Students will investigate the body as a vehicle for deep transformation, a container of emotional experience, and an elegant tool in articulation. First semester, we will employ physical training practices based on the work of Jerzy Grotowski to engage, awaken and enliven the body of the actor and bring intelligence and refinement to its expression. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the mind/body/heart connection in their acting work, will discover new realms of physical expression, and will be able to more fully utilize the body in performance. The physical training will also be applied to scene-work, providing the students an opportunity to witness growth in their acting work as gained through the physical training, as well as integrating the body more deeply into their acting. Brief readings will be assigned and students should come to class prepared to move in comfortable clothing. We will investigate and explore Mary Overlie’s Viewpoints training to further articulate the body in performance, and will likewise apply this work to text and scene work.