(toward) a phenomenology of acting by Phillip Zarrilli

Abstract

Reviewed by: (toward) a phenomenology of acting by Phillip Zarrilli Lisa Channer (toward) a phenomenology of acting. By Phillip Zarrilli. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2020; pp. 320. What is the “bodymind”? What do we mean when we talk about “being in the moment”? What about “kinesthetic awareness”? All of these are part of a contemporary discourse that describes what actors do and all are addressed in depth and with nuance in (toward) a phenomenology of acting by Phillip Zarrilli. The book weaves together philosophical discussions of existence, consciousness, and conceptions of self; firsthand accounts from actors in various embodied performances; and detailed descriptions of physical training methods Zarrilli has mastered. The result is a sincere appreciation for what actors actually do and a strong case for viewing acting as a distinct area of research into the science of cognition. The book is, as Evan Thompson states in the foreword, “a major contribution to the effort to create a circulation between science, art and human experience” (xiii). Indeed, Zarrilli rightly compares the state of embodied consciousness of a fully trained virtuosic actor with the physical mastery and precision of a surgeon. He is able to discuss what embodiment actually is by attempting to describe in words that which must be experienced to be understood. Although divided into seven chapters, the topics covered within them—imagining, attention, perception, sensing, subjectivity, and ethics—are woven throughout the book in a decidedly nonlinear format. The book includes expert descriptions of specific embodied forms of theatrical training that Zarrilli practices, including kalarippayattu, kutiyattam, NM theatre, and kathakali, as well as Zarrilli’s own experience performing and directing the work of Samuel Beckett. It moves through ancient theories about performance training from global traditions to discussion of such contemporary topics as “fake news” and research into neuroplasticity, which Zarrilli uses to explain what actors’ brains and bodies are actually doing when they perform. Zarrilli critiques common Western conceptions of rehearsal as a space for finding out what a character wants (or her “objective,” in Stanislavskian terms) rather than a space for an actor to simply reflect upon the state of being in process. That word reflect is key for Zarrilli. He makes a case for the value of naming, thinking about, and reflecting on the act of embodiment to balance the Western stress on action and motivation in script and role analysis. He writes that “[w]hen teaching young actors, one of the major problems I encounter is that many are unable to simply ‘attend’ in the moment to what they are saying/doing” (124)—a quote that may resonate with teachers or directors grappling with changes in attention spans and the ubiquitous ways that screens now mitigate our connection with other humans. I was delighted to find that this book offers fresh new doorways to explore as it builds a response to Grotowski’s famous question: How does the actor “touch that which is untouchable”? So often we are too busy working toward the goal of production to fully experience the journey. The testimonials from actors who worked on plays directed by Zarrilli are beautiful gifts of insight presented as the interior thoughts of actors as they embody a role in performance. It is very intimate and very powerful writing. I was particularly taken with examples from two plays: The Almond and the Seahorse by Katie O’Reilly, and Footfalls by Samuel Beckett. In The Almond and the Seahorse, the character of Joe has no ability to form new memories. The actor, Celyn Jones, primarily trained in Stanislavskian acting, writes about how he approached this role in a new way with Zarrilli’s direction: “Playing Joe I had to remain in the immediate present. As an actor I was not in control of any kind of arc or journey for Joe as a character. I was sort of . . . a ‘form’ or a fragment of Joe’s life. I was not in control of anything.” He describes the experience as “very freeing” (64–65). When working on Footfalls, actor Milena Picado likened the feeling of the words on her lips to “creatures alive in my mouth and therefore my whole body. . . . I had never experienced this before...