Final answer:
Training and practice are key processes in developing both skill and neurophysiological adaptations, such as increased heart rate for better muscle performance and neuroplasticity for cognitive changes. Actors utilize these principles to enhance their performance, parallel to how athletes train for sports. These adaptations can also be seen in the natural selection of organisms, exemplifying the widespread application of the concepts of training and practice.
Step-by-step explanation:
Training vs Practice and Physiological Adaptations
The concepts of training vs practice are pivotal in the development of both physical and cognitive adaptations in individuals. According to Lee Strasberg, effective training and conditioning, especially for actors, involves cultivating belief, faith, and imagination. This intensity of preparation is akin to an athlete's training, where physical rigors and patterns of awareness are essential for excelling in sports.
Robert Cohen in Acting Power likens an actor's preparatory work to stacking plates, which signifies the layering of habits and awareness. This supports the notion that the gradual process of training or practicing leads to a state where one can operate in a relaxed and present manner, fully in tune with the immediate experience, similar to an athlete's performance during a game.
Adaptations resulting from training or practice are not limited to developing skills or techniques; they also involve physiological adaptations that better equip humans to deal with situations or threats. For instance, the faster beating of the heart in response to danger supplies more oxygen to muscles, enhancing performance in times of need, reflecting our innate neuroplasticity.
Finally, physical training can lead to profound changes in an actor's capacity to express different movement vocabularies, tempos, and qualities compatible with the demands of a role. This applies to natural selection in organisms as well, where increased running speed can be an adaptation developed in response to the practice of running.