Grotowski and Brooks Notes

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 Jerry Grotowski 

https://culture.pl/en/artist/jerzy-grotowski 

  • Theater director and theoretician, educator, creator of acting methods 

  • Considered one of the greatest reformers of 20th century theater

https://fresques.ina.fr/europe-des-cultures-en/fiche-media/Europe00064/jerzy-grotowski-on-the-notion-of-poor-theatre.html 

  • Polish 

  • Defined his theory “poor theater”

    • Theater that values the body of the actor and its relation wit the spectator

    • Does away with costumes, decor and music 

  • Style inherited from Stanislavski 

  • Based method on body work that aims to rid the actor of their automatic reaction “in order to get to the character’s essence within themselves” 

  • The relationship between player and spectator held an important role 

https://thedramateacher.com/poor-theatre-conventions/ 

  • A performance style that rid itself of the excesses of theater such as lavish costumes and derailed sets 

  • Poor theater pieces center on the skill of the actor and are often performed with few props 

  • Preferred to perform works in non-traditional spaces instead of mainstream theater houses 

  • The audience was placed on many sides of the action or in and amongst the action itself 

  • Places emphasis on the physical skill of the performer 

  • Work focused on actor training 

  • Concept strips away all of theater’s excesses 

  • Physical movement was a key component of poor theater performances 

  • The minimal props used were often symbolic and of great significance 

  • Didn’t use spotlights or focus areas, lighting everywhere 

  • Costumes (if used at al) would be anonymous, not identifying character




Peter Brook 

http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/101/the-development-of-theatre-peter-brook-and-the-human-connection 

  • Thought the human connection is the essence of good theater

  • Want the audience to feel the emotions of the actors and sympathize with them 

  • Didn’t want the audience to feel bored 

  • Non-directional directing 

  • Wanted the actor to authentically feel what the character was intended to feel 

  • Called forth existing emotions within the actor 

  • Brook did away with conventional methods of acting, staging, and performance 

  • Used “bold scenography that often revealed the mechanics of the stage and created startling visual effects 

  • Used highly physical elements in his performances 

  • Let actions speak louder than words 

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