Viola Spolin's Philosophy About Concentration and Collaboration During the Stage Actor’s Training

Abstract

Even today, Viola Spolin continues to be one of the most recognizable and celebrated names in the world of performing arts. Her timeless work continues to allow people from all backgrounds to meet and rediscover play as a collaborative means towards the goal of achieving self-discovery and emotional intelligence within an active and lively environment: the theatre workshop. It is therefore impossible for her method not to be included in the training of beginning student actors. Working on observation while discovering the workspace, the self and the stage partners are practices that need to be constantly trained by those interested in studying the art of acting, even more so if they intend to follow the path of becoming professional actors. The following article is a reflection on the benefits of using the point of concentration in the training of the stage actor, as well as the fact that theatre is an art form specifically concerned with group work.