THEA 217
Acting Through Impulse Fall 2024
Division I

Acting Through Impulse: An actor’s job is inherently contradictory: we must remain present and alive onstage but craft a coherent, repeatable performance. We must access depth and intensity of feeling but do so sustainably, while remaining grounded in our bodies. This course will explore the link between aliveness and preparation, between impulse and regulation. Forging those links requires cooperation between the imagination, the body, and the text. Together, we will approach impulse from several angles: first, through movement and image, then through the operations of the nervous system, and finally through scenework. There will be journal and written assignments, but the bulk of the classwork will be practice-based, incorporating physical exercises, warm-up training, monologue work and scene performance.