Global Journal of Arts
Education
Volume 04, Issue 2, (2014) 49-55
www.awer-center/gjae
Actor training for doctors and other healthcare practitioners:
A ratioŶale froŵ aŶ actor’s perspective
Paul Macneill *, Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University
of Sydney, Australia.
Jane Gilmer, Visual & Performing Arts, Drama, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore.
Dujeepa D. Samarasekera, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, NUHS
Tower Block, Singapore.
Tan Chay Hoon, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, NUHS Tower Block,
Singapore.
Suggested Citation:
Macneill, P., Gilmer, J., Samarasekera, D., D. & Hoon, T., C. (2014). Actor training for doctors and other
healthĐaƌe pƌaĐtitioŶeƌs: A ƌatioŶale fƌoŵ aŶ aĐtoƌs peƌspeĐtiǀe. Global Journal of Arts Education.
4(2), 49-55.
Received 13 August, 2014; revised 14 September, 2014; accepted 07 October, 2014.
Selection and peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Ayse Cakir Ilhan, Ankara University, Turkey
©
2014 SPROC LTD. Academic World Education & Research Center. All rights reserved.
Abstract
Two four-hour workshops were held in Singapore offering health care workers (HCWs—clinicians and
otheƌsͿ tƌaiŶiŶg iŶ theatƌe skills aŶd teĐhŶiƋues to edžpaŶd theiƌ ƌaŶge of peƌfoƌŵatiǀitLJ aŶd effeĐtiǀeŶess
in relating to patients. Experiential theatre training exercises (including body-awareness and work with
masks) were conducted by an experienced actor-director and acting teacher. This paper presents the
ƌatioŶale foƌ these ǁoƌkshops fƌoŵ aŶ aĐtoƌs peƌspeĐtiǀe. Whilst oďjeĐtiǀe ŵeasuƌes, iŶ teƌŵs of
outcomes, are required in justifying innovations in education, we claim that outcome measures are not
sufficient. Actor training for HCWs needs also to be underpinned by a pedagogical rationale that is derived
from acting theory and practice. This paper presents several justifications from an arts perspective
including that there is much that is in common between what actors, doctors and other HCWs do; that
aĐtiŶg is Ŷot to pƌeteŶd ďut to edžpƌess a ƌole iŶ a ǁaLJ that is effeĐtiǀe foƌ the ƌole aŶd geŶuiŶe foƌ the
actor; that mask work is a means to teach HCWs to be more expressive; that there are many parallels
ďetǁeeŶ theatƌe aŶd ŵediĐiŶe; that ĐoŵŵuŶiĐatiŶg ǁell ǁith patieŶts goes ďeLJoŶd ĐoŵŵuŶiĐatioŶ
skills to iŶĐlude eŵďodied pƌaĐtiĐe; aŶd that aĐtoƌ tƌaiŶiŶg ĐaŶ pƌoǀide HCWs with an experience and an
understanding of their capacity to be simultaneously empathic and analytic.
Keywords: drama training, actor training, health care workers (HCWs), communication skills; role play.
*ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Paul Macneill, Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, Sydney Medical
School, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia, E-mail address: paul.macneill@sydney.edu.au /
Tel.: +61-2-9036-3405