Emotions on stage: a glimpse on neurophysiology and performance Ever wondered if an actor had to do anything with science? Or better said, with neurophysiology? Ever wondered what neurophysiology is? I do not intend to explain widely such concept. On the contrary, I consider it an easy meaning to infer from the word, that is, a branch of science that studies humans’ mind and its close relationship with our body. It can be basically addressed as the very intersection of Psychology and Medicine, a play in which the leading role is starred by the neurons. But why call it a “play”? The answer is seemingly far too unexpected. If you have ever been to a stage play, you may have noticed that the actors can literally carry out their performance as if it was happening in reality, when it is actually fiction! It does not mean that what you are seeing is not real, it is real since you can see it, you can touch it... It is actually happening: a group of people is performing in front of you. But their actions are happening in fiction. That being said, what an actor uses as their instrument, just as a pianist has their piano, or a violinist their violin, a painter their paint brush or a singer their voice; an actor has their body as their only instrument to perform. The meaning of such statement is much more complex than it seems. It implies that an actor works both with their external body and their inner body. In other words, that implies that an actor is the perfect target of study for a neurophysiologist. How come an actor turns a better target than just any other person? It is not a matter of “better” or “worse”. What makes an actor an interesting spot is the fact that they are – in most cases – aware of their emotions, feelings and the way those reflect on their body. Their job is to represent – “re-present” implies “do it again” –, so they take control over all those reactions to be able to represent them on stage. An average person lives life as it comes, we – somehow – live a life without being questioning ourselves every time we do anything “How did that feel?” “Why am I thinking what I am thinking over this matter?” “How does all of this reflect on my body?” When we walk, for instance, we do not question the way we do it, we just walk. But whether we had a good or bad day, we are joyful about something or feeling gloomy, it does reflect on the way we
walk. And that is just one example. An actor does question all of this, so that they can “re-present” it on stage. But now, what do we mean when we say “emotions”? Seeing it now from the inside, it no longer sounds a simple word. Antonio Damasio – regarded nowadays as one of the pioneers in the field of neuroscience – saves us the brain struggle “trust Shakespeare to have been there before.” (Damasio, 2003, p. 27). He refers to Richard II, when the crown has been lost and the likelihood to be jailed is imminent. In a way, Richard tells Bolingbroke the definition of emotion and feeling, unwittingly of course. “He asks for a looking glass, confronts his face, and studies the spectacle of ravage. Then he notes that the “external manner of laments” expressed in his face is merely “shadows of the unseen grief”, a grief that “swells with silence in the tortured soul”. His grief, as he says “lies all within.”” (p.27). It is Shakespeare that first notes that “emotion” and “feeling” – often addressed indistinctly – can be analyzed in parts. Then, what is the difference between both? Damasio prompts us to understand the neurophysiological view of these experiences, where a distinction is worth being regarded: emotions play out in the theater of the body, feelings play out in the theater of the mind. To clarify this stance, let us think of when we run into the person we like or walk through an eerie house. The emotions produced from this experience are visible in our physiology in terms of measurable reactions: our facial muscles stretch, our hearts beat rapidly, our voice trembles. All this is either visible or can be monitored. But at the same time, this number of reactions produce a feeling, that is, the inner part of the emotion. A feeling is an idea of the body, an idea of a certain appearance of the body. In a more fantastic way, it would be as if the body would create a feeling for every state of our physiology, depending on the experience we undergo. Life as an actor demands from a person to be aware of the thoughts that come into their mind from every single experience of their life, often considered selfperception. But it also requires to keep track of the physiological changes occurred during these life events. So that, acting out a feeling turns out to be as resembling to the reality as the self-perception of an actor allows them – plausible -
. Considering these statements, let us point out that there are no false emotions, but feigned emotions. In one word, what an actor does on stage is feigning emotions, but now you know the scientific explanation to that assertion!
Glossary
Word
Spanish
Neurophysiology
Neurofisiología
Performance
Representación (término polisémico)
Represent
Representar
Emotion
Emoción
Feeling
Sentimiento
Self-perception
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Definition The branch of physiology dealing with the functions of the nervous system. A musical, dramatic, or other entertainment presented before an audience. To impersonate, as in acting; to pretend to be Physiological response from a real or fictional experience in a person’s life, entailing different feelings. Physical code to describe a combination of physical responses i.e. the physical state of an emotion. One of an actor’s tasks, demanding awareness of every single physical change from an experience, as well as the cognitional load of emotions i.e. thoughts in mind during a life event.
Information Resources Damasio, A. (2003). Looking for Spinoza. Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain. London: William Heinemann. Gordon, J. (2007). El teatro de las emociones. Revista de la Universidad de México, 39, 111. Recuperado de http://www.revistadelauniversidad.unam.mx/ojs_rum/index.php/rum/article/vi ew/1190/2193 Müller, C. (2010). El traning del actor. México, D.F.: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. Shechner, R. (2012). Estudios de la representación. Una introducción. México D.F.: Fondo de Cultura Económica.