A practical workbook of exercises derived from the work of Zbigniew Cynkutis, 1984-1986

Author

Elizabeth Craven

Date of Award

5-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major Professor

Thomas P. Cooke

Committee Members

Albert Harris, L. J. De Cuir

Abstract

This thesis is a documentation and interpretation of the training methods of the late master acting teacher, Zbigniew Cynkutis. The paper is divided into three sections which explicate Cynkutis' teaching: his methods, philosophies and the warm-up exercises; a detailed description and discussion of the tools which comprise his actor training; and a description of the application of his methods to the rehearsal process of One Turn of the Wheel, a play developed with Cynkutis in Poland in 1986. Most of the thesis constitutes a workbook of exercises. The exercises are written in the Voice Of Instructor,/i>, as if spoken to an actor in a workshop. These direct instructions are interspersed with explanations which further identify the purpose of each exercise and how it fits into Cynkutis' overall view of theatre.