WHEN THE JAW HOLDS THE PERFORMANCE: Emotional freedom requires physical options
The relationship between jaw tension and acting should not be reduced to the idea that emotions are simply “stored” inside a muscle.
Human physiology is more complex than that.
But emotional states unquestionably influence breathing, muscle tone, posture, facial behavior and vocal production.
And those physical changes can, in turn, influence how freely a performer can respond.
For the actress, therefore, jaw work is not simply about treating a temporomandibular joint.
It can be about restoring options.
The option to whisper without gripping.
To project without forcing.
To cry without locking the throat.
To move from stillness into explosive emotion.
And, perhaps most importantly, to return from that intensity and be ready to do it again.
Because in professional performance, the goal is rarely to produce one extraordinary take at any physical cost.
The goal is to make extraordinary performance available, adaptable and repeatable.
Not less emotion. Not less intensity.
Less unnecessary resistance between the actress and the performance.
Valentina Carlile - Osteopath specializing in Osteopathy for Voice and Speech Disorders since 2002. For information and bookings, visit the Contact page.
Comments