KEVIN HOPKINS
Actor, Director, Teacher, Melbourne, Australia
Psychophysical Actor training
Kevin co developed and co delivered sessions at the Summer Shakespeare Intensive in Prague in 2019 for the PSC.
Psychophysical is the relationship between one’s internal (psychic) and external (physical) worlds.
In these classes, actors were exposed to basic eastern Martial Arts techniques of both conflict and various meditations, to assist in attunement: the actor becoming more aware of the body, breath, space and sensitivity.
Most Western acting methodologies predominantly begin in the ‘head’ and build an understanding of character through intellectual study and historical research. Whereas Martial Arts, and eastern acting methodologies inform focus, discipline, physical fitness and respect, and can provide a pathway to exploration of character and text from the outside, in. The relationship between breath, movement and a state of readiness.
Elements of Suzuki, Rasa boxes, Liminality and Shin Bu Kai martial arts combine to give actors a training regime to add to their toolbox: to be prepared for spontaneity and to be truly creative.
Rehearsal is a way of setting an exact sequence of events. Preparations are a constant state of training so that when the situation arises, one will be ready to do ‘something appropriate’.
As an acting teacher Kevin has previously focused on traditional Western acting methodologies, including Stanislavski, Method, Meisner, Laban, Michael Chekhov and others, but more recently has been interested in alternative forms.
The relationship between the body and space, and the organics of form through training and preparation, pursuing an opportunity to actualize a non-psychologically based acing paradigm through the body.
Kevin has trained in Shin Bu Kai Karate Do, and holds a ShoDan black belt in that style.
