Impact That Jerzy Grotowskis Poor Theatre

Impact That Jerzy Grotowskis Poor TheatreJerzy Grotowskis poor bailiwick is an experimental concept which influences performers to go back to theatrical roots using the voice and bole as the main production. Just like many avant-garde artists he strived to pull away from the regular theatre conventions done other influences. Grotowskis main theatrical idea was depicted by the theatrical devices apply throughout proceeding, such as lights, sound, sets, dress up and makeup the way which theatre is portrayed on period was to compete with cinema and television which was perceived as Rich Theatre. Grotowski argued that if theatre buttocksnot be richer than the cinema, then let it be poor. (Grotowski, 1968, p. 41) Stripping the stage of all its skilful and aesthetic parts leaves just the actor and the audience this creates a more emphasised performance for the audience as all their left to watch is the performance its self. Throughout this essay, I will be dis covert how poor thea tre has impacted contemporary theatre practice.Grotowski became a massive influence towards Peter Brook and through working together and discovering new exercises Brook learned how to make poverty an ideal (Brook, 1996, p.72) he saw firsthand just how his methods works with actorsTo verbalise is to stupefy and even to destroy exercises that ar clear and simple when indicated by a gesture and when executed by the mind and body as one. (Brook, Grotowski, 1968, p. 13)Grotowski believed that the actor should be fully aware of his own body making full use of gestures and facial expressions, and the use of costume, makeup and sound is just a mask covering what an actor suffer really produce. To further an actors technique requires Intense corporal training which Grotowski concentrated more on the body and developing natural resonators. His exercises were prone very little instruction in differentiate for an actor to interpret them in their own way. In contemporary practice we can s ee how Grotowskis strong-arm ideas of performance has had its influence. Physical theatre groups such as DV8 has had a major impact through Grotowskis methods. Lloyd Newson who is the founder of DV8 describes physical theatre as a Grotowski ground termDV8 were one of the first groups in Britain to call their work physical theatre, which is a Grotowski-based term (Giannachi, and Luckhurst,1999, p. 109)Many physical theatre groups work without money, in coordinate to create their own scenery and props with their own bodies, just as Grotowski strived his actors to work on a broadcast stage, physical theatre could be seen as a concept of poor theatre.Another of Grotowskis techniques of poor theatre was the awareness between the actor and audience relationship, believing that theatre can exist without the set, costume etc. but it cannot exist without an audience. Grotowski wanted the actors to experiment with how the audience are perceivedThe actors can play among the spectators the a ctors may build structures among the spectatorsthe actors may play among the spectators and skip them, looking through them. The spectators may be separated from the actors - (Grotowski, 1968, p. 20)He experimented with the space, shape, and size of the audience trying to find a both a spiritual and spatial awareness for the audiences relationship with the actors. Above all this Grotowski believed that an actor audience relationship was essential, his methods and ideas of the relationship can now be perceived as environmental theatre. (Slowiak and Cuesta, 2007, p. 12) in time Grotowski believed the intention of the performance can distinguish the audiences involvement of the performance. As well as Grotowski, there are other practitioners such as Brecht and Artaud whose influence was to hand out down the fourth wall in contemporary practice more theatrical groups experiment with this. Groups such as Thtre de Complicit and kneehigh began to form through the eighties who based thei r performances with no fourth wall and full audience participation.One of Grotowskis major influences was Artaud, they both had ideas of how theatre should be depicted with symbolism, eastern theatrical and ritualistic senses. Grotowski used many oriental techniques throughout his exercises and workshops in order to bring out the best of body movementAlso particularly stimulating to me are the training techniques of oriental theatre (Grotowski, 1968, p. 16)His most undetermined pragmatic approach to eastern physicality was yoga which he used as the foundation for his physical exercises. nevertheless he became increasingly sceptical about the use of yoga throughout theatre and rather than disregard the yoga movements he adapted them. In more contemporary practices yoga is used between physical theatre groups. DV8 in specific use yoga using Grotowskis exploration, where he insisted that the mood after yoga is one that puts you under rest which generally destroys the earnestness for expressionGrotowski called it an internal sleep, an inexpressive equilibrium, a great rest which ends all actions. (Callery, 2001, p. 27)DV8s analysis was also that yoga gave a different energy, but also that other physical exercise such as aerobics also gave a different energy. They therefore discovered their own means of physical exercise in order to find new potentials. (Callery, 2001, p. 27)In conclusion, many contemporary theatrical groups and practices all use forms of Grotowskis practices. Groups without money tend to form the black box stripped theatre in order to create poor theatre focusing mainly on body and facial expressions. Physical theatre companies also use the bare stage in order to create their own props and scenery through body language and movement. Also the spectator and actor relationship can be seen through many of todays performances as well as other practitioners work. Grotowskis physicality and experimental exercises can be seen through contemporary practi ce, but can only be portrayed through an actors own discovery.