“From Fay’s methodology, I learned to use my intuition and lived experiences in myriad new ways.” —Winston Duke, actor, Black Panther, Avengers, Us, and Nine Days

Engaging Mind and Body to Develop the Complete Physical Nature of Characters
 
Actors are shape-shifters, requiring the tools to wade into unfamiliar waters and back out again. The Lucid Body offers a holistic, somatic approach to embodying character from the inside-out and, for the non-actor, offers a way to give hidden parts of the self their full expression. By identifying stagnant movement patterns, this process expands one’s emotional and physical range and enables the creation of characters from all walks of life—however cruel, desolate, or jolly. Rooted in the exploration of the seven chakra energy centers, The Lucid Body reveals how each body holds the possibility of every human condition. Readers will learn how to:

Practice a non-judgmental approach to the journey of self-awareness
Break up stagnant and restrictive patterns of thought and movement
Allow an audible exhale to be the key to unlocking the breath
Develop a mindset to “hear” one’s inner body
Analyze the human condition through the psycho-physical lens of the chakras
Experience the safety of coming back to a neutral body
Acquire a sense of clarity and calm in one’s everyday life

A step-by-step program guides the actor through the phases of self-awareness that expand emotional and physical range not only on stage, but also in daily life. This new edition includes a more diversified range of playwrights, non-binary language, and new chapters on stage intimacy protocol and physical listening. Exercises that have been honed for the past ten years have been made more concise. New somatic and neuro-scientific data has been added, with additional wisdom and insights from colleagues and Simpson's team of Lucid Body teachers.

Illustrated by: Eleanor Rose Boynton