To Listen With All of One’s Senses: Actors’ Experiences of the Sensing Technique

Abstract

Many acting processes require psychological skills that allow actors to develop characters while protecting their well-being. This research explores the experiences of actors who underwent the sensing technique, a locally designed acting method by Bombi Plata, that aims to deepen awareness and understanding of one’s identity which eventually results in professional efficacy. Five (5) adult actors who completed the 4-day workshop were purposively sampled and participated in semi-structured interviews. The responses were transcribed and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Based on the results, the following themes were extracted from their experiences of the sensing technique: (1) structural efficacy through methodological safeguards, (2) self-integration through psycho-emotional restoration, (3) actualizing artistic ability, and (4) strengthened communal relations. The actors described a safe space that nurtured intrapersonal and interpersonal well-being through adaptive coping strategies, recalibrated acting craft, and reduced reliance on personally distressing emotional excavation. Through the actors’ experiences of the sensing technique, the study emphasizes the need to develop trauma-informed acting methods that hone an actor’s skills while protecting psychological safety.