Encouraging actors to see themselves as agents of change: The role of dramaturgs, critics, commentators, academics and activists in actor training in Australia

Bree Hadley and Kathryn Kelly

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Abstract

How is the work of dramaturgs, critics, commentators, academics and activists relevant to actor training? In this article, we will explore the role of dramaturgs, critics, commentators, academics and activists in the contemporary contexts and modalities of actor training in Australia. Through specific case studies and examples from our past practice, we will highlight particular interventions that may assist acting training conservators to support their actor/students in training to: develop deeper understandings and relationships to diverse cultural perspectives; grow the reflective capacity of actors through dramaturgical training; and create authentic connectedness to the broader contexts of their performance making practice, their industry, and their world. Through a dialogue, we will broach issues, including broad suggestions about the best way to apply these areas of knowledge into an actor’s training. In doing so, we will propose that the concept of the entrepreneurial 21st century actor/performer requires that entrepreneurship is understood in the broadest sense, as the capacity to build career paths, and the capacity to build visions of a better world.

Keywords

Actor Training; Disability Arts; Dramaturgy; Activism in the Academy; Community Engagement

To cite this article

Hadley, Bree and Kathryn Kelly. “Encouraging Actors to See Themselves as Agents of Change: The Role of Dramaturgs, Critics, Commentators, Academics and Activists in Actor Training in Australia.” Fusion Journal, no. 17, 2020, pp. 49-60. https://fusion-journal.com/encouraging-actors-to-see-themselves-as-agents-of-change-the-role-of-dramaturgs-critics-commentators-academics-and-activists-in-actor-training-in-australia/

First published online: April 2020