International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts

Dreaming the Role: Acting and the Structure of Imagination

Author(s): Craig Turner
Source: Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, Vol. 7, No. 4 (28), Special Issue: Dream and
Narrative Space (1996), pp. 16-29
Published by: International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43308266
Accessed: 05-12-2019 19:43 UTC

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 Dreaming the Role: Acting and the
Structure of Imagination

Craig Turner

Dreams . . . are like photographs of feelings and feeling processes.

Some of these photographs are more blurred than others, but if
you look at them closely you will find the feelings within.

Corriere, Dreaming and Waking

Did Chuang Tsu dream he was a butterfly, or did the butterfly

dream he was ChuangTsu?

Chuang Tsu, The Inner Chapters

The dream is a world of its

own, with rules, connections, and players. Without a dream, the
actor is powerless to animate a play's text. The playwright's words
must enter the actor, explode in his imagination, and create a
dream world so powerful that the performer can act as if the dream
surrounded him. We witness this acting from our place in the
audience. To understand how dreams achieve such power, we will
look at how actors dream their roles and then how they embody
the dream character for performance.
The actor studies the script for any information specifically
mentioned or implied by dialogue and scene description, what are
called the "given circumstances." The circumstances "determine
or condition our [the character's] conflicts, can supply our motiva-
tions, and specify the nature of our actions" (Hägen, 158). For
example: Where do scenes take place? Do environments change
from scene to scene? What is the time of day, month, or year? The
givens supply a rich, basic ground plan to the dream world.
A text is not a play. The script can provide only the most basic
givens. Nevertheless, the actor must start his dream there, from
the playwright's dream-text. As Constantin Stanislavski says:
The play, the parts in it, are the invention of the author's imagina-
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 in the Arts

tion, a whole series o

him. There is no suc
product of the imagin
The aim of the actor
play into a theatrical
far the greatest part

In addition to give
that the actor's o
character's sense of
dream world, drive
moment (called "pla
logue, making it see
Jack Lemmon, a hi
Acting doesn't have a
We never really liste
person is saying. We
mean is often quite a
between two actors th
they're not listening
person is trying to
55).

The given and imagined elements in the text are translated

from words on the page to sounds and pictures in the actor's
imagination. A picture of the character, of the room she lives in,
the clothes she wears, her way of walking and gesturing can all be
encoded in pictures. The pictured character may speak, using the
words from the script, and as the actor explores differing pitches,
tonalities, articulations, phrasing and rhythms, she tries to find a
voice that "sounds right." Going beyond denotative meanings into
more connotative implications of the language, she gauges the
power of these various distinctions in pictures and sounds by how
quickly her imagination blazes with feeling, subsuming her in the
dream world.
Generating a rich and extensive dream world with textual and
imagined details is a key ingredient to good acting.

NLP Theory: Representational Systems/Submodalities

Until a few years ago, we had little theoretical/practical under-

standing of how the actor neurologically structured the dream
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Dreaming the Role

world images, nor how those imag

of Richard Bandler and John Gr
Programming), first appearing in t
understanding how humans interna
their personal experiences and is u
how the actor's dream world is constructed.
Key to this idea is understanding that human beings respond
to their maps of the world, not the way the world "actually is." NLP
partially derived this idea from Gregory Bateson's work, encapsu-
lated in the famous dictum, "the map is not the territory."
The actor must translate what she reads in the text into pic-
tures, sounds, and feelings (called "representational systems" in
Neuro-Linguistic Programming) from her inner world. Although
the actor uses this process for special imaginative and artistic
purposes, NLP suggests that this is fundamentally a natural pro-
cess. Our sensory systems filter, store and recall information based
on each system's format. As O'Connor and Seymour point out,
"We re-experience information in the sensory form in which we
first perceived it" and, additionally, "one way we think is con-
sciously or unconsciously remembering the sights, sounds, feelings,
tastes and smells we have experienced" (43). Each of us creates
an internal "map" of our experience, formed from the input of our
representational systems. We do not act directly on "reality," only
through our perception of what we think is reality.
Distinctions made within a representational system are crucial
in creating the inner mind "map." Distinctions made regarding this
image are called the submodalities and take on great importance
in how we respond emotionally to the sensory representation.
The actor uses sub-modality distinctions to create sounds and
pictures from the "givens" for artistic ends. Each word and phrase,
the sum total of the linguistic experience of the script, is translated
into pictures, sounds, and/or feelings for the dream. The best
sub-modality distinctions are useful in creating a compelling dream
world and completely engage the actor's will in the dream world.
Sometimes only one sensory representation is necessary for
engagement in the dreamworld. (Like Marcel Proust's "petite
madeleine," a smell or taste memory can be especially powerful.)
More commonly, however, the actor must take time, creating
detail after detail, slowly building and layering the dream world.

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in the Arts

Finally, like the tiny

distinction sets of
"there." Stanislavsk
In the first period of
way into the life of
what is going on in i
the region of the su
and he is aware of e
acquires an entirely
feelings, conceptions
himself (281-282).

Association Ritual

The dream world of pictures, sounds and feelings is no more

than what the reader of a novel does for his private pleasure. But
the actor, by definition, is not an observer. She doesn't tell you
about her dream she shows you. The actor must go further, placing
her entire body's presence, motion and will within the dream state.
Her everyday reality must be replaced by the imagined one. To
inhabit and respond directly to the dream world (through the
body), she must somehow move into the dream character.
I call this moment the Association Ritual. The character's
dream body, full and rich in detail, stands in front of the actor, in
his mind's eye, if you will. The character is out there. When the
picture looks right, the voice sounds right, and the actor feels that
the picture is right, he deliberately and freely steps into the
dreamed image. The Association Ritual is the bridge between
understanding about and being in, between observing a dream and
actually living in it.
In NLP, this is referred to as changing the point of view from
dissociated (the picture or sound is outside of you, you are observ-
ing it) to associated (you are now experiencing the event from
within the scene, as a participant). By stepping into the character's
point of view in that body, the actor's personal body feel and point
of view is fundamentally- quite literally- transformed.
"The basic mechanics for characterizing a person," as Robert
Cohen says, "is to examine his possible world, his vision and
understandings, and then to play as yourself into, with, and against

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Dreaming the Role

that world. It is as though you saw

thought, wanted what he wanted, a
We hear actors say they "weren't in
This is no accidental or arbitrary
actor's talent is to submerge (ass
experience of the imagined chara
appears no longer to be "in himsel
another way, the dream body takes
Possession is an ancient idea, pr
dance/drama rites. The Associatio
that replaces dissociated logical thin
sity and depth of physical feeling -
circumstances. (Here I am not sp
emotion, but rather of a propriocen
body sensibility.) Actors cannot act
act and behave through an imaginar
abstractions. Associating keeps th
present.
Dream character feeling, then, anchors in the bones, muscles,
and nervous impulses of the actor. The "rightness" of the dream
character's response lies within the actor's body. Using association
rituals, actors establish dream body sensations as a way to stay in
the present, responding more intuitively and immediately, playing
in the moment of performance.
The kinesthetic understanding of the dream character ("feels
right") replaces the initial sensory representations (the "looks
right" of pictures and the "sounds right" of sounds) about the
dream world. By identifying so completely with the dream charac-
ter and world that he feels literally in the character's shoes, the
actor has a true experience.
The living process of association gives the actor the feeling of
"as if for the first time," even though the fundamental elements of
the text (dialogue, relationships, situational context) stay constant.
Rehearsals are surprising forays into open-ended explorations of
the character's world, not mechanical work-throughs of logically-
justified intellectual material. The dream body "possession" can
surprise the performer with its rightness and speed of reaction to
the text's events and dialogue. Even the voice - tonality, diction,
resonance, placement -can change as it responds to a new center.

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in the Arts

The actor embodies t

from her own thro
possession grows from
(beliefs, values, cap
tures, body position,

Dreaming and the

Sir John Gielgud, a

of our century, prov
about the associativ
Of course, all acting s
I did not realize this .
I began to consider ho
how I was standing; m
I could not keep insid
In Trofimov (in Chek
director Theodore Ko
the glass and though
move and behave," an
keep that picture in m
imagination deserti
completely as my app
seemed to demand (q
Here are the basic e
tion Ritual: internall
the dream character
of connection to th
mately the "loss of
among actors, even t
Twentieth-century
pects of association
cess occurs between
performance state.
ing exactly how the
the clearest support
found in three of the most famous theorists: Constantin
Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov, and Michel Saint-Denis.
Although not explicit regarding the mechanics of associating,
and writing within a turn-of-the-century understanding of how
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Dreaming the Role

mind, body and the unconscious wo

remarkably suggestive in descr
Though greatly influenced by the n
and focusing on true-to-life behavio
artifice of the time, he did not limit
and immediately practical. He was
standings of mind and body as one
For example, in An Actor Prepar
differences between the skilled actor's associated state and the
mediocre actor's attempt to "play at" a role:
We see, hear, understand and think differently before and after
we cross the "threshold of the subconscious" [Stanislavski's de-
scription of the Association Ritual]. Beforehand we have "true-
seeming feelings," afterwards - "sincerity of emotions." On this
side of it we have the simplicity of a limited fantasy; beyond - the
simplicity of the larger imagination. Our freedom on this side of
the threshold is limited by reason and conventions; beyond it, our
freedom is bold, wilful, active and always moving forwards. Over
there the creative process differs each time it is repeated (281).

He never says precisely where or when this moment will occur, only
that the actor must be prepared for that moment (at the "subcon-
scious threshold") when, as Stanislavski says, the actor "lives in a
dream" and over time, "these moments of visualization become
longer, more intense, and complete" (66).
Key to the association process "is that the illusion has been
woven together out of the student's own inner images. Once this
is accomplished, he can repeat it once or twice or many times. The
more often he recalls it, the more deeply it will be printed in his
memory [not so much conscious recall, but body memory], and the
more deeply he will live into it" (66). Stanislavski reassures the
actor that this magical place of creativity can reappear again and
again if the basic tools of script analysis and active dreaming have
been used with diligence and accuracy.
The theorist who comes closest in detail to our representa-
tional system/Association Ritual model is Michael Chekhov. His
To the Actor emphasizes refining the imagination and using deep-
body impulses and sensitivity as a way to submerge in the dream
world. His creation of a technique called "Psychological Gesture"
(a physical position or gesture applied to a character-body which
creates a psychological/emotional response within the actor) is one
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 in the Arts

of the most powerf

Stanislavski. Chekh
approach that not o
something of our m
Chekhov states that
circumstances and cl
centrate on . . . char
scene. Then dwell o
which attract your a
when "you 'see' the i
appearance. Wait un
test of truth for an
fully it engages the
khov suggests later
character speaking f
tinction for actors p
Chekhov says that
the author," or as "p
Both ways are corr
visual construction
actor to develop a r
tions, getting "visib
world. Then the act
into his characterized behavior.
The dream character is thus established as a kind of spiri-
tual/imaginative guide to the dream world; his speaking and ges-
turing provide a bridge from the actor's inner creative part, out to
consciousness in a form that can be used by the voice and body.
Bring home all the impressions you have accumulated during
stage rehearsals: Your own acting, the acting of your partners,
the director's suggestions and business he gave you, approximate
settings, etc. Include all this in your imagination, and then again,
going over your own acting, ask the question: "How can I improve
this or that moment?" Answer it by improving it first in your
imagination and then by actually trying it out. . . (147).

The imaginary body does not have to be a complete, crystal-

clear image. The various body parts "might show themselves as
mere, almost imperceptible indications . . (86). In speaking with
many actors, I have discovered that a photographic representation

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Dreaming the Role

of the character body is not all th

dreams in fragments, swathes of co
the edge of consciousness.
"As soon as you have outlined tho
your role - try to imagine what kind
have" (86). The preparation work
formalizes the Association Ritual:

You are going to imagine that in the same space you occupy with
your own, real body there exists another body- the imaginary
body of your character, which you have just created in your mind.
You clothe yourself, as it were, with this body; you put it on like
a garment

to feel and think of yourself as another person. . . .

ever notice in everyday life how different you feel
clothes? . . . But "wearing another body" is more than
or costume. This assumption of the character's imag
ical form influences your psychology ten times more
any garment! The imaginary body stands, as it were,
real body and your psychology, influencing both of
equal force. Step by step you begin to move, spea
accord with it;.... your character now dwells within y
prefer, you dwell within it).... Your whole being, ps
and physically, will be changed - I would not hesitat
possessed- by the character. When really taken o
cised, the imaginary body stirs the actor's will and
harmonizes them with the characteristic speech and
it transforms the actor into another person! (86-7).

Chekhov mistrusts relying on logical thinkin

character. Too much work on the script, witho
imagination in Association, is likely to lead to dull,
choices.
Michel Saint-Denis was an important formulator of actor-
training methods, both in his native France and in the United
States. He uses the term "transformation" to describe the Asso-
ciation Ritual in his method; by this, he means a change that is
physically based. As he says: "The ability to transform oneself
leads to the creation of a character with distinctive traits, rather
than just the presentation of a person - an actor- in a specific
role" (157).
In training, the student begins by observing, attempting to
transform into a character in one of two ways. One way is by
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 in the Arts

starting with the ph

and imitating it, wit
other way is by ima
of person might be,
expression."
Saint-Denis was deeply interested in masks and mask work,
seeing the masking process as a powerful metaphor for transfor-
mation. "A mask is a tangible object

an external object on one's face, one will actual

by a foreign presence, without, however, bein
one's own self" (171). The actor must have "com
tion on, and openness to, the sensations creat
(171). In doing so, the mask leads the actor
focusing and directing attention to the imagined
Instead of beginning with an internally genera
actor is presented with an external dream image,
As she gazes on the mask, the association proc
anticipation of putting it on. This is analogous
cess that brings the dream character over to th
Denis reminds us, the mask "is an inanimate ob
no life without the actor's existence." (171).
The actor's active participation in the ritual of
the dream world. The actor first looks at the mask
The actor "must look at the mask until he feels
expression" and should only initiate action "when
the mask's impact" (174). Then he puts on the m
looking at himself in the mirror. Instead, he is en
the memory of the mask in his mind. Why? Be
on the mirror-image, he will act what he sees and
(172). The mask (an external visual representati
by placing it on the face; the inner representation
mask in his mind) then works back out through th
The dream character is not only embodied, but co
mask that comes to life. In the best masking, spe
startled by the papier-mache mask that "seems
Masks strengthen body awareness and in puttin
ing a mask the actor ritualizes the embodying phy
the actor must not move too broadly or quickly "
feeling that he has become one with the mask"

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Dreaming the Role

khov, Saint-Denis emphasizes kine

before continuing. Keeping movem
performer stay in contact with phy
ple improvisations, the actor discov
by drawing " from the mask" ac
being expressed through the mask
The work of Stanislavski, Chek
marks out the importance of the dr
ment and activation. Although ea
for analyzing roles intellectually
body and voice, all reserve a special
ating into the role. In that sense,
terprets the actor's art as a partially
creation of a dream world throug
rience life anew.

Rehearsals: The Collective Dream

Long before the process of dreaming the role is completed,

the actor begins working with the other actors and a director. Each
has been developing his/her own dream. The artistic challenge of
rehearsals is to come to collective agreement on large and small
details of the dream world. Through discussion, working through
scenes, and responding to what others are doing from within their
own dream worlds, the individual actor is constantly adjusting the
inner truth of the role to the necessary external relationships that
begin to form.
Balancing technical demands (Is the voice loud enough?
Speech clear enough? Can this gesture be seen? Is my character's
objective helping to move the scene?) with the need to sustain the
dream character's inner feeling of reality is not easy. Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi has described this ability to lose self-conscious-
ness in flow activities (like acting) as not a loss of the self, "and
certainly not a loss of consciousness, but rather, only a loss of
consciousness of the self' (64). If a technical adjustment pulls the
actor "out" of character, the audience will sense a hole in the
collective dream world: suddenly the dream character is only a
self-conscious actor, not the character doing what he/she needs to
do. Conversely, an actor with too little external awareness can

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in the Arts

become isolated fro

inappropriate values,
vant detail. The aud
private to excite th
"himself' to monito
delicate balance that
Ideally, by opening
of a completely imag
seemingly spontaneou
involved enormou
Marowitz points out
only refines individ
deepen the dream.
repetitions of his r
world provided by ot
staging breaks the t
in the role), he is mo
is acting badly (cent

The Performanc

The majority of rec

response to the thea
pathy." Empathy is
Empathy implies a k
situation. The best
care so deeply about
out all right? Will
imagined world, tak
as the implicit rules
[the performance] m
entertain, and trans
make them laugh, en
enough to make th
gasp" (178).
Soap opera dream worlds powerfully demonstrate (for those
who are willing to be taken into them) the ability of actors to
entrain our thoughts, our breathing, our attention fully into their
acting. Audiences pay to be transported someplace else; actors

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Dreaming the Role

are waiting there, embodied in th

play experience, based on a comple
for everyday consensual reality, pu
momentary concerns into an artisti
ence members "float over and int
they feel, seeing what they see, hea
their own version of the Association Ritual.
Marowitz wrote that the "focal point [of a performance] is
neither on the stage nor in the auditoritim, but in a state of
consciousness which bridges the two areas

at all to the actor to say it is a plateau where th

actor's psychic energy coalesce, but that's as c
location as I can provide" (105). I would say t
he speaks of is the dream world, where both
inhabit dream bodies; through those bodie
change and fulfill fantasy needs. If the struc
world is compelling enough, the audience wi
trance. Acting excellence is the ability to create
nal trances in an artistic performance. The ac
created from the skeleton of the text, enriched
choices, and embodied with the actor's presen
purpose: to entrain the audience's consciousn
dream spaces for others to play in.

Works Cited

Bandler, Richard. Using Your Brain- Fora Change. Moab, Utah: Real
People, 1985.
Bandler, Richard, and John Grinder. Frogs Into Princes: Neuro-Linguis-
tic Programming. Moab, Utah: Real People, 1979.

tion of Meaning. Moab, Utah: Real People, 1982

Bateson, Gregory. Steps to an Ecology of Mind. N
Chekhov, Michael. To the Actor: On the Technique o
Harper & Row, 1953.
Cohen, Robert. Acting Power. Palo Alto, CA: May
Corriere, Richard, et al. Dreaming and Waking: The
proach to Dreams. Culver City, CA: Peace, 1980
Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of
NY: Harper Perennial, 1990.
Hagen, Uta. Respect for Acting. NY: Macmillan, 1
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in the Arts

Hornby, Richard. Th
Theatre Books, 1992
Marowitz, Charles. Th
O'Connor, Joseph, and
Programming. Londo
Stanislavski, Constant
nolds Hapgood. NY:
Saint-Denis, Michel. Tr
NY: Theatre Arts Bo
Tsu, Chuang. The Inn
glish. NY: Vintage, 1

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