthropological study of a German theatre company (Jonas Tinius) as well as on the ‘Attitude Psychology Theory’ developed by the American psychologist Nina Bull. Finally, the chapter describes in detail the concept of ‘Inner Attitude’ as understood in the Laban–Malmgren System of Character Analysis, an original and influential synthesis of Laban movement analysis, Jungian typology, and Stanislavski’s concept of Super-Objective. Throughout, concrete examples are offered of both characters in plays and actors in performance.
