Table Of ContentCharacterising Actor Trainers' Understanding of their
Practice in Australian and English Drama Schools
Author
Prior, Ross W
Published
2005
Thesis Type
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
School
School of Vocational, Technology and Arts Education
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/2740
Copyright Statement
The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise.
Downloaded from
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Characterising Actor Trainers'
Understanding of their Practice in
Australian and English Drama Schools
A PhD case study of the perceptions of thirteen
tutors and principals within their
institutional contexts
Ross W. Prior
B.Ed., M.Ed. (Melb.), M.A.C.E.
Centre for Public Culture & Ideas
School of Vocational Technology and Arts Education
Faculty of Education
Griffith University
Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
2004
© ROSS W. PRIOR 2004
ABSTRACT
Institutionalised actor training, which is essentially a twentieth century phenomenon,
often remains a mysterious facet of the theatre industry due largely to the unarticulated
understandings of pedagogical practices of acting tutors. This thesis examines acting
tutors' instructional approaches to actor training in leading drama schools in Australia
and England. Using qualitative case study, the report found that tutor responses could
be grouped in terms of tutors' views of themselves, drama schools and the training
process. The goals that the tutors had for actor training could be divided into four inter-
related categories: intellectual, personal, social and practical, with a strong emphasis
on personal and social meanings.
In Phenix's (1964) terms, the informants' meanings were synnoetic – direct, personal,
and experiential; and the informants were using metaphor and narrative to try to
communicate these meanings. In the terms of Broudy (1977) they were using different
contextual frameworks of 'knowledge(s)-with' and these meanings were often
expressed as polarisations or divides in meaning: for example teaching versus
inspiring; conservatoire versus university; artist versus academic; systematic versus
eclectic; trust versus scepticism; and experiential versus intellectual.
The data suggest that the meanings that the tutors had constructed on acting and on the
teaching of acting were difficult to communicate in conventional ways. These difficult-
to-convey and sometimes polarised meanings are developing in the drama school
community of practice, over time, as a result of the different experiential histories of
people who work within these schools. Most of the informants in the study had come
from careers in acting, had worked in the theatre industry more broadly and also
themselves had initial drama school training. It is possible that their differences in
constructing meaning may be due to differences in their historically derived
frameworks or contexts against which they construct meaning – different
'knowledge(s)-with'. However, much of what these tutors articulate is underpinned by
core understandings of acting and actor training. As a result, there had developed a
shared 'craft-based way of knowing' what acting is and how actor training should
proceed. That is, the acting tutors had brought their own synnoetic meanings to the
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i
drama school context, and this had developed over time into the shared mixture of
seemingly quasi-pedagogical and anti-pedagogical tutor objectives.
The expression of informants' meanings echoes Bruner's (1986) differentiation
between 'paradigmatic or logico-scientific' modes of knowing from a 'narrative' mode.
Paradigmatic modes of knowing are used for good theory and logical proof whereas
the application of the narrative mode involves good stories and historical [although not
necessarily "true"] human accounts. The study acknowledges the different ways in
which individuals apprehend experience, access the meanings that they construct on
experience, and how they seek to render and communicate those meanings to others.
Actor training, like acting itself, contains meanings which have consolidated over time
into automated ways of knowing and are difficult to convey in conventional ways.
Although it appears that much of their discussions of practice remained largely tacit,
tutors demonstrated both tacit and explicit forms of knowledge, which were derived
from various kinds of experiences.
A perceived separation between the ‘academic’ ['theoretical' or the 'intellectual'] and
the 'practical' appeared to be largely derived from experientially acquired knowledge.
In actor training, approaches to pedagogy are hard to capture by virtue of particular
meanings being constructed vicariously through the process of moving from novice to
expert. This is unlike traditions of generalist teaching which have sought to
communicate a more explicit understanding of pedagogy and thus giving rise, perhaps,
to why it is often claimed that acting cannot be taught.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank those splendid practitioners in Australia and England who supported
this report by allowing me to interview them.
I owe a particular debt of gratitude to my supervisors for their personal care and ability
to open my mind to many possibilities. Their guidance was both invaluable and
inspirational.
Principal Supervisor: Professor John O'Toole
Associate Supervisor: Professor John Stevenson
Professional and personal inspiration:
(cid:131) Dorothy Heathcote whose work has changed so many lives, including my own,
and who I was privileged to eventually meet in 2003 – symbiosis!
(cid:131) Gavin Bolton who is a true gentleman of drama with an exemplary mind.
(cid:131) Cecily O'Neill who in my practice provides me with a model of effective teaching
and learning [and a way to enjoy it!].
(cid:131) Jonothan Neelands who provides me with a model of successful practice, human
warmth and generosity.
(cid:131) Philip Taylor who first opened my eyes to another way of teaching and
researching, and whose mentoring is responsible for this epic academic journey.
(cid:131) Joanne O'Mara with whom I have shared a parallel research journey and who has
been a loyal friend since 1983.
(cid:131) The drama community too numerous to identify individually, and for that I
sincerely apologise.
Much of this work is the result of the people who I have been most fortunate to know.
Their encouragement and support kept me going throughout. Some of those special
friends include: Adam, Bernie, Brendan, Clive, Frank, June, Kath, Leo, Lizzie,
Marcus, Murray, Neil, Peter and Simon. I also include my RHD colleague Rea for her
academic companionship. Last, yet most significantly, a very special 'thank you' must
be given to my life mentor Gerald Taylor who has provided me with the voice of
reason. His generous support, guidance and friendship will never be surpassed.
Dedication: To my Late Mother, Elizabeth who sadly passed away at this time.
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iii
DECLARATION
This work has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university.
To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously
published or written by another person except where the due reference is made in the
thesis itself.
Ross W. Prior
Date:
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As so much of the actor's craft is learned unconsciously, it should
not be too surprising to discover that not every one is able to
pinpoint or even explain what it is they do 'intuitively'.
Hayes Gordon, 1992
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v
Pulcra sunt quœ visa placent
– The beautiful things, when seen, please.
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vi
**A NOTE REGARDING INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS**
The full interview transcripts are available for scrutiny.
Direct quotes from these in the text are coded according to the line
reference codes and page numbers used in the transcript document.
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vii
Description:In actor training, approaches to pedagogy are hard to capture by virtue of training can be made from this study, as the often-elusive phenomena of . a matter of simply setting aside one's prior prejudgements but to examine them. performance in theatre and film and television' (VCA website, n.d.).
