Actors Status in traditional societies In Oriental Cultures the view of actors as people with extraordinary abilities is still widespread, and in South America and Africa. But in times past, hundreds of years ago, actors in western societies also performed the role of visionary, healer and sage. Actors were essentially performing mystics. Experience in the western cultures Many actors as Shirley MacLaine reports to a disembodied state: an experience accompanied by ecstatic emotions and visions. This description is very like the traditional actor’s practice of “flying” to the spirit world to discover the secrets of life.

The first actors All so-called primitive societies have at their head important people with special powers. Theirs crucial role in society is to transcend the boundaries of their own identity, follow a path to personal knowledge, and in dramatic performance, to lead their audiences into ritual journeys into their own psyches. They are mystics, magical seers and creators of visions. These people, commonly called shamans, sorcerers or medicine men, were the first actors. Creation of visions today Besides actors, directors like John Boorman, producers, writers, cameramen, technicians, stag-hands, and so on are responsible for the today “creation of visions”. On stage the actor provides the path, the key, the identifiable character who unlocks the visions for us.

Actors as Shamans – A film director meeting a native south American Indian in Brazil’s rain forest.

John Boorman the director of The Esmerald Forest researching for a native south American Indian tribe went to the rain forests of Brazil to meet with Takuma , a famed shaman. Takuma asked Boorman to explain his work and he had to explain to a man that never seen or watched television. Boorman said that he would stop and begin a scene in different time and place as it does in a dream. “You make visions, magic. You are a paje like me.”

Knowledge that needs to be rediscovered

“For thousand of years actors were regarded as the guardians of wisdom and the way of the actor was a path to personal knowledge and power.” (Brian Bates)