PLAYFUL TRAINING

This book questions whether the practice of martial arts in physical actor training encourages a physicality with its origins in masculinised regimentation. The training of the body of the actor in physical practices, historically connected with the martial and military sphere, assumes that disciplining methods can lead to a neutral , natural or universal body, which leaves out of account the question of cultural context and gender identity. The book examines key training methods theoretically and explores how actor training might resist such masculinised regimentation. It analyses physical exercises, derived from the martial and militaristic spheres, in well-established actor training approaches of the twentieth-century. The book proposes an alternative training structure inspired by capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art.

Autorentext

A Brazilian theatre director, actress and researcher, Maria Brigida De Miranda holds a Ph.D. in the field of Theatre and Drama from La Trobe University, Australia, and a M.A. in Theatre Practice from the University of Exeter, U.K. She currently lectures at the University of the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil.