As commonly used, "Psychology" refers to a highly postulated, culturally determined (Western) system of beliefs and approaches to human nature that assumes all behaviour is eventually explainable through language-based analysis. If only it were that easy! When applied to our domain, the theatrical, the result is a limited, rather barren artistic paradigm. Welcome to the twentieth century. And goodbye.
One of the most devastating comments Jacques Lecoq could make was "C'est trop psychologique!" Carlo Mazzone-Clementi used to leap about shouting "No justice, no psychology! No justice, no psychology!"
What did they mean? In Carlo's case, he was primarily referring to the ways in which self-censoring and analysis blocked spontaneity and creativity. Analytical tools are of course useful for the mature actor, the actor who is able to keep them away from the actual act of acting! But in an educational process they need to be introduced at a later stage when the students have developed a deep and reliable familiarity with the musicality and spontaneity of their instrument; when they know how and when to let the I-myself hand (un)control over to the Me-myself.
In Lecoq's case, "niveau psychologique" usually referred to an absence of play, an impoverished sense of style, and a shrunken sense of theatrical space. He located psychological acting in the articulation of the eyes, which is either blocked or severely limited by the wearing of a mask.
