APPROACH | despoinasidiropoulou

.. THE APPROACH

When the word (logos) meets the body (pathos) and they become one, then the actor emerges on stage as a whole being, reflecting on the audience the experience of bliss and remembrance of who we truly are.

THE PURPOSE

The question that motivates her artistic work is who we truly are. we. humans.

For Despoina theatre is the art that includes all arts bringing the hero’s journey – the story of humans on stage in the eternal time of now.

She produces pieces of theatre with the purpose of rediscovering our core, our true origin, penetrating the depths of our existence and bringing truth on stage.

THE APPROACH

a lesson on presence

A long-standing commitment to go deep on understanding the concepts of myths and archetypes, as well as their connection to rituals, philosophies and beliefs of ancient cultures, and their impact on individuals and societies, inspires her to embrace those research fields in her work as a director, dramaturg and teacher. Dedicated to this commitment she has also been trained in Core Energetics, a body and energy oriented psychotherapy system; this has provided her with tools and skills to further develop her work with the archetypes in our emotional body, by approaching our many inner selves as “a cast of characters” within us, each with their images, attitudes and feelings, and extracting material for all roles acting and interpretation. Her research is far from merely academic and theoretical – Core Energetics is organically applied in her work through carefully designed methodologies and techniques that serve an essential objective in her theatre making: the actor in presence.

Her work supports the process of awakening an inner life in both mind and body in order for the actor's emotional and intuitive self to be alive. To prepare them to be aware of each moment, to find a deeper connection with their breath, to have the strength to proceed without knowing the end; by inspiring to them responsiveness and presence. They need to find their own voice and the courage to have enough faith in their talents and creativity that allows to evoke something of the "greater" for the rest of us.

The actor needs to have all the possibilities of human character in availability, starting with their own.

The approach involves practices and techniques of grounding, release, movement, improvisation, observation, activation of the senses, breath work, voice work, playfulness, the power of intention.

WHY THE EMOTIONAL BODY

Emotions are mirroring one’s soul. We all have them inside us archetypically and they unify us with the soul of cosmos. Art since ancient years depicts emotions.

Through this work the actor has access to a greater range of emotions and they don’t get stuck in any of them. As energy moves through the body, it opens the energy centres including the heart, which we believed (all humans) we needed to protect. When energy flows freely in and through the body, the actor becomes more grounded and present. They become to trust themselves in their grounded sense of self. This in turn creates connection, deepens intimacy with others and enriches the quality of their contact.

The actor becomes the musician and the instrument both in the same body. As an instrument the aim is to be able to experience the full scale of emotional states from the lowest to the highest. As a musician, they learn to determine their personal moods and follow the "notes" of the play.

The emotions, by the very nature of this art, must be seen in public.