Stephen Atkins PhD

Hybrid and Post-Methods Approaches

I’m Stephen Atkins, a London/Vancouver/Brisbane-based actor, director, and performance maker with over 35 years of experience. My collaborative work spans stage, film, and devised performance. I’ve built my practice as an independent artist who’s taught at several universities, while serving as adjunct faculty in the Acting for Stage and Screen department at Capilano University in Canada.

My training spans Stanislavsky-based approaches (including Active Analysis), Meisner, Practical Aesthetics, Viewpoints, Grotowski-influenced physical work, and Suzuki Actor Training. I’m interested in what helps actors make strong, playable choices under real conditions while  staying present and adaptable.

Alongside teaching and making work, I publish on actor training and performance research. I’m an Associate Editor of Theatre, Dance and Performance Training (TDPT), I manage the journal’s blog, and I also serve as an editor for Performing Ethos: International Journal of Ethics in Theatre & Performance (PEET) . I run workshops worldwide, and I enjoy building rehearsal environments where precision and experimentation can sit comfortably together.

I’m the creator of Crosspoints, a card-based rehearsal system designed to help actors and directors generate specific, testable choices for a scene. It’s practical, flexible across styles, and built for what actually happens in the room: attention, desire, relationship, behavior, and the emotional weather of a moment.