Constantine Stanislavsky referred to the place in which actors rehearsed and created as The Circle of Concentration. He understood that if an actor is relaxed enough to think, he will have natural behavior. With natural behavior, you can perform an action. If you can do and think, you can have creative, intelligent, unique movement. As you live in a creative atmosphere, you will feel permission to allow thoughts to come up that might otherwise be unacceptable. Your colleagues will be open to those ideas and thoughts because this circle of creative concentration is a place where one seeks to have originality and explore.
That is why the rehearsal is a place where you deal with both the known and the unknown. You aren’t punished for not defending an answer or being accountable for an idea or concept. You’re usually encouraged to go further into that idea or concept so we will all be able to see what exists on the other side, because if it turns out to be the right direction it will help the rehearsal process. Rehearsal is the time we investigate, involve ourselves in moments, and struggle to find the essence of what is right for our performance or our job.
Successful leaders encourage their workers to speak up and utilize their experiences and insights with the goal of contributing something positive to solve a problem or create something new. The director is the quintessential guide in the process of creative encouragement. By providing individuals with a secure, relaxed surrounding, they feel centered, breathe deeply, and are able to think. The teacher or director can then start the rehearsal process.
Now that we’ve talked about the Circle of Concentration and exploring the unknown, discover how action helps us overcome fear and self-doubt in our next post.
