Publisher Theatre Academy

Action reconsidered: cognitive Aspects of the relAtion between text And scenic Action. Contemporary cognitive science challenges the idea of the human brain as a kind of computer. Instead, the importance of the body for our way to understand and interact with the world has come into focus. Theories about the ”situated ” and ”embodied ” character of human cognition have implied that notions like action, consciousness, and intersubjectivity have gained renewed scientific interest. On the other hand, these elements have always retained crucial importance in theatre practice, not least in the actor’s process from the written text to action on stage. In the dissertation I apply theories from modern cognitive science to this process, such as this has been described by practioners in the theatre. My conclusion is that there are important coincidences between findings in modern cognitive science and basic insights in the practice of theatre. I start by indicating how the way in which the actor intentionally relates to the character’