This paper,grounded in the author's studies in the Actor Training and Coaching MFA programme at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama,employs a mixed-methods approach to critically reflect on the key contemporary Western ideas and concepts that Chinese practitioners have diluted,misunderstood and missed in intercultural actor training.Firstly,the author redefines"actor training",correcting misleading labels and notions,such as"acting style"and"three major acting systems".Subsequently,the author clarifies core acting terminology prone to conceptual misunderstanding,including"unlocking one's natural instincts,""presence,""energy,""physicality,""action and movement,""play,"and"fun".Lastly,through a critical analysis of the obstructions in actors'execution of actions caused by excessive reliance on"psychological technique",the author argues that Chinese practitioners should leverage the"differences"inherent in"interculturalism",specifically by adopting the British Actioning technique,to enrich their action-centered skills and facilitate actor training.
intercultural actor trainingwestern acting ideas and conceptsacting terminologyStanislavsky's psychological techniqueBritish Psycho-physical Actioning technique