Psychology and the Actor | Veronica Boneta

Gaby, Joz, and Angela speak with Veronica Boneta. Veronica is a charismatic enthusiast of the arts, a mother, and author. Having worked in theater for many years, she turned to the field of Psychology while also bringing with her the knowledge she had acquired as an actress. Now a full time Psychotherapist, she looks forward to furthering her research in the intertwining of Psychology and Acting.

While discussing her acting beginnings, Veronica touches on the acting method she learned, Psycho-physical. Psycho-physical Awareness is a popular acting technique used in many schools and universities in the U.S. and Europe. This technique works on the relationship between the mind and the body and at developing an actor's conscious awareness. It is the totality where the actor fully experiences and embodies the role, is present in the moment, drawing on sensory information and experience, as opposed to simply sorting out the movements as they might in early stages of rehearsal.

At their cores, psychology, cognitive science, and theater are all trying to do the same thing, which is understand why people do the things they do, our range of behavior, and where it comes from without judgement. Actors must do real work to temporarily convince themselves and others of unreal circumstances. Yet they must be mindful of how much of their own lives and experiences they infuse their characters with. Actors must understand the complexities of life.