The Suzuki Method of Actor Training:Uncovering the Body’s Hidden Theatrical Beauty

Marcos Martinez

The Suzuki Method of Actor Training:Uncovering the Body’s Hidden Theatrical Beauty

Marcos Martinez

This article speaks to the effectof the SuzukiMethod of Actor Training(SMAT)on the actor’s body as an element of an unseen,or acknowledged theatrical aesthetic.The thesis addresses a notion of the body as having an unseen theatrical beauty that can be recovered through Suzuki training.Actors trained in SMAT provide a clear,palpable and yetunrecognized aesthetic element to theatre performance.

Suzuki,actor training,energy,physical sensibilities,convergence,aesthetic influence,stillness,discernment,inner sensibility,visceral

Suzuki Tadashi’s method of training actors as part of a rehearsal,or a creative development process,comprises an important component for producing and creating dynamic theatre.The Suzuki Method of Actor Training(SuzukiMethod)was developed by Mr.Suzuki out of a desire to improve the quality of hiswork by being able to ask more from the actor.His desire to work with amore expressive actor deeply aware of his/her instrument led to producing hismethod of training actors.

The SuzukiMethod consists of a set of exercises,appropriately referred to as disciplines,thatwhen fully engaged by the actor,will develop his/her self-awareness.This training brings to bear an approach to creating theatre and performance that enhances the theatrical experience beyond current practice in the U.S.Far beyond an obviously enhanced level of energy,the advantage of this approach to theatre performance serves to elevate the actor’s level of performance by increasing the actor’s sensitivity to him/herself as well as other vital performance elements including voice,scenic presence,stamina,clarity and force.The ability to project energy while consciously maintaining stillness creates an enhanced awareness of the self as a locus for creative expression.This awareness,itself an expression of heightened sensory perception developed through the Suzuki Method training,amplifies a sensory capability,or value,which the audience experiences as stage presence.This sensory capability forms a vital element to propel the narrative and captivate the audience.Thus the disciplines of the Suzuki Method contribute sensory values to a performance that comprise basic elements of a clearmethodical approach for creating dynamic theatre.

Animal Energy and Non-animal Energy

Mr.Suzuki’s theatrical approach follows his assertion that the body is the primary vehicle of human culture,which he articulates in “Culture is the Body” (1984).One of the distinctions made by Mr.Suzuki in his article has to do with the distinction between animal energy and non-animal energy.Its implications these last several decades have been illuminating.In a world that has become increasingly mediated by television programming,computer technology and continually elaborated cellphone technology,the distinction between animal and non-animal energy has created new dilemmas about human cultural evolution and the place of the human body in this new cultural landscape.

The implications for the theatre in this technological revolution have certainly imposed,or mistakenly assumed,the desire for audiences to see more technology onstage.While the human body continues to be an object of admiration in cultural production,we have also seen its degradation in everyday life,most apparent through the growing presence of chronic obesity and its concomitant diseases.An obvious aspect of lifestyle choices that contribute to obesity has been the proliferation of the use of electronic media.These choices indicate a huge reliance and dependence upon non-animal energy for cultural interaction.This retreat away from physical activity reflects an attitude towards the body that,from a spectator’s perspective,has diminished the body’s significance in contemporary culture.

Our dependence upon non-animal energy formeaningful cultural reflection has contributed to an ever-widening gap between reality and illusion.The illusions of film combine inspiration and emotion in a festive deception about actual lived experience.While the deception of film is little more than our willing suspension of disbelief,its craft and the power of technological culture draw us in so thoroughly we may consequently feel cheated when attending a theatrical performance.We come to expectmore from the stage andmaybe expectmuchmore than we did before our technological seduction.

Due to society’s increasingly technological orientation,the actormust be prepared to compete with the illusions of technology in order for the stage to remain credible as a cultural vehicle.In today’s highly visual culture,“seeing is believing” has gained cultural penetration to the pointwhere seeing has become the sole criteria for believing.Essentially,the understandings we may have about culture are increasingly shaped and understood through visualmeans,whereas visceral “knowledge”and human energy play a very small role,if any.Beyond providing the content for whatwe watch,acting itselfmay seem inconsequential.However,what fails to be conveyed by these screens is the effect and power of human energy in a shared space.

Technological innovation has improved our lives and has to be congratulated for moving our culture forward through accelerated communication.However,the actual quality of that communication has received limited scrutiny.The development of continually refined products intended to improve communication has created the illusion thatwe have developed completely new ways of communicating.The quality of images,text and sound are dramatically superior to whatwe had even a decade ago,but the quality and depth of that communication has not become any greater.However,we are living with the false perception that because of improved signals and pictures our lives are now somehow superior in quality to what existed before these innovations.This intoxicating assumption,this illusion,has led to the implication that theatre as it exists is somehow lacking because it needsmore technological fanfare.And because we live in a period where live theatre has been eclipsed by the acceleration of technological innovation,an assumption follows that human communication somehow cannotmeet the expectations of this new age.

Yet,as beautiful and entrancing as electronic signals of sight and sound have become,they still cannot replace lived human experience.The primacy of amoment lived through the full engagement of the senses cannot be replaced.It can be imitated through partial sensory stimulation,but such imitations remain shallow or hollow,as all electronic communication continues to demonstrate in any number ofmisunderstandings generated by,or from,electronic communication.

Counteracting this Loss in Quality from M odern Technology

The use of the SuzukiMethod helps to define a clear vision of how the actor appears on stage,and develops this vision from within.The spiritual aspects of this work deal with building the will of the individual,a necessary and vital aspect of a working actor,for instance,in dealing with the constant presence of rejection.The Suzuki Method provides the actor with the ability to become much more interesting to watch onstage by virtue ofworking with his/her own energy in a focused,clear,and honest manner.

The disciplines in the Suzuki Method awaken within the actor deep inner physical sensibilities manifested as vibrant primal energy.The disciplines serve to clarify,focus and project that energy.Technically,the disciplines require the actor to find his/her corporeal center of gravity and maintain their center on the same horizontal plane while assessing and maintaining a consistent and high level of energy.For example,in the Stomping exercise,the actor is required to push the envelope of self-control but to not lose control of the body within the movement.Confronting an imaginary obstacle helps in developing the ability to project energy.

The disciplines are designed to exhaust the body,and in so doing puncture the social mask to bring outmore essential aspects of the person.The disciplines systematize the practice of overcoming internal barrierswithin oneself;this action establishes a new more actively engaged presence within the actor.This aspect of self-discovery systematized within the disciplines of the SuzukiMethod contributes towards the recognition,ifnotdevelopment,of greater internal sensory capabilities.In otherwords,if you discover hidden parts of yourself in the course of consciously developing your body for the stage,that growth increases your stamina,force,clarity,and sharpens discernmentboth in rehearsal and on stage.

As an aggregate experience,these factors converge to increase the propensity within the actor to go further with his/her choices.And as the actor’s instrument becomes more developed,an increased dimension to all the actor’swork becomesmanifest.An actor,in possession of greater clarity,force and dimension,brings to any given play an enhanced sensory capability,or value.The actor trained via the SuzukiMethod develops and hones that sensory capability which becomes a value(in both the actor and the play)through vigorous physical work and critical reflection.Because these sensibilities result from the SuzukiMethod,their convergence with a given play assert the presence of a new aspectwithin both the actor’s performance and consequently the play itself.It’s clear that this new performative aspect in the play resulting from the Suzuki Method brings out a hidden theatrical beauty in a piece because innate and dormant qualities in the actor are revealed and experienced by the audience as an energized yet contained stage presence.

The “M oment”

In other words,the training inclines an actor to bring greater insight to the play,the character,the scene and themoment.Additionally,because all of the disciplines within the training require the actor to commit his/her weight fully in each moment,this simple action develops a conscious readiness and influences the actor’s ability to more fully commit in the moment.Indeed,it trains any individual to commitmore fully in themoment,an act and sensibility vital to acting and to the act of being seen in general.Because the actor comes to expect much more from his/herself in each stage moment,that conscious and critical engagement becomes a vital factor in the partnership process of creation and/or the interpretation of the play.

The Common(M is)Understanding of the SuzukiM ethod

The understanding of the Suzuki Method in both amateur and professional circles sometimes resembles that of the spectator with limited understanding of acting.When Ihave presented workshops,or when someonemight happen to see the training as a part of our rehearsal process,there has been a common remark to the effect,“When are we going to see this Suzuki acting?” My polite response invariably advises,“You have to wait to see the performance.” The cultural assumptions inherent in this sort of interaction reflect divergence in thought that,at the least,circumscribe theatre within a cultural environment dominated by electronic visualmedia.Given the landscape of opinion surroundingmovies and television,it’s clear thatwriters,directors and performers don’t always have the last word on the value or currency of the products they initiate and create.The process of acting itself seems to have the most value and currency during the marketing of a movie when famous actors appear on talk shows describingmoments during theirmaking of themovie.In this environment it becomes evident how the idea of a need for actor preparationmight bemisunderstood in American culture.

The concurrent aesthetic embedded in the SuzukiMethod,which constitutes a dynamic approach to theatre,might seem for the casual or even professional observer a form of expression thatwords cannot wholly capture.However,the value of the Suzuki Method to a performance remains clear and unobstructed by text.The view that the Suzuki Method imbues a powerful aesthetic influence on a play exists contextually and works in tandem with other elements in the actual rehearsal period.The vitality of actors engaged in the Suzuki Method can enhance a director’s overall concept or aesthetic because they are simply more engaged in the portrayal of the action of the play.The entire reason for doing the disciplines is to provoke and engage the actor’s creative imagination through the visceral(i.e.,unspoken)use ofhis/her body.The disciplines are notsimply for the purpose of physical preparation but for creative preparation.And in thismanner it becomes evident how the SuzukiMethod forms an integral aspect for generating and helping to shape a theatre aesthetic.In the case of Mr.Suzuki’s own work it is his aesthetic,but the disciplines exist for anyonewilling to engage in their own process of creation.

Applications of the SuzukiM ethod

My own use of the SuzukiMethod has gone through a process of constant reevalu ation.Among the warm-ups,both physical and vocal,that I learned at Juilliard,the Suzuki Method was by far themost useful and the most adaptable to most situations in which I have worked.Since most ofmy directing work has been with college/university students and community groups,I found myself having to develop the actors as well as directing.At first,doing the Suzuki Method with novices required creating an agreement that if I directed,the Suzuki Method would be compulsory.Once these terms were established I could easily begin to see the difference in the quality of performance brought out in them by the SuzukiMethod,compared to their performance in other productions.Itwas clear that the Suzuki Method was responsible for positive transformational change with clear aesthetic differences becoming obvious during the rehearsal process.The most apparent and frequently observed element has been an appreciation for,and use of,stillness.Other aspects included increased focus during rehearsal,the facility tomake clearer acting choices,and amore critical perception of one’s own performance.As an actor during tours,this technique has been invaluable for providing transitional warm-ups to focus the mind and reenergize the body away from the streetand onto the stage.

The self-discovery I have experienced through the training has been a continually developing process.The refining of that process has to do with maturing and the fundamental changes that I have perceived in my body over time.Early on in training I remember Mr.Suzuki’s assertions about the basic stomping exercise(shakuhachi)serving as a litmus test for gauging one’s energy,concentration and use of center of gravity.This has held true for the past thirty years,as I have taught the Suzuki Method workshops in the U.S.and throughout the world.During this time I have witnessed remarkable growth among participants both as individuals and performers.Working with experienced professional actors doing the SuzukiMethod has also been transformational for them,especially the longer they had been away from any formal type of training.I found this to be true working with groups in Greece,Mexico,and Colombia.

A special experience in this regard occurred when I directed Federico Garcia Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba with the theatre group Grima in the Faeroe Islands,Denmark,in 1995.Grima’s artistic director at the time,Susana Torgard,commented,“Grima was revitalized by the Suzuki Method,it gave our members new energy.They were physically and vocally clearer and more confident”(Torgard).Her observation was corroborated by all the company and many audience members who followed theirwork.

In working across cultures in the U.S.Southwest and with Mexican-Americans,I have varied the established music for the disciplines and sometimes adapted the disciplines themselves in order to sharpen an actor’s responses to themoment and to the activity itself.I discovered interesting parallels in the process of bringing the Suzuki Method to this part of the world.For example,in “Culture is the Body”Mr.Suzuki insists that people of any race or ethnicity are able to do the training because it has to do with “the discovery of an inner physical sensibility or with recognition of an inner and profound memory innate to thehuman body” (32).And in the nextsentence he elaborates,“it is to dowith the ability to uncover this profound physical sensibility and to give it full play”(32).

“Aguantar” (the Virtue of Endurance)

As heirs to both Spanish Catholic and Native American traditions,mestizos(people ofmixed Native American and European ancestry)in the Southwest are heirs to cultural traditions that incorporate and combine the physically taxing activity of life in a harsh environmentwith spiritual growth.One common perception of the process for coping with physical pain is the concept of aguantar,a word meaning to endure,bear and sustain.Hardship becomes filtered through interplay of physical,spiritual,psychological and emotionalmeans that are geared towards achieving greater self-awareness and selfcontrol—not unlike that of a warrior.In one respect,this concept can be seen as a value or understanding of endurance expressed in the universal language of the body in a way that is parallel to the Suzuki Method.Indeed,my initial interaction with the Suzuki Method and the translation of this work into my own body came via the concept of aguantar.In a direct and formatted structure,the Suzuki Method of Actor Training provides a contemporary context in which to place the concept of aguantar.

The internal focus on the self within a structure of physically demanding work becomes a primary element for developing one’s inner life.Learning by observation and the ability to grow by accessing a profound inward focus are traits likely to be found in Latino actors in the Southwest.Additionally,the act of stomping itself certainly bears cultural resemblance to Native American dances such as the Deer Dance of Taos Pueblo or the Eagle Dance of the Hopi.The use of particular Native American music and the concept of aguantar validate in universal terms the relevance of Mr.Suzuki’s statement, “Whether in Europe or in Japan,stomping or beating the ground with the feet is a universal physical movement necessary for us to become highly conscious of our own body or to create a ‘fictional’ space,whichmight also be called a ritualistic space,where we can achieve a personal metamorphosis”(32).The many parallels one can find with what Latinos in the Southwestmight refer to as “l(fā)o indio,” or “what is Indian,”verifies the facility of transferring the relevance andmeaning of the SuzukiMethod to a local culture.

Cultural Adaptation

Conducting the SuzukiMethod workshopswithin this context,Ihave at times applied Latinomusic(merengue)to one of the basic disciplines as well as Native American flutemusic for tranquil sections in order to dispelmisguided judgment of the work as being either too Japanese or too foreign.Using suchmusical variations can provide new and familiar contexts for the SuzukiMethod.Itmoves the work out of Asia and onto this continent,the Americas.And in so doing,refocuses specific challenges actors need to address within a discipline.This refocusing places familiar local cultural rhythms from the popular imagination into a context with more definite,immediate meaning to the actors doing the discipline.Maybe this was already occurring formyself when I first heard Suzuki’s use of Cuban band leader Perez Prado’smusic in a training exercise years ago.

Developing imaginative associations between the training and performance through introducing familiar cultural references facilitates a process of discernment inherent in the SuzukiMethod,by which Imean an actor’s ability to assess discrete changes within her/himself that are physical,mental,or spiritual.The development of this sensibility contributes to an aesthetic result in the final stage product by enhancing the actor’s range of artistic choices brought to bear in the play.The disciplines of the SuzukiMethod encourage gravitation away from mechanized habits assumed to be “creative”that in fact often amount to nothingmore than routinized stage tricks.While a discerning sensibility can belong to all performers and emerges as the result of any focused human activity,the time needed to specifically cultivate that particular sensibility in actors remains limited.Consequently,a training technique that can efficiently develop a critical and discerning sensibility in actors within a relatively brief time becomes a valuable asset to actors and directors.

The discerning sensibility cultivated in actors by the SuzukiMethod comprises a critical component of amethodical approach for not only increasing an actor’s power but awakening individuals to an often dormant yet innate sense of beauty.To create a work of beauty on the stage requires a heightened physical sensibility on the part of the actors.Whether using the Suzuki Method or another way of creating art on stage,the actorsmust be in tune with the play and a single coherent vision.As objects within that stage beauty,they must themselves possess a clear and enhanced understanding of certain fundamental aspects of their bodies in performance.One expression of this enhanced understanding can be found in what Suzuki describes as an invisible phenomenon:

Themore we are able to fluidly expand the process of producing energy,taking in oxygen and maintaining balance with our center of gravity;the more variety of movement becomes available to us,which in turn increases the stability and sustainability of life.Essentially the same principle can be applied to acting on stage.Through disciplined,integrated development of these three parameters,the body gains strength and agility,the voice acquires range and capacity and an awareness of the “other” grows.Such work develops the expressive potency needed to transmit the actor’s point of view.It follows,then,that the core requirements for the art of acting lie in disciplines created to deepen an awareness of these three crucial,interrelated,invisible phenomena.(Suzuki2011)

The SuzukiM ethod and the Audience

Suzuki’s theory of acting in practice asserts a practical approach to theatre that can also be seen in terms of how work based in the Suzuki Method affects the audience.The strong emphasis on the body,along with the actor’s increased use and projection of energy towards the audience,results in an impact offering an experience far beyond whatmight otherwise be felt.That experience results from the performative aspect enhanced by the disciplines of the Suzuki Method.This performative aspect demands the actors engage the audience directly and unflinchingly.The highly codified movement in Suzuki’s productions requires the actor to engage the play at a deeply physical level.This attention to the physical aspect of performance insures that the audience will receive a consistent and unparalleled level of energy.Of course,this too can only be appreciated only in the moment of performance,but it has the ability to spawn future creative acts.My observation of the Suzuki Company of Toga’s production over the years has inspired my own use of the Suzuki Method to create work that audiences find compelling.

There are further dimensions to the SuzukiMethod,which has been described as:

a rigorous physical and vocal discipline designed to focus the perceptive abilities and powers of the human body.The training strives to restore the wholeness of the body as a tool of theatrical expression,while heightening the actor’s emotional and physical power and commitment to each moment on the stage.Attention is on the lower body and a vocabulary of footwork,sharpening the actor’s breath control and concentration.(SITI)

The focus on perceptive abilities,the wholeness of the body as a tool of theatrical expression,and sharpened concentration are inner sensibilities consistent with the notion of being seen for a creative purpose.These elements activate,specify,and assert the primacy of a hidden theatrical beauty in the body that can be harnessed for any theatrical process.

When the inner sensibilities set forth in the description above are observed in an actor onstage,they reveal the existence of “a fictional body/self” resulting from the Suzuki Method.By working to bring out the wholeness of the body as a tool of theatrical expression,the actor’s entire being undergoes a critical self-assessment via the disciplines.While beginning as a physical assessment of the basic skills of an actor,this assessment gradually encompasses artistic choices made,thereby revealing aspects of the creative life of the actor.The fiction revealed via the disciplines pertains to that hidden beauty covered by the weight,habits,and limiting perceptions dispelled in the course of consciously practicing the disciplines.Fundamentally,in its practice the Suzuki Method poses a question regarding which body/self is fictional;the one we live in or the onewe uncover?

A clear example of this transition can be seen within several disciplines in the training.For instance,both the sitting and standing statues disciplines require the actor to rapidly create a different statue each time they receive a cue and not repeatwhat they have done before.Cues are given rapidly and without time for the actor to think aboutwhat they will be creating in the next instant.This action allows for instinctive responses to trump conscious decisions and also foster self-awareness by helping reveal to actors their unconscious habits of expression.This discipline requires the actor to search within for new ways ofmoving and creating.

As a discipline intended to exhaust the body,the task,once initiated,calls upon the actor to summonmental,physical,and spiritual faculties in order to seek internal change through an imaginative encounter.This effort exemplifies Suzuki’s notion of the training as a search to find a “fictional ritualistic space［…］where we can achieve a personalmetamorphosis”(32).

Creating a fictional space that can also be called a ritualistic space in search of personal metamorphosis,has a definitively spiritual aspect in terms of engaging the will,which is our everyday reflection of the soul.This aspect of the training can inspire the actor to go further within and thereby launch a journey of faith inspiring a determination to domore and go further within.Spiritual aspects,though notwholly articulated in discussions of the SuzukiMethod,nevertheless form a central and vital aspect of the actor’s growth and development.Because the disciplines are demanding and seem impossible to accomplish,they require a great deal of faith and will:faith in oneself to try,fail,and then keep trying,and the will to persevere in knowing,or maybe not knowing,“how this work will benefitmy acting.”It has happened in workshops Ihave conducted where participants begin with great enthusiasm then quickly fall away simply because of a lack of will to try something difficult.On the other hand,participants with limited physical ability or strength have engaged the disciplines with ferociouswill and literally transform themselves as a result.

This experience has been repeated with participants in many cultural settings,and such transformations are most rewarding to witness.This power to bring about transformation and growth within a relatively short period of time might well be what accounts for the wide dissemination of the Suzuki Method in the global acting community.The Suzuki Method appears to be the only method specifically designed for training actorswith clear formats that actively identify and harness the spirit as an agent for development,growth,and creativity with the explicit purpose of developing an actor with evident stage presence.

When discussing the Suzuki Method as an approach for uncovering innate hidden beauty I often discover that students consider it solely as physical preparation for the stage with no awareness of the training as part of a creative process.When Iasked what our play would look like had we not done the training,they concede that it probably would have been different.When Iasked how itwould have been different,explanation faltered.While the Suzuki Method enhanced performance quality,the nature of that enhancement remained unclear to the actors.Before we spoke,their understanding constituted an unarticulated realization that itwas they,the actors,whomade it better because they weremore alive.Specifically,they were consciously aware of deeper elements of performance within themselves,which had been unsheathed and honed.Even without knowing what it was by name,they were clearly aware and felt the difference.They recognized the visceral(“animal”)energy,and that themysterious quality of the shift that had occurred was something that had definitely improved our play.Their instinctive recognition demonstrates that the use of the Suzuki Method enhanced the quality of the play and contributed substantially to its aesthetic value in terms of uncovering a hidden beauty.

Formats and Tools

Even allowing for factors such as talent and level of commitment,any actor who trains with this technique will bring greater presence to the “moment” onstage.Defined formats with defined tools(the disciplines)enable explicit and specific growth,and development of sensory capabilities that become added qualities in actors.These sensory capabilities become evident in the actor’s increased stage presence,and confirm the presence of a workingmethod founded on theoretical yet practical principles.Additionally,the qualities I have seen develop in actors who engage in the Suzuki Method have a deeper dimension reflecting itself in an increased range of acting choices and a disposition to avail oneselfwithmore energy and will.

With extraordinary stage presence,deeper meaning can be appreciated in the play because the texture of the energy and presence found in each moment tend to be of a higher quality.Tasked with conveying themeaning ofwords through the action of the body,actors trained in The Suzuki Method of Actor Training have the opportunity to give a more developed texture of energy and life resulting in increasingly compelling work with a clarity that radiates.

Living in a culture where technology and the market have sold happiness as an attainable and everlasting state of being leaves little room for uncomfortable feelings or pain.With the proliferation of ideas and products that offer happiness and beauty as something outside of ourselves,it’s clear thatwe have been steered away from seeing ourselves as possessing any innate or hidden beauty.

The Suzuki Method offers actors and directors an opportunity to deepen their work by engaging in a taxing and difficult practice that creates better actors.However,given some of our cultural values,it’s clear that physical work itself remains an obstacle.In the U.S.a traditional focus on the psychological aspects of acting over physical aspects of actor training continues to limit the full expression of actors.Clearly,beauty exists in every one of us.However,in a culture where physical discomfort tends to be shunned at all costs,it can hardly be expected that anyone would believe that a deeper hidden beauty within each one of us can possibly exist.Of course,it’s too late for deep skepticism as to whether the Suzuki Method can actually uncover the body hidden theatrical beauty.It’s already been done and while itmight be thought of as a new actor training technique which is clearly built upon ancient and sacred knowledge.

The great pillars of cultural and spiritual accomplishment in the world guide us towards cultivating a desire and ability to look inside of ourselves to grow and be better human beings,in this way the Suzuki Method does the same.This discussion on the Suzuki Method simply seeks to aprize the reader of one path specifically for the theatre and actors that can provide a powerful way for finding and tapping incredible power that existswithin each one of us thatbecomes beauty.

The question remains:do you have the courage to go rooting around for it?

W orks Cited

SITICompany.Workshop flier.SITI,2010.

Suzuki,Tadashi.“Culture is the Body! ”Performing Arts Journal 8.2(1984):28-35.

—. “A Fundamental Technique and Theory of Acting.” Suzuki’s Philosophy of Theatre.scot-suzukicompany.com.SCOT,n.d.Web.26 February 2011.

Torgard,Susana.Personal Interview.26 Feb.2011.

標題：鈴木演員訓練法——揭示身體潛藏的戲劇美

本文探討鈴木演員訓練法對演員身體這一不可見的戲劇美學要素所發(fā)生的影響作用。該理論認為身體具有一種不可見的戲劇美，這種美可通過鈴木訓練法得以挖掘。受過此種訓練的演員為表演提供清晰可感卻不易辨識的美學元素。

鈴木 演員訓練 能量 身體感知 會聚 美學影響 靜態(tài) 識別力 內在感知 源自內部

馬科斯·馬丁內斯，加利福尼亞州立大學藝術學院戲劇學教授，兼任導演和演員,撰寫過多篇文章,創(chuàng)作過多幕劇和獨角戲。他曾在日本利賀村師從鈴木忠志，自1991年起開始教授鈴木訓練法。他曾在美國德克薩斯州瓜達盧佩文化藝術中心、新墨西哥州陶斯縣、墨西哥州立大學、丹麥法羅群島、加納國家大劇院、以色列、以及波黑莫斯塔爾青年劇院采用鈴木訓練法執(zhí)導過劇作；他與路易斯·瓦爾德茲合作的《強盜》，以及在美國、荷蘭和丹麥巡演過的《圣土》中也采用了鈴木訓練法進行表演。馬丁內斯還是阿爾布開克拉孔帕尼亞劇院的創(chuàng)始人之一、劇院的前藝術指導（1988-91）。他畢業(yè)于新墨西哥大學，并參與了朱麗亞德學院的專業(yè)演員培訓課程（第12期）。

Author：Marcos Martínez is Professor of Theatre in the School of Arts,California State University,San Marcos.He is a director and actor whose writing includes articles,plays,and monologues.A teacher of the Suzuki Method of Actor Training since 1991,he studied with Tadashi Suzuki in Toga Mura,Japan.Directing projects in conjunction with the SuzukiMethod include:Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center,TX;Taos,NM;Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México;Faeroe Islands,Denmark;National Theatre Ghana;Israel;and Mostar Youth Theatre,Bosnia-Hercegovinia.Acting projects include Bandido with Luis Valdez and touring Holy Dirt in the U.S.,Holland,and Denmark.A cofounder and former Artistic Director of La Compa?ía de Teatro de Alburquerque(1988-91)Martínez is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and the Juilliard School’s Professional Actor Training Program(Group 12).