<p> This thesis explores the ways in which the fields of neurobiology and cognitive science impact concepts of performer processes, and how the findings of this research can help actors and actor trainers to examine assumptions that inform how they frame and describe performer practices. Cognitive science research provides a precise understanding of the embodied processes of &ldquo;self&rdquo;, &ldquo;consciousness&rdquo;, &ldquo;emotion&rdquo; and &ldquo;perceiving&rdquo;, and I argue that it is productive to interrogate these terms as they pertain to descriptions of the actor&rsquo;s practice and performer training. </p><p> In this thesis I describe the relevance of cognitive science findings to theatre with respect to concepts commonly advanced in actor training in the United States, namely the &ldquo;self,&rdquo; &ldquo;truth,&rdquo; and &ldquo;authentic.&rdquo; I offer a reconsideration of these concepts through a cognitive science lens that opens up possibilities for emerging dramatic and performance paradigms. I then propose the development of a &ldquo;corporeal intelligence,&rdquo; that enables an actor to propose gestures, movement, vocal strategies, and action</p>

<p> Acting students enrolled in theatre training programs often receive excellent instruction in voice, movement, and acting techniques respectively; however, there are few opportunities, in most of these programs, to incorporate these skills into <i>one</i> integrated class prior to graduation. This Project Report proposes the creation, development, and implementation of such a Capstone Integration Course. The curriculum of this proposed course relies on the author&rsquo;s cumulative experience of several decades in the acting profession, primarily the following four pillars: (1) early training at the Juilliard School of Drama, (2) experiences teaching undergraduates in the California State University system, (3) a lifetime of study in the art of acting in professional conservatories and under master teachers, and (4) private coaching of professional actors in the field of theatre and film. This report claims that the proposed course fulfills a vital need in the education of student-actors, by preparing them for sustained and successful careers as professional actors.</p><p>

<p> The MFA Acting and Performance Pedagogy program at CSULB has inspired me to investigate non-psychological based acting techniques. These newfound techniques, coupled with my classical singing background, led me to discover how to perform with joy and ease. Sanford Meisner acting technique exercises effectively redirected my attention away from myself and onto my scene partner in singing and acting. In performance and teaching, I am able to utilize the Meisner technique to uncover what inhibits the actor&rsquo;s attention and subsequently redirect their focus to the present moment. Declan Donnellan&rsquo;s <i> The Actor and the Target</i> and Timothy Gallwey&rsquo;s <i>The Inner Game of Tennis</i>, provide strategies to free the actor from inhibiting factors that prevent him/her from behaving naturally under imaginary circumstances. The use of all these concepts both in practice and performance allows actors to redirect their attention onto the imaginary circumstances and discover true freedom and joy in performance.</p><p>