Directing Actors with Psychodrama

Taking into account the actor, psychodrama and Brazilian cinema.

By Dara Oliver

As you can see, I haven't decided whether this is a text, an e-book, or a book.

Because of my ADHD, I'll probably refer to this text as both a book and an e-book.

Bear with me.

Preface

I am Dara Oliver Andia, a Brazilian filmmaker and screenwriter. Since childhood, whenever someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would answer without hesitation: “I want to be a director.” I grew up, I studied, I lived many stories, and I still give the same answer. Because being a director was not merely a career choice, but a way of being in the world.

Along my journey, I have had the opportunity to direct short films such as Tinto and 1.5, as well as the documentary Piracicaba Never Forgot. Each of these works was more than a professional exercise: it was a rediscovery of myself. For in cinema, we do not merely tell stories; we also place ourselves within them. Every little piece of me finds its way onto the screen.

My degree in Cinema and Audiovisual Studies from the State University of Paraná, and now my Master’s in Film at Queen’s University Belfast, are joined by a wide range of experiences: assistant directing, editing, research in audiovisual preservation, cultural production. Yet what weaves all of this together is not a CV: it is a commitment to what one truly feels.

This text arises precisely from that commitment. It is the outcome of years spent studying methods, experiencing Brazilian cinema with its challenges and potential, and discovering in psychodrama a powerful tool to awaken truth on screen. For me, directing actors is more than coordinating movements or lines; it is about creating a space of encounter, where life and art intertwine.

Whether you are an actor, a director, a student, or simply curious, my invitation is to allow yourself to dive into this dialogue between Stanislavski, Brazilian cinema, and psychodrama. Three different paths which, together, point towards the same horizon: the scene as a place of authenticity, collectivity, and transformation.

Because, after all, I chose a profession that demands one to overflow, and to overflow greatly. And that is what I hope this book awakens in you: the desire to live, to feel, and to create with truth.

Summary

Introduction – The Meeting of Three Paths

Stanislavski: inner truth

Brazilian Cinema: identity and resistance

Psychodrama: action and transformation

The dialogue between art, politics, and therapy

Chapter 1 – Truth on Stage

1.1 Stanislavski: living the role

1.2 Brazilian cinema: portraying the real country

1.3 Psychodrama: subjective truth

1.4 The connection between the three

1.5 Practical example for directing actors

1.6 Chapter conclusion

Chapter 2 – Memory as Raw Material

2.1 Stanislavski: emotional memory

2.2 Brazilian cinema: collective memory

2.3 Psychodrama: living memory and re-signification

2.4 The connection between the three

2.5 Practical example for directing actors

2.6 Chapter conclusion

Chapter 3 – Action as Transformation

3.1 Stanislavski: physical and psychological action

3.2 Brazilian cinema: action as everyday life

3.3 Psychodrama: action as healing

3.4 The connection between the three

3.5 Practical example for directing actors

3.6 Chapter conclusion

Chapter 4 – Imagination and Improvisation

4.1 Stanislavski: the “magic if”

4.2 Brazilian cinema: creativity within scarcity

4.3 Psychodrama: creative spontaneity

4.4 The connection between the three

4.5 Practical example for directing actors

4.6 Chapter conclusion

Chapter 5 – Collectivity on Stage

5.1 Stanislavski: communion on stage

5.2 Brazilian cinema: collaboration and resistance

5.3 Psychodrama: the group as protagonist

5.4 The connection between the three

5.5 Practical example for directing actors

5.6 Chapter conclusion

Chapter 6 – Ethics, Discipline and Commitment

6.1 Stanislavski: discipline as the foundation of art

6.2 Brazilian cinema: political and social commitment

6.3 Psychodrama: the ethics of care

6.4 The connection between the three

6.5 Practical example for directing actors

6.6 Chapter conclusion

Conclusion – The Scene as a Space of Transformation

Truth as the essence of the scene

Memory as raw material

Action as the driving force of transformationImagination as the invention of worlds

Collectivity as a creative force

Ethics as the foundation of freedom

The scene as a laboratory of life, a collective mirror, and a space of healing

Introduction – The Meeting of Three Paths

The act of directing actors has never been merely technical. It involves body, emotion, memory, politics, culture, ethics and, above all, human relationships. Each scene is the product of an encounter between performer and character, between work and audience, between individual and society.

This text arises precisely from the conviction that directing actors must be understood as an integral process that goes beyond the execution of lines and gestures, and becomes a path of truth, creation and transformation. To this end, I propose here a dialogue between three fundamental frameworks: Stanislavski, Brazilian Cinema, and Psychodrama.

Konstantin Stanislavski revolutionised theatre by asserting that the actor should not merely pretend, but live the experience of the role. His method, based on emotional memory, physical action, and discipline, became a solid foundation for actor training across the world. With him, we learn that acting is not a mask, but a plunge into oneself in search of inner truth.

Brazilian cinema, in turn, teaches us that there is no scene without social context. From its earliest productions to Cinema Novo, the country sought to represent its reality, exposing inequalities and inventing its own languages in the face of scarce resources. Glauber Rocha used to say: “a camera in the hand and an idea in the head.” This phrase synthesises the creative force of a cinema that transformed scarcity into aesthetic power, and that turned the screen into a critical mirror of society. In the same way, directing actors in Brazil means working with stories that are not only individual, but collective, marked by memory, struggle, and resistance.

Created by Jacob Levy Moreno, psychodrama stems from a simple yet revolutionary idea: the human being can transform themselves by acting out their own life. By dramatising past experiences, desires, or conflicts, the individual discovers new ways of acting and relating. The psychodramatic stage is at once a space of art, therapy, and experimentation. This approach shows us that the scene is not merely representation: it is lived experience, which touches and transforms both those who act and those who watch.

A possible dialogue

When we bring these three paths together, a fertile horizon for directing actors emerges: From Stanislavski, we inherit inner truth. From Brazilian cinema, historical and social truth. From psychodrama, subjective and transformative truth. These truths do not compete: they complement one another. The actor, by drawing upon personal memory (Stanislavski), connects with collective memory (Brazilian cinema) and, in the process, transforms their very existence (psychodrama).

Why this text now?

We live in a time of intense change, in which art is called upon to be more than entertainment. Cinema must reinvent itself, engaging with new platforms without losing its depth. Theatre and performance seek to reconnect with audiences amidst the dispersions of digital life. The individual, fragmented by social and emotional crises, needs spaces for healing, encounter, and creation.

Directing actors with psychodrama is a response to these challenges: it offers authenticity amidst the superficiality of images. It fosters collectivity amidst isolation. It inspires transformation amidst stagnation.

An invitation to the reader

This book is not a closed manual, but an invitation to experiment. Each chapter presents concepts, connections, and practical examples that may be adapted to the reality of each group, film, or rehearsal.

The reader, whether director, actor, student, or curious observer, will find here a map that does not point to a single path, but opens three trails that intersect: the discipline of Stanislavski, the boldness of Brazilian cinema, and the vitality of psychodrama.

For directing actors is, at its core, directing encounters. And every true encounter holds the power of art, of memory, and of healing.

Thus this e-book opens: as a space for dialogue, learning, and inspiration, where the scene ceases to be mere representation and reveals itself as a living territory of transformation.

Chapter 1 – Truth on Stage

One of the central concepts in an actor’s training is truth. Not rational, documentary or scientific truth, but the emotional, aesthetic and human truth that manifests itself in performance. Stanislavski, Brazilian cinema, and psychodrama all converge on this same point: without truth, there is no transformation, neither for the artist nor for the audience.

The pursuit of truth in art is the idea that acting does not rest upon facts or logical information, but upon something deeper and more genuine. It concerns the actor’s capacity to connect with emotions, feelings, and human experiences in order to create an authentic and impactful performance.

For the actor, truth does not lie in memorising lines or imitating gestures. Instead, it is emotional truth, the ability to access genuine feelings and to live the character’s situation, even if the circumstances are fictional. When an actor discovers this inner truth, performance becomes organic, spontaneous, and convincing. Without such authenticity, acting may appear artificial, mechanical, or forced, preventing any true connection with the audience.

1.1 Stanislavski: Living the Role

In An Actor Prepares, Stanislavski warns that acting cannot be reduced to imitation or technical artifice. The true work of the actor is to live the role, to experience in body and soul what the character undergoes. This demands discipline, presence, and surrender. The spectator perceives the difference between an actor who is “pretending” and one who is truly inhabiting an experience.

For Stanislavski, the stage is a laboratory of inner truth.

Konstantin Stanislavski, one of the greatest theorists of acting, devoted his life to teaching actors how to find this truth. His system, which influenced much of modern theatre and cinema, sought organic and realistic performance. He encouraged actors to explore their own memories and emotions in order to understand and express their characters’ motivations. For Stanislavski, truth is not a mere copy of reality, but the sincere manifestation of human feeling within the conditions of the scene.

1.2 Brazilian Cinema: Portraying the Real Country

In the history of Brazilian cinema, particularly from Cinema Novo onwards, the search was similar: to show Brazil as it is, rather than as an imported fiction. Glauber Rocha spoke of “a camera in the hand and an idea in the head”: it was not only aesthetics, but also ethics. Nelson Pereira dos Santos filmed migrants, labourers, and outcasts, bringing to the screen characters who embodied the real country. This cinema, like Stanislavski’s actor, rejected the false mask and pursued raw, authentic life.

Brazilian cinema turned the screen into a mirror of collective reality.

In Brazilian film, especially in its more classical and politically engaged productions, acting often sought a rawness and spontaneity directly connected to everyday life and social reality. This approach was a way of capturing the truth of the nation’s social and emotional experiences, often portraying characters and situations authentically and without idealisation.

1.3 Psychodrama: Subjective Truth

Psychodrama, created by Jacob Levy Moreno, works with the enactment of roles in a protected space. The protagonist dramatises a real or symbolic situation from their life. The scene is improvised, spontaneous, and reveals truths often hidden in daily life. It is not about “acting” to impress, but about exposing oneself to the encounter with one’s own truth.

In psychodrama, the scene is a space of revelation and healing.

Psychodrama, a form of therapy using dramatisation, delves into the idea that performance can reveal and transform an individual’s psychological truth. Though not an acting technique, it shares the premise that reliving and expressing emotions dramatically can lead to revelation and to a deeper understanding of human experience.

1.4 The Connection Between the Three

If we compare the three domains: Stanislavski’s actor seeks the inner truth of the character. Brazilian cinema seeks the historical and social truth of the nation. Psychodrama seeks the subjective and emotional truth of the individual.

What they share is authenticity. When an actor discovers their inner truth, the audience recognises themselves. If a Brazilian film depicts the favela, drought, or inequality, the people see their own lives reflected. When a participant in psychodrama enacts their truth, they open a space for transformation.

1.5 The Actor’s Truth vs. the Character’s Truth

It is worth emphasising that the actor must go beyond the surface. Rather than simply “acting like” the character, they must “feel as” the character. This requires a relationship.

It is not logical truth: the actor need not know the character’s full biography or rationally grasp every situation to perform convincingly. They must understand the character’s emotional truth, how they feel, what drives them, what they desire. This is emotional truth: the emotional connection that Stanislavski pursued. He wanted actors to draw on their own experiences and feelings in order to relate to the character’s situation. When this happens, performance becomes real and genuine, rather than mere representation.

1.6 Personal Transformation and Audience Connection

Without truth, there is no transformation. This applies both to the actor and to the audience.

For the actor: if they do not connect with the character, they themselves are not transformed. They fail to explore the emotions and conflicts of the role, and performance remains superficial.

For the audience: impact only occurs when they sense the performance is authentic. If acting feels false, the connection is lost. The transformation of the audience, whether in empathy or reflection, only happens when they truly believe in what they are seeing.

In short, the relationship between actor and character allows performance to transcend technique and become something alive. It is the foundation for discovering the emotional truth that this chapter describes as essential to the art of acting.

1.7 A Practical Example for Directing Actors

Imagine a film needing to portray a character in a situation of social oppression.

The director proposes an exercise: the actor recalls a personal situation in which they felt wronged.

Next, they connect this experience to the role: how does the character respond to injustice? Do they remain silent? Do they resist?

The improvisation generated becomes scenic material, charged with emotional truth.

The filmed result is not mere acting, but a fusion of personal memory, collective reality, and cinematic art.

At the heart of this exercise is emotional transfer, the idea that the actor uses a genuine emotion from their own life to give depth and truth to the character’s emotion. This goes beyond imitation. The director is not asking the actor to “look sad”, but to connect with a real sadness they have experienced, making the scene’s emotion genuine.

The steps are clear:

• Revisit personal experience: the actor recalls a moment when they themselves felt wronged, a direct application of Stanislavski’s affective memory principle. Their mind and body, by revisiting the memory, access the emotions and physical sensations tied to that moment.

• Connect with the character: the actor then transfers this emotion into the character’s reality. They are no longer reliving their own story, but using its emotional truth to understand and express how the character faces injustice in the scene.

• Improvisation as a tool: improvisation releases this emotion without the barrier of a script. The material produced is “charged with emotional truth” because it is not planned action, but an authentic reaction born of the connection between the actor’s memory and the character’s situation.

  
  

Managing emotions in this kind of exercise is crucial, as it is a delicate, vulnerable process. The primary responsibility lies with the director, who must be more than a technical guide: they must serve as an emotional guardian.

• The director’s role: to create a safe, trusting environment, being empathetic and non-judgemental. The actor must know they can stop at any time if the emotion becomes overwhelming. The director must grant the actor permission to be vulnerable without fear.

• The actor’s role: to possess both the maturity to dive into emotion and the discipline to emerge from it. They must recognise that the emotion serves the character, but must not consume their personal life. This demands self-awareness and the ability to distinguish between personal and artistic selves.

• The crew’s role: the entire film crew, other actors, camera, sound, must respect the nature of the exercise. Silence and respect on set are essential. No one should comment upon or mock an actor’s vulnerability. Professionalism here means recognising that something profound is taking place and protecting it.

  
  

The success of this work lies not only in the final screen result but also in the wellbeing and safety of all involved. The film benefits from genuine performance, and the actor benefits from creative exploration that does not harm them.

Ultimately, this “fusion of personal memory, collective reality, and cinematic art” results in a performance that does not stop at imitation, but delves into human experience and the actor’s emotional truth.

1.8 Chapter Conclusion

Truth on stage is not a luxury, but the very essence of dramatic art. Stanislavski reminds us that the actor must live. Brazilian cinema teaches us that art must reflect collective reality. Psychodrama shows us that truth can be lived in action and, in so doing, transform. Actor direction with psychodrama, therefore, is born of this encounter: stage, screen, and therapeutic space unite in pursuit of experiences that are real, human, and unforgettable.

In the final analysis, the central idea is that truth is the driving force of transformation. When an actor commits to this search for truth, they do not merely interpret a character but transform alongside them. This journey of self-discovery and emotional exploration allows the audience too to be transformed. In witnessing truthful and sincere performance, spectators connect deeply, feel empathy, and reflect upon their own experiences. Art ceases to be mere entertainment and becomes a mirror of the human condition, capable of inspiring, moving, and, above all, transforming.

Chapter 2 – Memory as Raw Material

The actor’s craft and the construction of a film do not begin in a void.

This statement suggests that inspiration and creation are not purely divine or random acts. They are grounded in something concrete that already exists within the human being: lived experience, stored in memory. The artist’s mind is a reservoir of feelings, images, smells, and sensations that can be accessed and utilised.

All creation relies on something pre-existing: memory. Memory is the clay the artist moulds, whether personal, collective, or emotional. The metaphor is powerful because clay is malleable. The artist does not copy memory literally but reshapes and transforms it, blending it with fiction to create something unique. Personal memory can be altered, collective memory reinterpreted, and emotional memory channelled to bring a character to life.

In this chapter, we will explore how Stanislavski, Brazilian cinema, and psychodrama use memory as a creative and transformative source.

2.1 Stanislavski: Emotional Memory

Stanislavski proposed an essential device: emotional memory. The actor accesses a personal recollection of joy, pain, fear, or desire. This recollection awakens genuine emotions that can be channelled into the role. The risk lies in the actor becoming lost in their own life rather than recreating it artistically. Hence Stanislavski emphasised: memory is a tool, not an end in itself. It must be transformed into living art, not a display of private emotion.

Emotional memory is a trigger for truth.

Let us unpack Stanislavski’s concept of emotional memory to understand how it works in practice, its risks, and why it is considered a vital instrument for the actor.

What Is Emotional Memory?

Emotional memory (or affective memory) is the actor’s ability to access a personal recollection that evokes a real emotion. Instead of merely acting anger, for example, the actor connects to a life experience in which they truly felt anger. By reliving that emotion, the actor’s body and mind respond organically and authentically.

A Trigger for Truth: Emotional memory is not the final goal but the point of departure. It functions as a catalyst that releases genuine emotion, allowing performance to transcend mere technique and become a living experience. The result is a more convincing and affecting portrayal, one in which the audience senses the truth of the scene.

The Risk of Personal Exposure

There is indeed a significant danger: the actor may lose themselves in their own life. When delving into painful or joyful memories, the actor risks failing to detach. Instead of using the emotion for the character, they may turn the scene into a form of therapy rather than art.

That is why Stanislavski insisted that emotional memory is a means, not an end. The purpose is not to relive trauma or happiness publicly but to channel that emotion to give life to the role. The actor’s intimacy serves the character; it must not become the performance itself.

Transforming Memory into Art

Transforming memory into art requires discipline and control. The actor must use the recollection to awaken emotion and then redirect it towards the reality of the character. The emotion felt is genuine, but its motivation belongs to the fiction.

For example, an actor may access the memory of losing a friend in order to portray the grief of a character who has lost a child. The emotion (grief) is authentic and personal, but the context (the child’s death) is fictional. The actor’s real pain nourishes the character’s pain, making it real for the audience.

In summary, emotional memory is a powerful technique for achieving authenticity in performance. However, its effectiveness depends on the actor’s ability to use it with control and awareness, transforming personal experience into artistic material without exposing private life unnecessarily.

2.2 Brazilian Cinema: Collective Memory

Brazilian cinema, across its many phases, has been shaped by the country’s historical memory. Films about slavery, dictatorship, and social inequality are built upon the collective memory of a people. The Cinema Novo movement plunged into the memory of hunger, poverty, and resistance. Filmmakers such as Glauber Rocha, Cacá Diegues, and Nelson Pereira dos Santos brought to the screen the Brazil that did not wish to be remembered. Just as the actor connects to emotional memory, Brazilian cinema connects to social memory, re-enacting pains and struggles that define the nation’s identity.

Brazilian cinema turns memory into a political gesture.

It uses collective memory as both an artistic and political tool, distinct from the individual memory used by the actor. The central idea is that cinema not only reflects reality but reconstructs it through shared recollections.

Collective Memory as Raw Material

The concept of collective memory refers to the recollections, experiences, and traumas shared by a group or an entire nation. In Brazilian cinema, this includes events such as slavery, the military dictatorship, and extreme social inequality.

It is not about the memory of a single individual but about how these experiences have shaped the identity and history of a people. Cinema acts as a curator of this memory, selecting and re-enacting past events for the present. In doing so, it enables new generations to connect with their roots and understand what came before them.

Cinema Novo: A Political Gesture

The Cinema Novo movement exemplifies this use of memory. Its filmmakers were not interested in mere entertainment; their purpose was social and political, to expose “the Brazil that did not wish to be remembered.”

Re-enacting hunger, misery, and resistance was not simply storytelling; it was a call for the audience to confront the nation’s historical wounds. By portraying these realities, Brazilian cinema helped shape national identity, revealing that it is built not only from celebration and beauty but also from suffering and defiance.

Collective Memory as Political Action

To say that “Brazilian cinema turns memory into a political gesture” means that the act of remembering is itself an act of resistance and critique. Cinema is never neutral: in choosing which memories to depict, the filmmaker makes a political decision, saying “this matters”, “this must be seen”, “this must not be forgotten”.

Re-enacting social memory forces the audience to confront the past and, in turn, to comprehend the present. The film becomes a tool for reflection and social transformation. Thus, the relationship between Brazilian cinema and collective memory demonstrates that art can go far beyond individual entertainment, serving as a catalyst for social and political awareness.

2.3 Psychodrama: Living Memory and Re-signification

In psychodrama, memory is not mere recollection, it is re-living. The protagonist returns to a situation from the past and dramatises it in the present. This re-enactment, supported by auxiliary egos, allows them to experiment with new outcomes for old wounds. Here, memory becomes both creative and therapeutic action.

In psychodrama, memory is a stage for transformation.

Psychodrama treats memory not as a simple record but as a living, healing experience. Reviving a memory within a protected environment can lead to healing and re-signification.

Memory as Re-living

Unlike the actor, who uses memory to build a character, the psychodrama protagonist uses memory for self-understanding. The aim is not performance but confrontation: to revisit and work through a past situation that still causes pain or conflict. The “re-enactment” is not representation but re-experiencing, with all the emotions and tensions intact.

Memory as Therapeutic Action

Psychodrama transforms memory from something passive (a recollection) into something active (an act). Memory becomes a stage of transformation, where the individual can explore new responses. In life, they may have felt powerless; in psychodrama, they can act differently, say what was unsaid, or respond in an empowering way.

By reliving the scene, the person is not erasing pain but rewriting their relationship with it.

Auxiliary Egos: Support on Stage

“Auxiliary egos” are fellow participants who embody figures from the original conflict, a parent, a friend, a boss, or even emotions such as anger or fear. They provide the support necessary for the re-living of memory to be safe and effective. Without them, the process would merely repeat the past; with them, memory becomes a dialogue that can be guided and transformed.

In short, memory in psychodrama is not only artistic material but a powerful tool for healing. It is living, pliable, and, with the director’s guidance and the help of auxiliary egos, can lead to profound personal transformation.

2.4 Connection Between the Three

• Stanislavski: emotional memory → inner truth

• Brazilian cinema: collective memory → historical truth

• Psychodrama: dramatised memory → subjective truth

  
  

In all cases, memory is not static. It is brought into the present and becomes living material for creation or transformation.

2.5 Practical Example for Directing Actors

Imagine an actress cast to play a character who has lost her child in a flood.

• Psychodramatic exercise: the actress re-lives a personal memory of loss or separation.

• Stanislavskian transformation: that emotion is then channelled into the role, creating authenticity.

• Cinematic context: the film, depicting the flood, connects the actress’s personal pain with the collective memory of countless Brazilian tragedies.

The result is a performance that not only feels real but resonates collectively. This practical example unites the concepts of psychodrama, Stanislavski, and collective memory to produce authentic and powerful acting.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Psychodramatic Exercise: Re-living the Memory

The director invites the actress to recall a personal experience of loss or separation, not necessarily the death of a person, but perhaps the loss of a pet, a treasured object, or a relationship. The aim is to access a genuine emotion of grief or powerlessness.

In a safe, private environment, the actress dramatises this memory with the support of the director and, if appropriate, “auxiliary egos” (crew members representing the lost person or object). The goal is for her to feel the emotion in her body, re-living it spontaneously.

Stanislavskian Transformation: Channelling the Emotion

After the exercise, the emotion evoked is not left uncontrolled. The director helps channel it into the fictional reality of the character. The sadness the actress felt in her own life is now redirected towards the grief of the character who lost her child.

The emotion is the same, but its motivation belongs to the fiction. The performance becomes lived rather than merely acted, charged with profound emotional truth.

Cinematic Context: Connecting with Collective Memory

The actress’s personal truth now meets the collective memory of Brazil’s flood tragedies. The character’s individual pain acquires wider meaning, resonating with the experience of a nation.

The film thus becomes more than a story, it becomes a mirror of social reality, allowing the audience to engage on a deeper emotional and cultural level.

Purpose of the Exercise

The main objective is to create a performance that transcends technique and reaches emotional truth.

The exercise aims for:

• Authenticity: ensuring the performance never feels false or forced.

• Impact: producing a portrayal so genuine it moves the audience to empathy and reflection.

• Connection: bridging the actor’s individual experience with the audience’s collective or historical experience.

  
  

Safeguarding the Actor and Crew

This is a high-vulnerability exercise; emotional safety is paramount.

For the actress:

• The director must make clear that she may stop the exercise at any time.

• The distinction between actress and character must be reinforced. The director should ensure the emotion, once channelled, does not overwhelm her outside the set.

• The director acts as a guide, not a therapist, focusing on artistic use of emotion, not on personal trauma.

  
  

For the crew:

• The crew should be informed about the nature of the exercise. Silence and respect are essential.

• There is no room for idle curiosity or comments. The environment must be one of complete trust and professionalism. The actress’s vulnerability is a working tool, not a spectacle.

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How to Ground the Actress After the Exercise

The “grounding” technique acts as a ritual of transition, helping the actress leave the emotional state and return to herself.

• Immediate Exit Ritual: once the exercise ends, the director or coach intervenes gently.

• Non-intrusive Physical Contact: a light touch on the shoulder or arm (if appropriate and consented) can help anchor her back to the present.

• Clear Verbal Cue: use a grounding phrase such as, “It’s all right. The exercise is over. You can return to yourself now.”

• Environmental Awareness: ask her to notice sensory details, “Feel the floor under your feet,” “Look at the colour of the wall,” “Listen to the room’s sounds.” This draws her out of emotion and back to physical reality.

  
  

Post-Exercise Decompression:

• Allow time and space for her to breathe and settle. Do not rush conversation.

• When ready, conduct a “check-in”, “How are you feeling?” “What do you need right now?”

• Offer recognition and gratitude for her openness and courage, validating the experience without focusing solely on performance results.

  
  

Self-Grounding During Filming

During shooting, the actress must be able to manage her emotions autonomously.

• Technical Focus: remind her that emotion fuels the scene, but technique controls it. The Stanislavskian actor uses emotion, they do not drown in it.

• Physical Action: encourage focus on concrete physical tasks (holding an object, moving a hand, fixing her gaze). This channels emotion outward and prevents it from consuming her.

• Partner Focus: emotions should be directed towards the scene partner, not inward. Encourage responsive interaction rather than self-absorption.

• Exit Word or Thought: agree on a mental cue like “cut” or “next” to signal internal closure after a take.

• Breathing and Grounding: teach breathing techniques or tactile grounding (feeling the floor, the costume’s fabric) to calm the nervous system and anchor her in the present.

Grounding is an act of mutual trust. The director trusts the actor’s vulnerability; the actor trusts the director and crew to protect them. That partnership makes emotional work both safe and artistically potent.

2.6 Chapter Conclusion

Memory is an inexhaustible mine for the artist:

• In the actor: it generates inner truth.

• In cinema: it creates national identity.

• In psychodrama: it promotes healing and awareness.

The director who works with psychodramatic methods learns to use memory as a bridge between life and art, individual and society, emotion and creation. Memory is the raw material, but it only becomes art when it is relived with authenticity in performance.

Chapter 3 – Action as Transformation

If memory is the raw material of creation, action is the engine that sets it in motion. In the scene, it is not enough to remember or to feel: one must act. It is through action that emotion is revealed, conflict becomes evident, and the actor, the film, and the psychodrama protagonist can be transformed.

Memory (whether personal, collective, or subjective) is the foundation of everything. It is the “clay” with which the artist works. Without this foundation, there would be nothing to mould. It is the reservoir of emotions, ideas, and experiences the artist accesses.

Here is the central point: memory, in itself, is passive. For it to manifest in the scene, action is required. The phrase “it is not enough to remember or to feel: one must act” is key. The emotion the actor feels, the truth the film portrays, or the trauma the psychodrama protagonist re-lives only become visible through action.

Emotion manifests through action. An emotion such as anger is not perceived merely because the actor feels it. It becomes visible when the actor acts in anger: clenching a fist, raising their voice, breaking an object, or maintaining an aggressively charged silence. Action is the external expression of an internal emotion.

Conflict becomes visible: the dramatic conflict of a scene exists only when characters act. An argument is a series of verbal actions. A fight is a series of physical actions. Action is what renders the story intelligible to the audience.

Transformation happens through action. Whether it belongs to the actor, the character, or the psychodrama protagonist, it is never just a feeling. It is complete when the person acts in a new way. In psychodrama, for instance, transformation occurs when, upon re-living a memory, the protagonist decides to act differently from how they acted in the past.

In short, action is the link that connects memory and emotion to the reality of the scene. Without it, art would remain in the realm of thought and feeling, unable to manifest concretely and impactfully.

We work with sound and image: everything that is felt must be manifested in some form that can be seen and/or heard.

3.1 Stanislavski: Physical and Psychological Action

Stanislavski insisted that every performance must be anchored in clear actions. Physical actions: walking, touching, looking, embracing, pushing. Psychological actions: deciding, resisting, confronting, seducing. Every emotion is born of an action, not the other way round. The actor should not “feel in order to act” but “act in order to feel.”

The body is the key that opens the doors of emotion.

The Key Concept: Action Before Emotion

Stanislavski argued that the actor should not try to feel an emotion first and only then act. That is artificial and near impossible. Instead, the actor should act with the character’s intention, and authentic emotion will arise naturally from that action. The phrase “act to feel” summarises this principle.

Types of Action: Physical and Psychological

Two types of action work together to create truth in the scene.

• Physical Actions: external, visible movements and gestures — the character’s most concrete behaviours.Examples: walking, touching, looking.Function: to ground and give concreteness to the performance. The actor focuses on what the character’s body is doing.

• Psychological Actions: internal intentions and motivations. They are not seen, but they direct the physical actions.Examples: deciding, resisting, confronting.Function: to give purpose to physical actions. The character does not walk for no reason; they walk to resist or to confront.

  
  

The Body as Key

This means emotion is not accessed directly through the mind. Rather, the actor uses the body, via physical and psychological actions, to “unlock” emotions. Emotion is an organic, spontaneous response to what the body is doing and experiencing in the scene.

In sum, Stanislavski taught that genuine acting does not arise from a mental effort to “feel”. It is born of concrete, intentional doing, where authentic emotion emerges as a consequence of action.

3.2 Brazilian Cinema: Action as the Everyday

In Brazilian cinema, especially in Cinema Novo and social realism, dramatic action is often simple, everyday, and, precisely for that reason, revealing: a labourer walking kilometres to work; a migrant family crossing drought-stricken lands; a young man from the favela facing police violence. These seemingly ordinary actions carry symbolic and political weight. Just as Stanislavski asks the actor to find the meaning of action, Brazilian cinema shows that even the simplest gesture can bear transformative power.

In Brazil, the act of surviving is already a political act.

Action as the Everyday

Rather than focusing on great events or grand gestures, Brazilian cinema frequently portrays daily life. Actions such as walking, crossing a path, or simply facing violence are not mere details; they are the essence of the story.

• Labourer walking: the act of walking is not mere movement; it symbolises struggle, exhaustion, and perseverance.

• Migrant family crossing the drought: this journey embodies resistance, hope, and a people’s pain.

• Young man confronting violence: the simple act of “facing up” makes legible social injustice and the lack of public security.

  
  

Symbolic and Political Weight

Just as Stanislavski requires the actor to discover the purpose behind each action, Brazilian cinema finds a larger meaning in everyday actions. The banality of action is what makes it so powerful. Audiences recognise themselves in these gestures and understand the weight they carry.

In a country marked by deep inequalities, the simple act of survival becomes resistance. Everyday actions, working, fleeing the drought, merely existing amid violence, are not only about a character’s life; they speak to the struggle of a nation. By portraying such actions, cinema elevates them to a political plane, turning the screen into a space for reflection and social critique.

3.3 Psychodrama: Action as Healing

In psychodrama, action is at the centre of the method. The protagonist does not merely speak about what they have lived through: they do it again, they dramatise. This repetition with variation allows them to experiment with new responses to the same conflict. The simple act of standing up, facing someone, or role reversal can produce profound transformation. Here, action is lived experience and cure.

In psychodrama, action supplants words and reveals the unsayable.

Action at the Centre of the Method

Psychodrama differs from other therapies by placing action at the heart of the process. Instead of the protagonist conversing with a therapist about their pain, they recreate and re-live it. This dramatisation is not mere staging; it is re-experiencing that enables more direct and intense access to emotion than speech alone.

Action: Repetition and Variation

Repetition of the past scene, with the possibility of variation, is what makes the method effective. In re-living a conflict, the person is not condemned to repeat it. They can try out new responses. If, in real life, they were paralysed, in psychodrama they might stand and leave, or face the other. Such new actions on stage can be internalised, opening pathways to different ways of dealing with the situation in real life.

Action as Lived Experience and Cure

Seemingly simple actions, standing up, facing someone, exchanging roles (taking the place of another in the conflict), can generate deep change. This is because action is the experience of the moment. It is not a thought about healing, but healing itself. The physical and psychological act of doing something different breaks the pattern and fosters a sense of empowerment.

“In psychodrama, action supplants words and reveals the unsayable” captures the method’s essence. Many traumas and feelings are hard to express verbally. Action can reveal what cannot be said, giving shape to pains and emotions that language cannot reach.

3.4 Connection Between the Three

• Stanislavski: action is the path to authentic emotion.

• Brazilian cinema: everyday action reveals collective drama.

• Psychodrama: action is a therapeutic, transformative resource.

All agree: it is in the doing that truth appears.

3.5 Practical Example for Directing Actors

An actor needs to portray a character who unjustly loses his job.

• Psychodramatic exercise: the actor, in a group, dramatises a personal situation of loss or injustice. He acts, confronts, expresses.

• Stanislavskian application: the director identifies which physical actions best reveal the character’s inner state (trembling hands, a contracted posture, a vacant gaze).

• Cinematic context: the scene is filmed to foreground this concrete action (the gesture of handing over the work card, the slow walk as he leaves the factory).

Thus, emotion is not forced; it arises from gesture, carrying both individual pain and the collective mark of a country where labour is a battleground.

The Exercise and Its Concepts

The aim is for the emotion of loss, here, the loss of employment, to be expressed through truthful actions rather than forced acting.

Psychodramatic Exercise: Group Action and EmotionWith the support of a group (ideally the crew or scene partners), the actor revisits and dramatises a personal situation of loss or injustice.The emphasis is on action: the actor does not merely speak about pain but gives it physical form, simulating the act of handing something over, a choked voice, curling up on the floor. Such actions allow emotion to arise organically.

Stanislavskian Application: The Revealing GestureThe director acts as an observer, identifying, among the spontaneous actions, those most authentic and emotionally charged.What is observed? Subtle gestures: trembling hands, a hunched posture, a vacant gaze. These are physical actions the actor need not “fake”, because they spring from genuine emotion. The director then chooses to incorporate these gestures in the filmed scene.

Cinematic Context: Valuing Concrete ActionShooting is planned to highlight the action that carries truth.The act of handing over the work card or the slow walk are not mere details; they become the scene’s essence, representing the character’s pain and struggle. The film thus connects the character’s individual grief with the collective memory of the struggle for work in Brazil.

Safeguarding Actors and Crew

This exercise is emotionally intense and requires an environment of absolute safety and respect.

For the Actor:

• Trust: the director must build total trust so the actor feels safe to be vulnerable.

• Boundaries: the actor must be free to stop the exercise at any time. There is no pressure to exceed their emotional limit.

• “Rescue” (grounding/aftercare): the director needs a plan to bring the actor back after the exercise, quick, effective decompression with clear cues such as “The exercise is over,” or “Feel the floor beneath your feet,” helping the actor exit the emotional state and return to themselves.

  
  

For the Crew:

• Professionalism and Silence: the crew should maintain respect and silence. No comments or judgements about the actor’s vulnerability. The actor’s emotion is a working tool, not a spectacle.

• Awareness: the crew must understand the exercise’s purpose, so they view it not as something odd or uncomfortable but as a technique for deepening performance.

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Why Does Psychodrama Require Qualified Professionals?

When used as therapy, psychodrama addresses deep emotions and, often, trauma. Misapplication can be dangerous.

• Risk of Re-traumatisation: an unqualified director or coach might, inadvertently, push the actor to re-live pain without the skills to help them process it, causing further psychological harm.

• Lack of Safety Tools: a psychodrama therapist is trained to manage crises, set safety boundaries, and use grounding techniques. An unqualified professional lacks this preparation.

• Confusion Between Art and Therapy: an unqualified practitioner may blur aims. Art seeks to create; therapy seeks to heal. The director may use psychodrama as a tool for art, but must respect therapeutic limits. The goal is not to cure the actor, but to use their emotions to enrich the character.

  
  

In short, applying psychodramatic techniques on a film set, however enriching, must be done with extreme care and ideally under the guidance of someone who understands the psychology behind the method. Just because a process can be therapeutic does not mean you are qualified to conduct therapy with an actor. Know your limits as a director and as a human being; keep studying and training for when you apply this method. If you feel any uncertainty about an exercise, do not use it. Seek study and mentorship during actor preparation and, whenever possible, maintain personal therapy.

The director is an observer, but that does not mean you will not be affected by the subject at hand. Working with art demands the constant challenge of balancing distance and immersion. It is naïve to assume that everyone, including you, will act with complete detachment; but plunging 100% into what is portrayed and taking everything personally is also unprofessional. Working with art is always the act of balancing these two plates.

3.6 Chapter Conclusion

Action is more than movement: it is the axis that organises memory, emotion, and narrative.

• In the actor: action gives emotion a body.

• In cinema: action reveals social life.

• In psychodrama: action transforms the subject.

To act in the scene is to transform oneself and to transform the world.