Why Reading a Play with Your Body is Essential for Actors

Actors, when you’re reading a play for the first time, it’s not really about analysis or intellectually understanding it on any level.

It’s about what is that story telling your body? How is that story resonating in your body?

Because it’s an embodied experience which is incredibly different to it being just received conceptually, in through your mind, out through your mouth. That’s just an opinion. That’s just a thought.

That’s why often my actors who are dyslexic or struggle with reading and have to work much harder actually do really well. And they do connect in such an embodied way because they have to, because they don’t get it if they don’t.

When you’re reading plays as an actor, it’s a very different place to if you’re studying it for university because you’re coming from a place of experience that’s allowing you explore not knowing. Whereas a lot of reading is to do with knowing. What do I know because I’ve read that?

Whereas this is different. It’s like, what resonated with you? What did you discover? What did you discover about these people in their lives?

No different to if you’re watching a film or you’re listening to a play, what is resonating with you? That’s the most important part.

~ Helena Walsh, Voice & Acting Coach | Human Empowerment & Resiliency Organic Intelligence® Consultant

Helena’s teachings are inspired by Organic Intelligence ® @getoi, Fitzmaurice Voicework ® @fitzmauricevoicework & NeuroSystemics @neurosystemics_care

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