How does a teacher's history help you understand the questions inside a method?
The Diary of a Professional Experiencer, by Eric Morris.
What the book addresses
Morris's autobiographical account of the experiences, encounters and discoveries through which his acting system developed.
How to read it
Read an autobiography with two kinds of attention. Follow the person describing a life, and follow the practical problem that becomes a teaching idea. An account of discovery can explain why a method emphasizes a certain obstacle. It does not require your own development to reproduce the teacher's history or conclusions.
An original rehearsal investigation
Choose one passage in which a practical problem leads to a change of approach. Make a note of the problem, the response and the author's reported outcome. Then identify a current question in your own work without claiming the two situations are equivalent. What would count as useful evidence that your next experiment helped?
Connections and distinctions
Read alongside the craft books when you want to connect terminology with its development. The diary gives personal context; the instructional volumes give the developed working directions. Preserve that difference when quoting or discussing either.
Instrumental work and acting craft
Instrumental work develops the actor’s expressive resources; craft applies those resources to the demands of a role. At JBAS, the six craft tools are Sensory Work, Improvisation, Archetype Work, Externals, Imaging and deep Script and Character Analysis, with voice supporting the work throughout. Morris’s work informs the distinction between instrument and craft. Roy Hart voice work and the Stones’ Psychology of Selves contribute further resources for vocal expression, awareness and imaginative exploration.
This is an original JBAS reading guide with an attributed overview and study questions. Read the complete book for the author's developed argument and exercise instructions.
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