Increasing flow in the actor's work

This paper is an account of preparation I undertook to play the roles of Eric, Venturewell, and Barberosa, in Tim Askew's adaptation of Francis Beaumont's The Knight of the Burning Pestle. Primary to approaching this track I have addressed my artistic challenge of increasing flow in my work as an actor. Starting with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi concept :of flow I began to investigate blocks during class work, rehearsals, performance and show development. I have applied theory and techniques as described in the writings of Declan Donnellan, Robert Triplett, Stephen Nachmanovitch, Eugen Herrigel and Shunryu Suzuki. Practical studio work revolved around mask work and improvisation as a framework through which explore: block and flow. Other research included historical and critical surveys of Francis Beaumont and The Knight of The Burning Pestle. The paper also includes journal entries from the rehearsal process of the York production and a conclusion of my findings.