Mark Evans Studio

Acting is often described as “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” Yet what determines whether those circumstances feel truthful to the actor - and believable to the audience - is not only imagination and technique, but the actor’s nervous system. The body’s physiological state plays a tremendous role in shaping how present, an actor can be in a scene, whether it’s in class, in an audition, on stage, or on set. At its core, the nervous system regulates the body’s stress response, emotional processing, and capacity for presence. When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, we move into “fight, flight, or freeze” mode. How? The heart can race, breathing becomes shallow, and muscles can tighten. While this can sometimes be useful in high-stakes dramatic moments, more often it pulls the actor out of the present, narrows focus, and makes listening to a partner nearly impossible. Instead of responding authentically, the actor becomes self-conscious or mechanical, trapped in...

One of the biggest reasons actors take class is a simple one: we want to grow. We’re curious, we’re hungry, and we’re eager to feel like we’re moving forward in our craft and our careers. But - and many of you have heard me discuss these themes in class - growth in acting is rarely trackable in the way we’d like it to be. Unlike the gym, where you can see more weight lifted, or a language class, where you can measure words learned, acting growth often happens quietly, underneath the surface. And because it’s not always visible or immediate, we often get impatient. Or worse, we get hard on ourselves. The truth is, just because you can’t feel your growth doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Part of the reason growth feels invisible is because it happens in small, incremental shifts. Each time you take class, rehearse a scene, take in a note, or attempt a new accent, you’re adding to your craft. But those changes are almost impossible to notice in the moment. Acting is also deeply subjective....