The Actor-Athlete Parallel
There seems to be nothing to stop the theatre having their own form of ‘sport’.
Bertolt Brecht
The concept of lending athleticism to the world of theatre and storytelling came about one afternoon during my time at university whilst undertaking a devised production workshop. Working with Anne Bogart’s Viewpoint technique and developing devised compositions, our lecturer discussed the necessity of being highly engaged with every instrument we have to allow the actor to completely immerse in the truth of the work. Limitations limit the exploration of truth; for the actor and audience. Some years later in the New York summer of 2018, I found myself again playing with Bogart’s technique alongside Tadashi Suzuki’s, The Suzuki Method. And again I found myself thinking of the actor-athlete parallel.
Actors and athletes share multiple similarities; the hours training their instrument versus performing, the physical and mental preparation and longevity to perform in front of adoring and scrutinising eyes, the constant competition and lastly, both must adapt a strong discipline of self regulation and sense of accountability in order to successfully maintain the elite level they desire to survive in. The list is demanding and too often we see elite performers fall due to the double edge sword of the pressures and pleasures.
If Brecht’s words play true, and acting is in fact a form of sport, as actors we can take an accurate amount of knowledge from how athletes live and perform and mesh their psychology to that of an actor, or ‘The Olympic Actor’.
“Olympic athletes are very disciplined and committed. Their motivation goes up and down like anyone else’s but they’ll continue to train and be disciplined even though they might not always feel like it.”
Shayne Hanks
Drive, discipline and focus enable athletes to reach and maintain elite status alongside confidence. Apart from a founding moment of fate or luck for a teeny-tiny percentage of actors, we are much the same. Without these self-regulating values during training and performance, success in any capacity could not be maintained. It’s what defines the novice from the elite.
The Body
You only get out of it what you put into it.
Grey Norman
Relying on your body everyday is essential for physical and mental functionality. It’s science. Nutrition, hydration, mindfulness, sleep, and exercise are key to actors and athletes performing show after show, take after take, game after game.
Food becomes your fuel and a deciding factor on how fast or slow you burn out in performance if given the chance to be contracted long term. Hydration is also vital,
“… just half a litre dehydrated can increase your cortisol level. Cortisol is one of those stress hormones. Staying in a good hydrated status can keep your stress levels down.”
Amanda Carlson, dietitian at Athlete’s Performance
Blair and Cook describe ‘The Olympic Actor’ model as a three part intervention: power posing, mental imagery and positive self-talk.
Power posing is the ability to see ourselves with confidence and success especially when in the lurking times of doubt. Stance and posture play into how others see us and how we see ourselves. Using the below stances in the rehearsal process as a two minute exercise can aid in the construction of a personal, cognitive foundation of confidence that can assist in the success of rehearsal, performance and life.
When one armours themselves with confidence, cortisol levels lower, enabling you to think less and just tell the truth. Like an elite athlete, actors can then let their instrument unleash as the hard work has already been accomplished.
“Our bodies change our minds,
and our minds change our behaviour,
and our behaviour changes our outcomes.”Amy Cuddy
From 8.05 minutes…body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy.
There is a science in our success to function through sleep and exercise also.
Adequate sleep allows the brain’s synapses or the neuronal connections time to reset and prepare for the next day of information. This can be difficult especially when working long hours with updated sides from the 1st or 2nd AD (depending on size of cast and crew). Finding what works for you and your schedule, self-regulation and being accountable is important to manage and ensure you can access sleep, even in sporadic intervals.
Regular exercise can also assist with a better nights sleep alongside releasing endorphins which lift your mood, keep your mind and body alert and combat stress.
It can be difficult to regulate this into your daily routine however by focusing on one at a time in small doses, you will be enabling the Olympic athlete to conquer and rise within.
Practice Makes Perfect
Newcastle Knights immortal, Andrew Johns, one of the nations greatest players in NRL history is known for his absolute love of the game, changing the game, but also his consistent training regime. Even as an elite player, his attention to understanding the football and the degree to which it lands never died - practice made perfect. Three time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep expresses a reluctance to expressing her method of storytelling for fear “of killing the goose” yet her acute ability to fully inhabit a character, find the parallels demonstrates her dedication to her character work,
“Acting is not about being someone different. It’s finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.”
Meryl Streep
Neither athlete or actor have anything in common, on the contrary, both illustrate how preparation drives one to success. Athletes spend years of their lives learning the nuances of their games and building their minds and bodies into specialised machines. Actors should do the same.
Practice isn’t enough though - you need to play. When starting at the top isn’t an option - and it never really is - find your playing ground, rehearse, train, learn and master. Look to community theatre, independent films, your own circle of creative friends…seek out opportunities to practice because they don’t always - if ever - find you. This continual level of drive, dedication and focus will lead you to your path of success in whatever capacity that may be - trust in your hard work and be inspired by those who drive their goals into success.
If the ultimate drive for athletes is to play in the Olympic arena of their chosen sport, then actors also need to drive their own willingness to reach the Olympics in acting. Olympic gold for an actor is an Academy Award - so are you ready to play?
Article Sources:
Blair, R. and Cook, A. (2016). Theatre, performance and cognition. Languages, bodies and ecologies.. 1st ed. GB: Bloomsbury, pp.79-92.
Cuncic, A. (2020). How to Develop and Use Self-Regulation in Your Life. [online] Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-you-can-practice-self-regulation-4163536 [Accessed 18 Feb. 2020].
Hanson, L., n.d. Amy Cuddy TED Talks - Implications For Sport. [online] Athlete Assessments. Available at: <https://athleteassessments.com/amy-cuddy-ted-talks-implications-sport/> [Accessed 21 April 2020].
New York Film Academy. (2020). What Actors Can Learn From Athletes. [online] Available at: https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/what-actors-can-learn-from-athletes/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2020].
Psychlopaedia. (2020). Why mental toughness is the secret to success at the Olympics | Psychlopaedia. [online] Available at: https://psychlopaedia.org/work-and-performance/mental-toughness-secret-success-olympics/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2020].