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Zero Zone Praxis.
Tamur Tohver’s presentation at International Federation for Theatre Research yearly
conference the 16-17. of July 2021, Galway.
Abstract
This presentation suggests that fear holds us back in our creative solutions more than we
believe. What could be the manifestations of it (like stage fright) in an actor-director dyad
and how to overcome it? How to elevate the performing craft to a level where the
performance can be performed as a spiritual practice, which reaches higher consciousness
levels by engaging the spectator in more profound imagination levels, where dualities
disappear?
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The current submission resonates with recent writings about self-cultivation practices in
performing arts and executive coaching.
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Zero Zone praxis (henceforth ZZ), my new
development, could increase the performer's quality of craft, but also life. ZZ unique practice
is designed to improve the actor's ability to avoid the detrimental effects of stage fright via
enhancing the exchange between actor and director in the creative process. It includes
external and internal psychosomatic actor training (message-delivering, perceptual focus
guiding, concentration, increasing willpower) and intellectual knowledge of consciousness
(the dynamics of performing flow, the Reduction method) from Yoga philosophy, designed
according to Abhyasa and Vairagya principles.
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By giving the actor-director dyad a specially
designed ZZ praxis as a tool, a platform can be created that simultaneously achieves a range
of goals: releasing blockages, alleviating fears, achieving optimal co-operation between both
parties, and cultivating the ability to develop higher artistic freedom in the sense of liberation.
The ZZ praxis could be one of the steps to refreshing Performing Arts and restoring its
critical value: purification.
1
See Singh, 2020; Wallis, 2013; Bryant, 2011; Meyer-Dinkgräfe, 2005.
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See Thomson and Jaque, 2020 and 2017; Jodry and Reid, 2020; Allen and Fry, 2019; Bonfitto, 2019; Zarrilli,
Daboo and Loukes, 2013.
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Abhyasa means continuing effort to attain and maintain one’s physical, mental and spiritual tranquillity:
practice. Vairagya means letting go of materialistic attachments, fear, paranoia, ego, a false sense of superiority
or inferiority, and things beyond human control.
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Preview
Before the introduction of ZZ praxis, I will concentrate on two important moments.
• What are the manifestations and roots of stage fright in an actor-director dyad?
• And how to elevate the performing craft to non-dualism, to internal ceremony?
To get the essence of Zero Zone Praxis and understand the necessity of it, I invite you to
follow my thoughts. Zero Zone praxis challenges productivity and efficiency as the hallmarks
of success of contemporary Performing Arts. I suggest that in everyday reality, to survive
under the pressure of the industry, one needs not to desire but to detach oneself from the
achievement. And this – as strange as it sounds – brings the desired result: performing
becomes a ceremony of communion, as a result of spiritual practice, and the performing craft
will be enhanced.
I am introducing here today both a critical review of findings of other scholars’ and my own
personal experience of 40 years in performing arts, self-cultivation coaching and yoga, so
please let me expand the situation from the director’s point of view and then, from the
observer’s – from the spiritual approach with the self-cultivation angle – how and why I
created the Zero Zone praxis.
The work of Meyer-Dinkgräfe confirms that the performance can reach higher states of
consciousness and engage the spectator in more profound levels of imagination, where
dualities disappear.
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I suggest that as the spectator receives their experiences organically via
the performer, the performer’s absorption into the character should be almost absolute to
secure the performing flow. But unfortunately, this is a pretty rare phenomenon. And the
reason for this is fear, which disturbs the absorption.
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Meyer-Dinkgräfe, 2005.
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Landscape
There is evidence that fear plays a crucial role in the performing arts.
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Fear is the dominant
component of stage fright, which leads to low creative potential and can significantly
overshadow the relationship between the actor and the director.
While Gabbard (1979) indicates that stage fright is an intangible sense of communion
between the performer and the audience; his fundamental conclusion that stage fright is
mostly a fear of 'not being enough' gives one of the most substantial reasons for stage fright,
hesitations and conflict in the actor-director dyad.
Renowned directors Mitchell (2009) and Caird (2010) confirm that there are conflicting
motives between the actor and the director, and these could be generated by the ego – pursuit
of status or fear of failure. I add that if directors are afraid that they will not achieve their
goals, they will oppress actors. This provokes a protective response, and from this
confrontation, conflict can arise, as both the actor and the director are affected by ego-caused
stage fright during the rehearsing process
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and creativity will be blocked instead of producing
encouraging excitement.
Nevertheless, for today, most writings describe stage fright as an inevitable effect connected
to performing, which is considered an individual problem of the performer rather than a
consequence of and a common obstacle in rehearsing and devising. Additionally, the writings
separate the director from the cast – intentionally or accidentally? Furthermore, fear is still
recognised as an encouraging element in performing arts. Actually, we can distinguish two
opposite phenomena arising from the same source caused by facing an unpredictable future:
anxiety and excitement. Excitement could be encouraging; anxiety leads to mental disorders.
Beside if the actor-director relationship remains hierarchical, fear can be paralysing and
destructive, promoting stage fright. However, today evidence of a new paradigm has
appeared. The younger generation does not consider the authoritarian relationship normal;
that is, fear is no longer considered encouraging, but repressive. In recent correspondence
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See Brennan, 2020; Arias, 2019; Robb, Due and Venning, 2018; Thomson and Jaque, 2017; Merlin, 2016;
Maxwell, Seton & Szabo, 2015; Seton, 2010; Konjin, 2000.
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Fear appears regarding personal hesitations about their ability to complete the production at all (Brennan,
2020; Mitchell, 2009)
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(February-March 2021) inside the International Platform of Performers Training group,
scholar-practitioners raised the problem of how to transcend authoritarian attitudes in
teaching and practice within the performing arts, as there is still a dominant ‘guru-centred'
approach. They reported the same issues as pointed out in my study, highlighting that such a
relationship could develop even further to be experienced as oppressive and sexually
harassing. Also, my international practice in Scandinavia, the rest of Europe and India,
confirms the same.
Obstacles
Now I would like to bring out some main reasons why we still experience fear.
o First, our professional attitude: desire for the achievement, not for the service. I’m
not talking about religious service; I’m talking about commitment, devotion.
And this is a question of approach.
o Secondly, today, we still perceive a hierarchical relationship in the rehearsal room
due to our old-fashioned thinking: fear is an encouraging element, and the director
is an employer.
o For third- as practitioners, we are aware of higher consciousness and real
presence- demand for this in our craft, but we are still not using it with full
capacity. We still have our personal hesitations, preferences and confusions. Are
we frightened about change in consciousness, or do we hesitate that we'll never
reach it?
o Next- the pressure from the industry, which I mentioned in the beginning – am I
good enough to fulfil the demands of competition?
o And finally, Western culture denies the miracle, we still stuck in rational thinking
– but this is impossible in theatre. This means that we do not believe in our craft.
So, I will continue on how to elevate the performing craft to non-dualism.
I argue that to reach this level, one has to revitalize one’s craft by enhancing themselves, as in
Performing Arts; we are the tools. Executive Coaching suggests self-development could be a
spiritual journey, which leads to a more profound sense of purpose, connection and
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transcendence (Allen and Fry, 2019)
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That means, self-cultivation upgrades our tools by
giving us the resources beyond our craft.
But let us have a closer look into the craft itself. Stanislavski's system of actor training uses
principles of 'reincarnation' to become a believable character (Jodry and Reid, 2020). In this
character-embodying process, the actor's consciousness is split between the daily experience
of body and self (Gordon, 2009), which in turn is divided between a focus (the character) and
neurotic thoughts (oneself).
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As the rehearsing and performing situations are deeply
complicated because of several objects of attention, I suggest that stage fright is not a
constant or expected negative state of mind at the time of performing but rather a result of
the preparation process.
If the practitioners cannot guide their attention and regulate their personal emotions, they will
be continuously scattered. These processes occur automatically and can be stopped only by
prior training, focusing on changing somatic reactions.
Therefore, the cultivation of both the actor's and the director's characteristics and perceptual
tools seems to be needed. According to scholar-practitioner Bonfitto (2019), self-cultivation
is achieved via practices involving processes of strengthening perceptual attention (familiar
to the actor) and ethics, leading to a personal transformation and bringing suspension of
judgment.
Ceremony
The evidence supports the usefulness of the Yogic principle
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of Vairagya, which helps to
reduce the ego and increase self-confidence via awareness of oneself by purifying and
expanding consciousness (Wallis, 2013). Thomson’s and Jaque's (2020) investigations
demonstrated that if the absorption is sufficient, self-consciousness diminishes and, by this,
also alleviates creative anxiety. This allows the performer to release excessive mental control
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A conversion from a false self (trapped in fear, greed, resentment and a distortion of reality) to an authentic
Self (steeped in forgiveness, acceptance, gratitude, compassion and integrity) can potentially take place (Fry and
Nisiewicz, 2013; Delbecq, 2010; Kriger and Seng, 2005). The leader becomes selfless and orientated to serving
others, focusing on only doing and seeing a united goal within a greater moral perspective.
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See also Jordy and Reid (2020), Thomson and Jaques (2017) and Zaporah (1995). ZZ problematising the
Western Cartesian 'mind/body split'.
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The psycho-somatic-spiritual approach of Yoga has been found helpful in managing stress-related problems as
early as the 1970s (Vahia, 1972; Jang, 1975; Sethi, 1981; Sharma and Agnihotri 1982; Jangid 1988; Nagendra,
1993; Bhushan, 1998; Suryamani, 1990).
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to enter a higher state of performing flow (Zarrilli, 2013). At this time one experiences the
autotelic transformation of time and creativity oves beyond the personal.
Zarrilli’s indication that actors can reach compelling levels of acting because of the intensely
concentrated process of training, performing and living
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could be understood as suggesting
that actors should have a regular practice that expands their experience of different qualities
of consciousness in a performing flow.
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This insight could carry them above the
manifestations of stage fright (Brennan, 2020).
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I suggest we have not to discover something extraordinarily new but investigate and
revitalize the good old techniques in a more profound way. Tcherkasski proved that more
than 40% of the exercises in Stanislavski's system originate from various elements of Raja
Yoga
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as there is much that is common to the patterns of the actor’s mind in Stanislavskian-
inflected character work and yogic self-cultivation techniques. As Stanislavski himself was
affected by tremendous stage fright
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, he presumably established a method which is
alleviating the performers’ fright by transforming acting from presenting to being and gave
way to a considerable change in the performing arts toward our innate nature. That is also
why you experience fear if you are lying or pretending- you are separated from truth. And
this brings us back to the aim of theatre: a ceremonial reunion, appeal, application – not just
entertainment. Attention, Flexibility, Shifting Point, the importance of daily practice. This all
comes from ancient knowledge – Abhyasa and Vairagya. My recent case studies with
practising Zero Zone Praxis (from March 2020 to July this year) confirmed that the first
positive change in practitioners mind patterns takes place already within 30 days.
But what if this splitting in the actor's consciousness is understood as a productive skill, as a
shifting point, rather than a destructive disorder?
10
Zarrilli, Daboo and Loukes, 2013.
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Su (2018) believes that embodied practices-becoming-technologies help actors (re)fashion themselves and
attain altered states of consciousness. About altered states of consciousness at the time of acting, see Meyer-
Dinkgräfe, 2005.
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ZZ establishes an environment, which supports releasing primary affections of human nature. These central
affections are produced by ego: to find out (need for control, to feel secure), to be somebody (heightened self-
worth) and to be happy (combination of the previous two). All three are dependent on other individuals, beyond
one’s control. See also the essence of Vairagya, and Meyer-Dinkgräfe, 2005.
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Examples include the relaxation of muscles (muscular release), the emission and reception of ‘rays’, the
beaming of auras, the sending of prana, attention, visualisations (mental images) (Tcherkasski, 2016).
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Merlin, 2016; Wegner, 1976.
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We do not need external procedures to commit a performance as a ceremony. Attending a
higher level of consciousness secures the permanent flow via complete absorption. This will
carry the performer with the audience to non-duality, to a higher sensibility level, where there
are no blockages for receiving the message. We only have to follow the principles of
Vairagya, which means letting go of materialistic attachments, fear, paranoia, ego, a false
sense of superiority or inferiority, and things beyond human control. This is this shifting
point, what is most difficult to do, especially at the time of the performance. How to execute
this shifting and alleviate fear will be explained via some practical examples of techniques, so
please join me later.
(Now, while I’ll continue with the last paragraph, I invite you to do something practical with
me, if you like, of course. I will hold the slides and you … please close your eyes. And find a
dot in between your eyebrows, as is shown on the picture -in the middle of your forehead,
above the nose root, you can touch it if needed, for a moment, to locate the spot better. And,
now please, turn your sight under the closed eyelids, to this point. This means, eyeballs are
turning a bit upside and cross, toward this point. Please concentrate on my voice and keep
your sight there.)
Conclusions
Before the artisanal craft can be upgraded, personality should be improved. In terms of an
effective technique to alleviate anxiety and enhance the actor-director dyad, emotion-guiding
will be needed. If the director maintains a coaching flow by practising ZZ praxis throughout
the rehearsal period, the exchange in the process will be upgraded and achieves a range of
goals by creating the ability to develop higher artistic freedom in the sense of absorption and
liberation. By cultivating themselves in a horizontal relationship, the actor and the director
enter an intimate level of practice, both in ethics and craft. Individuals, involved in such
practices achieve a highly subtle level of connection and perception.
(And thank you, you can open your eyes now, slowly, or if you like, keep them still closed…)
Zero Zone Praxis offers a methodological approach for the director, guiding them to enable
actors to improve their performance and explains the dynamics of performing flow and
detachment. It includes external and internal psychosomatic actor training (message-
delivering, perceptual focus guiding, concentration, increasing willpower, commitment, trust
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and confidence) and intellectual knowledge and techniques for consciousness, designed
according to Abhyasa and Vairagya principles.