PETER BROOK
The Empty Space A TOUCHSTONE BOOK Published by Simon & Schuste
PETER BROOK
The Empty Space A TOUCHSTONE BOOK Published by Simon & Schuste
TOUCHSTONE Roc!e"elle Cente #$% A'enue o" the Ameicas Ne( )o!* )o!* N) N) #$ #$ Copyi+ht , #-./ by Pete Boo! All i+hts ese'ed* includin+ the i+ht o" epoduction in (hole o in pat in any "om0 1ist Touchstone Edition #--. TOUCHSTONE and colophon ae e+isteed tadema!s o" Simon & Schuste 2nc0 Potions o" this boo! (ee pe'iously published in The Atlantic Monthly 3anu"actued in the United States o" Ameica $% $4 $5 $- % $/ $. $6 $$ 7ibay 7ibay o" Con+ess Con+ess catalo+ cad numbe numbe ./8#$4%# ./8#$4%# 2SBN 8./68/$8./ 68/$-458. 458.
1OR 3) 1ATHER
CONTENTS
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$ THE HO7) THEATRE
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THE ROU:H THEATRE
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# The 9eadly Theate 2 CAN ta!e any empty space and call it a bae sta+e0 A man (al!s acoss this empty space (hilst someone else is (atchin+ him* and this is all that is needed "o an act o" theate to be en+a+ed0 )et (hen (e tal! about theate this is not ;uite (hat (e mean0 Red cutains* spotli+hts* blan! 'ese* lau+hte* da!ness* these ae all con"usedly supeimposed in a messy ima+e co'eed by one all8 pupose (od0
and so (ill tal! about a 9eadly Theate* a Holy Theate* a Rou+h Theate and an 2mmediate Theate0 Sometimes these "ou theates eally e=ist* standin+ side by side* in the
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decepti'e and can appea any(hee* that (e (ill become a(ae o" the si@e o" the poblem0 The condition o" the 9eadly Theate at least is "aily ob'ious0 All thou+h the (old theate audiences ae d(indlin+0 Thee ae occasional ne( mo'ements* +ood ne( (ites and so on* but as a (hole* the theate not only "ails to ele'ate o instuct* it hadly e'en entetains0 The theate has o"ten been called a (hoe* meanin+ its at is impue* but today this is tue in anothe sense >(hoes ta!e the money and then +o shot on the pleasue0 The Boad(ay cisis* the Pais cisis* the the 9eadly Theate "inds its deadly (ay into +and opea and ta+edy* into the plays o" 3oliee and the plays o" Becht0 O" couse no(hee does the 9eadly Theate install itsel" so secuely* so com"otably and so slyly as in the (o!s o" they loo! li'ely and colou"ul* thee is music and e'eyone is all dessed up* ust as they ae supposed to be in the best o" classical theates0 )et secetly (e "ind it e=cuciatin+ly boin+>and in ou heats (e eithe blame Sha!espeae* o theate as such* o e'en ousel'es0 To ma!e mattes (ose thee is al(ays a deadly spectato* (ho "o special easons enoys a lac! o" intensity and e'en a lac! o" entetainment* such as the schola (ho eme+es "om outine pe"omances o" the classics smilin+ because nothin+ has distacted him "om tyin+ o'e and con"imin+ his pet theoies to himsel"* (hilst ecitin+ his "a'ouite lines unde his beath0 2n
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his heat he sinceely (ants a theate that is noble8than8li"e and he con"uses a sot o" intellectual satis"action (ith the tue e=peience "o (hich he ca'es0 Un"otunately* he lends the (ei+ht o" his authoity to dullness and so the 9eadly Theate +oes on its (ay0 Anyone (ho (atches the eal successes as they appea each yea* (ill see a 'ey cuious phenomenon0 but this is not al(ays the case0 Almost e'ey season in most theate8lo'in+ to(ns* thee is one +eat success that de"ies these ules one play that succeeds not despite but because o" dullness0 A"te all* one associates cultue (ith a cetain sense o" duty* histoical costumes and lon+ speeches (ith the sensation o" bein+ boed? so* con'esely* ust the i+ht de+ee o" boin+ness is a eassuin+ +uaantee o" a (oth(hile e'ent0 O" couse* the dosa+e is so subtle that it is impossible to establish the e=act "omula>too much and the audience is di'en out o" thei seats* too little and it may "ind the theme too disa+eeably intense0 Ho(e'e* medioce authos seem to "eel thei (ay unein+ly to the pe"ect mi=tue>and they pepetuate the 9eadly Theate (ith dull successes* uni'esally paised0 Audiences ca'e "o somethin+ in the theate that they can tem Dbette than li"e and "o this eason ae open to con"use cultue* o the tappin+s o" cultue* (ith somethin+ they do not !no(* but sense obscuely could e=ist>so* ta+ically* in ele'atin+ somethin+ bad into a success they ae only cheatin+ themsel'es0 2" (e tal! o" deadly* let us note that the di""eence bet(een li"e and death* so cystal clea in man* is some(hat 'eiled in othe "ields0 A docto can tell at once bet(een the tace o" li"e and the useless ba+ o" bones that li"e has le"t but (e ae less pactised in obse'in+ ho( an idea* an attitude o a "om can pass "om the li'ely to the moibund0 2t is di""icult to de"ine but a child can
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smell it out0 7et me +i'e an e=ample0 2n 1ance thee ae t(o deadly (ays o" playin+ classical ta+edy0 One is taditional* and this in'ol'es usin+ a special 'oice* a special manne* a noble loo! and an ele'ated musical deli'ey0 The othe (ay is no moe than a hal"8heated 'esion o" the same thin+0 2mpeial +estues and oyal 'alues ae "ast disappeain+ "om e'eyday li"e* so each ne( +eneation "inds the +and manne moe and moe hollo(* moe and moe meanin+less0 This leads the youn+ acto to an an+y and impatient seach "o (hat he calls tuth0 He (ants to play his 'ese moe ealistically* to +et it to sound li!e honest8to8:od eal speech* but he "inds that the "omality o" the (itin+ is so i+id that it esists this teatment0 He is "oced to an uneasy compomise that is neithe e"eshin+* li!e odinay tal!* no de"iantly histionic* li!e (hat (e call ham0 So his actin+ is (ea! and because ham is ston+* it is emembeed (ith a cetain nostal+ia0 2ne'itably* someone calls "o ta+edy to be played once a+ain Dthe (ay it is (itten0 This is "ai enou+h* but un"otunately all the pinted (od can tell us is (hat (as (itten on pape* not ho( it (as once bou+ht to li"e0 Thee ae no ecods* no tapes>only e=pets* but not one o" them* o" couse* has "isthand !no(led+e0 The eal anti;ues ha'e all +one>only some imitations ha'e su'i'ed* in the shape o" taditional actos* (ho continue to play in a taditional (ay* da(in+ thei inspiation not "om eal souces* but "om ima+inay ones* such as the memoy o" the sound an olde acto once made>a sound that in tun (as a memoy o" a pedecessos (ay0 2 once sa( a eheasal at the Comedie 1anFaise>a 'ey youn+ acto stood in "ont o" a 'ey old one and spo!e and mimed the ole (ith him li!e a e"lection in a +lass0 This must not be con"used (ith the +eat tadition* say* o" the Noh actos passin+ !no(led+e oally "om "athe to son0 Thee it is meanin+ that is communicated>and meanin+ ne'e belon+s to the past0 2t can be chec!ed in each mans o(n pesent e=peience0 But to imitate
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the e=tenals o" actin+ only pepetuates manne>a manne had to elate to anythin+ at all0 A+ain (ith Sha!espeae (e hea o ead the same ad'ice>DPlay (hat is (itten0 But (hat is (ittenG Cetain ciphes on pape0 Sha!espeaes (ods ae ecods o" the (ods that he (anted to be spo!en* (ods issuin+ as sounds "om peoples mouths* (ith pitch* pause* hythm and +estue as pat o" thei meanin+0 A (od does not stat as a (od>it is an end poduct (hich be+ins as an impulse* stimulated by attitude and beha'iou (hich dictate the need "o e=pession0 This pocess occus inside the damatist it is epeated inside the acto0 Both may only be conscious o" the (ods* but both "o the autho and then "o the acto the (od is a small 'isible potion o" a +i+antic unseen "omation0 Some (ites attempt to nail do(n thei meanin+ and intentions in sta+e diections and e=planations* yet (e cannot help bein+ stuc! by the "act that the best damatists e=plain themsel'es the least0 They eco+ni@e that "uthe indications (ill most pobably be useless0 They eco+ni@e that the only (ay to "ind the tue path to the spea!in+ o" a (od is thou+h a pocess that paallels the oi+inal ceati'e one0 This can neithe be by8 passed no simpli"ied0 Un"otunately* the moment a lo'e spea!s* o a !in+ uttes* (e ush to +i'e them a label? the lo'e is Domantic* the !in+ is Dnoble>and be"oe (e !no( it (e ae spea!in+ o" omantic lo'e and !in+ly nobility o pinceliness as thou+h they ae thin+s (e can hold in ou hand and e=pect the actos to obse'e0 But these ae not substances and they do not e=ist0 2" (e seach "o them* the best (e can do is to ma!e +uess(o! econstuctions "om boo!s and paintin+s0 2" you as! an acto to play in a Domantic style he (ill 'aliantly ha'e a +o* thin!in+ he !no(s (hat you mean0
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happens to admie0 2" he di+s into his o(n e=peiences the esult may not may (ith the te=t i" he ust plays (hat he thin!s is the te=t* it (ill be imitati'e and con'entional0 Eithe (ay the esult is a compomise? at most times uncon'incin+0 2t is 'ain to petend that the (ods (e apply to classical plays li!e Dmusical* Dpoetic* Dla+e than li"e* Dnoble* Dheoic* Domantic* ha'e any absolute meanin+0 They ae the e"lections o" a citical attitude o" a paticula peiod* and to attempt to build a pe"omance today to con"om to these canons is the most cetain oad to deadly theate>deadly theate o" a espectability that ma!es it pass as li'in+ tuth0 Once* (hen +i'in+ a lectue on this theme* 2 (as able to put it to a pactical test0 By luc!* thee (as a (oman in the audience (ho had neithe ead no seen Kin+ 7ea0 2 +a'e he :oneils "ist speech and as!ed he to ecite it as best she could "o (hate'e 'alues she "ound in it0 She ead it 'ey simply>and the speech itsel" eme+ed "ull o" elo;uence and cham0 2 then e=plained that it (as supposed to be the speech o" a (ic!ed (oman and su++ested he eadin+ e'ey (od "o hypocisy0 She tied to do so* and the audience sa( (hat a had unnatual (estlin+ (ith the simple music o" the (ods (as in'ol'ed (hen she sou+ht to act to a de"inition? Si* 2 lo'e you moe than (ods can (ield the matte 9eae than eyesi+ht* space* and libety Beyond that can be 'alued* ich o ae No less than li"e* (ith +ace* health* beauty* honou As much as child ee lo'ed* o "athe "ound A lo'e that ma!es beath poo* and speech unable Beyond all manne o" so much 2 lo'e you0 Anyone can ty this "o himsel"0 Taste it on the ton+ue0 The (ods ae those o" a lady o" style and beedin+ accustomed to
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e=pessin+ hesel" in public* someone (ith ease and social aplomb0 As "o clues to he chaacte* only the "aFade is pesented and this* (e see* is ele+ant and attacti'e0 )et i" one thin!s o" the pe"omances (hee :oneil spea!s these "ist lines as a macabe 'illainess* and loo!s at the speech a+ain* one is at a loss to !no( (hat su++ests this>othe than peconceptions o" Sha!espeaes moal attitudes0 2n "act* i" :oneil in he "ist appeaance does not play a Dmonste* but meely (hat he +i'en (ods su++est* then all the balance o" the play chan+es>and in the subse;uent scenes he 'illainy and 7eas matydom ae neithe as cude no as simpli"ied as they mi+ht appea0 O" couse* by the end o" the play (e lean that :oneils actions ma!e he (hat (e call a monste>but a eal monste* both comple= and compellin+0 2n a li'in+ theate* (e (ould each day appoach the eheasal puttin+ yestedays disco'eies to the test* eady to belie'e that the tue play has once a+ain escaped us0 But the 9eadly Theate appoaches the classics "om the 'ie(point that some(hee* someone has "ound out and de"ined ho( the play should be done0 This is the unnin+ poblem o" (hat (e loosely call style0 E'ey (o! has its o(n style? it could not be othe(ise? e'ey peiod has its style0 The moment (e ty to pinpoint this style (e ae lost0 2 emembe 'i'idly (hen shotly a"te the Pe!in Opea had come to 7ondon a i'al Chinese Opea Company "ollo(ed* "om 1omosa0 The Pe!in Company (as still in touch (ith its souces and ceatin+ its ancient pattens a"esh each ni+ht? the 1omosan company* doin+ the same items* (as imitatin+ its memoies o" them* s!impin+ some details* e=a++eatin+ the sho(y passa+es* "o+ettin+ the meanin+>nothin+ (as ebon0 E'en in a stan+e e=otic style the di""eence bet(een li"e and
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death (as unmista!able0 The eal Pe!in Opea (as an e=ample o" a theatical at (hee the oute "oms do not chan+e "om +eneation to +eneation and only a "e( yeas a+o it seemed as thou+h it (ee so pe"ectly "o@en that it could cay on "o e'e0 Today* e'en this supeb elic has +one0 2ts "oce and its ;uality enabled it to su'i'e (ay beyond its time* li!e a monument>but the day came (hen the +ap bet(een it and the li"e o" the society aound it became too +eat0 The Red :uads e"lect a di""eent China0 1e( o" the attitudes and meanin+s o" the taditional Pe!in Opea elate to the ne( stuctue o" thou+ht in (hich this people no( li'es0 Today in Pe!in the empeos and pincesses ha'e been eplaced by landlods and soldies* and the same incedible acobatic s!ills ae used to spea! o" 'ey di""eent themes0 To the and yet 2 "eel that the uthless Chinese attitude to one o" thei poudest possessions +oes to the heat o" the meanin+ o" li'in+ theate>theate is al(ays a sel"8destucti'e at* and it is al(ays (itten on the (ind0 A po"essional theate assembles di""eent people e'ey ni+ht and spea!s to them thou+h the lan+ua+e o" beha'iou0 A pe"omance +ets set and usually has to be epeated>and epeated as (ell and accuately as possible>but "om the day it is set somethin+ in'isible is be+innin+ to die0 2n the 3osco( At Theate* in Tel A'i' in the Habimah* poductions ha'e been !ept +oin+ "o "oty yeas o moe? 2 ha'e seen a "aith"ul e'i'al o" a!htan+o's t(enties sta+in+ of Princess Turandot; 2 ha'e seen Stanisla's!ys o(n (o!* pe"ectly pese'ed? but none o" these had moe than anti;uaian inteest* none had the 'itality o" ne( in'ention0 At Stat"od (hee (e (oy that (e dont play ou epetoie lon+ enou+h to mil! its
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"ull bo= o""ice 'alue* (e no( discuss this ;uite empiically? about "i'e yeas* (e a+ee* is the most a paticula sta+in+ can li'e0 2t is not only the haistyles* costumes and ma!e8ups that loo! dated0 All the di""eent elements o" sta+in+>the shothands o" beha'iou that stand "o cetain emotions +estues* +esticulations and tones o" 'oice>ae all "luctuatin+ on an in'isible stoc! e=chan+e all the time0 7i"e is mo'in+* in"luences ae playin+ on acto and audience and othe plays* othe ats* the cinema* tele'ision* cuent e'ents* oin in the constant e(itin+ o" histoy and the amendin+ o" the daily tuth0 2n "ashion houses someone (ill thump a table and say Dboots ae de"initely in? this is an e=istential "act0 A li'in+ theate that thin!s it can stand aloo" "om anythin+ so ti'ial as "ashion (ill (ilt0 2n the theate* e'ey "om once bon is motal e'ey "om must be econcei'ed* and its ne( conception (ill bea the ma!s o" all the in"luences that suound it0 2n this sense* the theate is elati'ity0 )et a +eat theate is not a "ashion house pepetual elements do ecu and cetain "undamental issues undelie all damatic acti'ity0 The deadly tap is to di'ide the etenal tuths "om the supe"icial 'aiations this is a subtle "om o" snobbey and it is "atal0 1o instance* it is accepted that sceney* costumes* music ae "ai +ame "o diectos and desi+nes* and must in "act be ene(ed0
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in the same (ay* "ee o" the need to be e'ised and eassessed0 But the 'ehicle o" dama is "lesh and blood and hee completely di""eent la(s ae at (o!0 The 'ehicle and the messa+e cannot be sepaated0 Only a na!ed acto can be+in to esemble a pue instument li!e a 'iolin and only i" he has a completely classical physi;ue* (ith neithe paunch no bandy le+s0 A ballet dance is sometimes close to this condition and he can epoduce "omal +estues unmodi"ied by his o(n pesonality o by the oute mo'ement o" li"e0 But the moment the acto desses up and spea!s (ith his o(n ton+ue he is entein+ the "luctuatin+ teitoy o" mani"estation and e=istence that he shaes (ith the spectato0 Because the musicians e=peience is so di""eent* he "inds it had to "ollo( (hy the taditional bits o" business that made edi lau+h and Puccini slap his thi+hs seem neithe "unny no illuminatin+ today0 :and opea* o" couse* is the 9eadly Theate caied to absudity0 Opea is a ni+htmae o" 'ast "euds o'e tiny details o" suealist anecdotes that all tun ound the same assetion? nothin+ needs to chan+e0 E'eythin+ in opea must chan+e* but in opea chan+e is bloc!ed0 A+ain (e must be(ae o" indi+nation* "o i" (e ty to simpli"y the poblem by ma!in+ tadition the main baie bet(een ousel'es and a li'in+ theate (e (ill a+ain miss the eal issue0 Thee is a deadly element e'ey(hee in the cultual set8up* in ou inheited atistic 'alues* in the economic "ame(o!* in the actos li"e* in the citics "unction0 As (e e=amine these (e (ill see that decepti'ely the opposite seems also tue* "o (ithin the 9eadly Theate thee ae o"ten tantali@in+* aboti'e o e'en momentaily satis"yin+ "lic!es o" a eal li"e0 2n Ne( )o! "o instance* the most deadly element is cetainly economic0 This does not mean that all (o! done thee is bad* but a theate (hee a play "o economic easons eheases "o no moe than thee (ee!s is cippled at the outset0
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Time is not the be8all and end8all? it is not impossible to +et an astonishin+ esult in thee (ee!s0 Occasionally in the theate (hat one loosely calls chemisty* o luc!* bin+s about an astonishin+ ush o" ene+y* and then in'ention "ollo(s in'ention in li+htnin+ chain eaction0 But this is ae? common sense sho(s that i" the system i+idly e=cludes moe than thee (ee!s eheasal most o" the time* most thin+s su""e0 No e=peimentin+ can ta!e place* and no eal atistic is!s ae possible0 The diecto must deli'e the +oods o be "ied and so must the acto0 O" couse time can also be used 'ey badly it is possible to sit aound "o months discussin+ and (oyin+ and impo'isin+ (ithout this sho(in+ in any (ay (hatsoe'e0 2 ha'e seen Sha!espeaian poductions in Russia so con'entional in appoach that t(o "ull yeas o" discussion and study o" achi'es +i'e no bette a esult than scatch companies +et in thee (ee!s0 2 met an acto (ho eheased Hamlet "o se'en yeas and ne'e played it because the diecto died be"oe it (as "inished0 On the othe hand* poductions o" Russian plays eheased in the Stanisla's!y manne o'e yeas still each a le'el o" pe"omance o" (hich (e can only deam0 The Beline Ensemble uses time (ell* they use it "eely* spendin+ about t(el'e months on a ne( poduction* and o'e a numbe o" yeas they ha'e built up a epetoie o" sho(s* e'ey one o" (hich is ema!able>and e'ey one o" (hich "ills the theate to capacity0 2n simple capitalist tems* this is bette business than the commecial theate (hee the scambled and patched sho(s so seldom succeed0 Each season on Boad(ay o in 7ondon a la+e numbe o" e=pensi'e sho(s "old (ithin a (ee! o t(o a+ainst the ae "ea! that scapes thou+h0 None the less* the pecenta+e o" disastes hasnt olted the system o the belie" that someho( it (ill all (o! out in the end0 On Boad(ay tic!et pices ae continually isin+ and* ionically* as each season +o(s moe disastous* each seasons hit ma!es moe money0 As "e(e and "e(e people +o thou+h the doos*
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la+e and la+e sums coss the tic!et o""ice counte* until e'entually one last millionaie (ill be payin+ a "otune "o one pi'ate pe"omance "o himsel" alone0 So it comes about that (hat is bad business "o some is +ood business "o othes0 E'eyone moans and yet many (ant the system to +o on0 The atistic conse;uences ae se'ee0 Boad(ay is not a un+le* it is a machine into (hich a +eat many pats snu+ly inteloc!0 )et each o" these pats is butali@ed it has been de"omed to "it and "unction smoothly0 This is the only theate in the (old (hee e'ey atist>by this* 2 mean desi+nes* composes* li+htin+ electicians* as (ell as actos> needs an a+ent "o his pesonal potection0 This sounds melodamatic* but in a sense e'eyone is continually in dan+e his ob* his eputation* his (ay o" li"e is in daily balance0 2n theoy* this tension should lead to an atmosphee o" "ea* and* (ee this the case* its destucti'eness (ould be clealy seen0 2n pactice* ho(e'e* the undelyin+ tension leads ust as diectly to the "amous Boad(ay atmosphee* (hich is 'ey emotional* thobbin+ (ith appaent (amth and +ood chee0 On the "ist day o" eheasal o" House of Floers! its compose Haold Alen ai'ed (eain+ a blue con"lo(e* (ith cham8 pa+ne and pesents "o us all0 As he hu++ed and !issed his (ay ound the cast* Tuman Capote (ho had (itten the libetto (hispeed da!ly to me* D2ts lo'e today0 The la(yesll be in tomoo(0 2t (as tue0 Peal Bailey had se'ed me (ith a 4*8dolla (it be"oe the sho( eached to(n0 1 o a "oei+ne it (as Iin etospectJ all "un and e=citin+> e'eythin+ is co'eed and e=cused by the tem Dsho( business> but in pecise tems the butal (amth diectly elates to the lac! o" emotional "inesse0 2n such conditions thee is aely the ;uiet and secuity in (hich anyone may dae e=pose himsel"0 2 mean the tue unspectacula intimacy that lon+ (o! and tue con"idence in othe people bin+s about>on
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Boad(ay* a cude +estue o" sel"8e=posue is easy to come by* but this has nothin+ to do (ith the subtle* sensiti'e inte elation bet(een people con"idently (o!in+ to+ethe0 and the actos (ho ha'e played the classics and ha'e been "latteed by citics into belie'in+ that they ha'e Dit* do e'eythin+ to pepetuate the notion that style is a ae somethin+ that a "e( +entleman actos possess0 )et Ameica could easily ha'e a +eat theate o" its o(n0 2t possesses e'ey one o" the elements thee is a sten+th* coua+e* humou* cash and a capacity "o "acin+ had "acts0 One monin+ 2 stood in the 3useum o" 3oden At loo!in+ at the people s(amin+ in "o one dolla admission0 Almost e'ey one o" them had the li'ely head and the indi'idual loo! o" a +ood audience > usin+ the simple pesonal standad o" an audience "o (hom one (ould li!e to do plays0 2n Ne( )o!* potentially* thee is one o" the best audiences in the (old0 Un"otunately* it seldom +oes to the theate0 2t seldom +oes to the theate because the pices ae too hi+h0 Cetainly it can a""od these pices* but it has been let do(n too o"ten0 2t is not "o nothin+ that Ne( )o! is the place (hee the citics ae the most po(e"ul and the tou+hest in the (old0 2t is the audience* yea a"te yea* that has been "oced to ele'ate simple "allible men into hi+hly piced e=pets because* as (hen a collecto buys an e=pensi'e (o!* he cannot a""od to ta!e the is! alone? the tadition o" the e=pet 'alues o" (o!s o" at* li!e 9u'een* has eached the bo= o""ice line0 So the cicle is closed not only the
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atists* but also the audience* ha'e to ha'e thei potection men> and most o" the cuious* intelli+ent* non8con"omin+ indi'iduals stay a(ay0 This situation is not uni;ue to Ne( )o!0 2 had a closely elated e=peience (hen (e put on ohn Adens "ergeant Musgra#e$s %ance in Pais at the AthenLe0 2t (as a tue "lop> almost all the Pess (as bad>and (e (ee playin+ to 'itually empty houses0 Con'inced that the play had an audience some(hee in the to(n* (e announced that (e (ould +i'e thee "ee pe"omances0 Such (as the lue o" complimentay tic!ets that they became li!e (ild pemiees0 Co(ds "ou+ht to +et in* the police had to da( ion +illes acoss the "oye* and the play itsel" (ent ma+ni"icently* as the actos* cheeed by the (amth o" the house* +a'e thei best pe"omance* (hich in tun eaned them an o'ation0 The theate (hich the ni+ht be"oe had been a dau+hty mo+ue no( hummed (ith the chatte and bu@@ o" success0 At the end* (e put up the house li+hts and loo!ed at the audience0 3ostly youn+* they (ee all (ell dessed* athe "omal* in suits and ties0 1anFoise Spia* diectess o" the theate* came on the sta+e0 D2s thee anyone hee (ho could not a""od the pice o" a tic!etG One man put up his hand0 DAnd the est o" you* (hy did you ha'e to (ait to be let in "o "eeG D2t had a bad Pess0 D9o you belie'e the PessG 7oud chous o" DNoM DThen* (hyG And "om all sides the same ans(e>the is! is too +eat* too
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many disappointments0 Hee (e see ho( the 'icious cicle is da(n0 Steadily the 9eadly Theate di+s its o(n +a'e0 O else (e can attac! the poblem the othe (ay ound0 2" +ood theate depends on a +ood audience* then e'ey audience has the theate it dese'es0 )et it must be 'ey had "o spectatos to be told o" an audiences esponsibility0 Ho( can this be "aced in pacticeG 2t (ould be a sad day i" people (ent to the theate out o" duty0 Once (ithin a theate an audience cannot (hip itsel" into bein+ Dbette than it is0 2n a sense thee is nothin+ a spectato can actually do0 And yet thee is a contadiction hee that cannot be i+noed* "o e'eythin+ depends on him0
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had +one "om thei actin+0 2 (anted to blame the actos* but it (as clea that they (ee tyin+ as had as they could0 2t (as the elation (ith the audience that had chan+ed0 2n Philadelphia* the audience undestood En+lish all i+ht* but this audience (as composed la+ely o" people (ho (ee not inteested in the play people (ho came "o all the con'entional easons>because it (as a social e'ent* because thei (i'es insisted* and so on0 Undoubtedly* a (ay e=isted to in'ol'e this paticula audience in &ing 'ear! but it (as not ou (ay0 The austeity o" this poduction (hich had seemed so i+ht in Euope no lon+e made sense0 Seein+ people ya(n* 2 "elt +uilty* eali@in+ that somethin+ else (as demanded "om us all0 2 !ne( that (ee 2 doin+ a poduction o" &ing 'ear "o the people o" Philadelphia 2 (ould (ithout condescension stess e'eythin+ di""eently>and* in immediate tems* 2 (ould +et it to (o! bette0 But (ith an established poduction on tou 2 could do nothin+0 The actos* ho(e'e* (ee instincti'ely espondin+ to the ne( situation0 They (ee undelinin+ e'eythin+ in the play that could aest the spectato>that is to say* (hen thee (as a bit o" e=citin+ action o a bust o" melodama* they e=ploited it* they played loude and cude and o" couse (hipped past those inticate passa+es that the non8En+lish audience had so enoyed>(hich* ionically* only an En+lish8spea!in+ audience could ha'e appeciated to the "ull0 E'entually ou impesaio too! the play to the 7incoln Cente in Ne( )o!>a +iant auditoium (hee the acoustics (ee bad and the audience esented its poo contact (ith the sta+e0
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conditions o" the oi+inal pe"omance apply>and contact (ith each ne( audience is o"ten a matte o" luc!0 2n the old days* the stollin+ playes natually adapted thei (o! to each ne( place? elaboate moden poductions ha'e no such "le=ibility0 2n "act* (hen (e played DUS* the Royal Sha!espeae Theates +oup8 happenin+8collaboati'e spectacle on the ietnam (a* (e decided to e"use all in'itations to tou0 E'ey element in it had come into bein+ ust "o the paticula coss8section o" 7ondon that sat in the Ald(ych Theate in #-..0 The "act that (e had no te=t (ou+ht and set by a damatist (as the condition o" this paticula e=peiment0 Contact (ith the audience* thou+h shaed e"eences* became the substance o" the e'enin+0 Had (e a shaped te=t* (e could ha'e played in othe places* (ithout one (e (ee li!e a happenin+>and in the e'ent* (e all "elt that somethin+ (as lost in playin+ it e'en thou+h a 7ondon season o" "i'e months0 One pe"omance (ould ha'e been the tue culmination0 the li'eliness o" the actos (aned as the immediacy o" the elation (ith thei public and thei theme lessened0 9uin+ a tal! to a +oup at a uni'esity 2 once tied to illustate ho( an audience a""ects actos by the ;uality o" its attention0 2 as!ed "o a 'oluntee0 A man came "o(ad* and 2 +a'e him a sheet o" pape on (hich (as typed a speech "om Pete
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that ae also customay0 Somethin+ o" his seiousness and concenta8 tion eached the audience and it "ell silent0 Then at my e;uest he be+an to ead out loud0 The 'ey "ist (ods (ee loaded (ith thei o(n +hastly sense and the eades esponse to them0 2mmediately the audience undestood0 2t became one (ith him* (ith the speech >the lectue oom and the 'oluntee (ho had come on0 to the plat"om 'anished "om si+ht>the na!ed e'idence "om Ausch(it@ (as so po(e"ul that it too! o'e completely0 Not only did the eade continue to spea! in a shoc!ed attenti'e silence* but his eadin+* technically spea!in+* (as pe"ect>it had neithe +ace no lac! o" +ace* s!ill no lac! o" s!ill>it (as pe"ect because he had no attention to spae "o sel"8consciousness* "o (ondein+ (hethe he (as usin+ the i+ht intonation0 He !ne( the audience (anted to hea* and he (anted to let them hea? the ima+es "ound thei o(n le'el and +uided his 'oice unconsciously to the appopiate 'olume and pitch0 A"te this* 2 as!ed "o anothe 'oluntee* and +a'e him the speech "om Henry * (hich lists the names and numbes o" the 1ench and En+lish dead0
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DSo ho( lon+s it +ot to ta!eG D
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told o" the uthlessness latent in any small community* and (hen (e played in the En+lish po'inces* to 'itually empty houses* the eaction o" those (ho came (as Dits not eal* Dit couldnt happen* and they enoyed it o disli!ed it on the le'el o" "antasy0 The Marat+"ade (as li!ed in 7ondon not so much as a play about e'olution* (a and madness as a display o" theaticality0 The opposin+ (ods Dliteay and Dtheatical ha'e many meanin+s* but in the En+lish theate* (hen used as paise* they all too o"ten descibe (ays o" (adin+ o"" contact (ith distubin+ themes0 The Ameican audience eacted to both plays much moe diectly* they accepted and belie'ed the popositions that man is +eedy and mudeous* a potential lunatic0 They (ee cau+ht and held by the mateial o" the dama* and in the case o" The *isit they o"ten did not e'en comment on the "act that the stoy (as bein+ told to them in a some(hat un"amilia* e=pessionistic (ay0 They simply discussed (hat the play had said0 The +eat Ka@an8 and they (ee po(e"ul e'ents* the cicle o" pe"omance (as i'etin+ and complete0 2n Ameica* in po(e"ul (a'es* comes a eco+nition o" the deadly* and a ston+ eaction a+ainst it0 )eas a+o* the Actos Studio came into bein+ to +i'e a "aith and continuity to those unhappy atists (ho (ee bein+ so apidly tho(n in and out o" (o!0 Basin+ a 'ey seious and systematic study on a potion o" Stanisla's!ys teachin+* the Actos Studio de'eloped a 'ey ema!able school o" actin+ that coesponded pe"ectly to the needs o" the play(i+hts and public o" the time0 Actos still had to +i'e esults in thee (ee!s* but they (ee sustained by the schools tadition and they did not come empty8handed to the "ist eheasal0 This bac!+ound o" teachin+ +a'e a sten+th and inte+ity to thei (o!0 The 3ethod Acto (as tained to eect
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clichL imitations o" eality and to seach "o somethin+ moe eal in himsel"0 He then had to pesent this thou+h the li'in+ o" it* and so actin+ became a deeply natualistic study0 DReality is a (od (ith many meanin+s* but hee it (as undestood to be that slice o" the eal that e"lected the people and the poblems aound the acto* and it coincided (ith the slices o" e=istence that the (ites o" the day* 3ille* Tennessee
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All this bin+s us bac! to the same poblem0 The (od theate has many sloppy meanin+s0 2n most o" the (old* the theate has no e=act place in society* no clea pupose* it only e=ists in "a+ments? one theate chases money* anothe chases +loy* anothe chases emotion* anothe chases politics* anothe chases "un0 The acto is bundled "om pilla to post>con"used and consumed by conditions outside his contol0 Actos may sometimes seem ealous o ti'ial* yet 2 ha'e ne'e !no(n an acto (ho did not (ant to (o!0 This (ish to (o! is his sten+th0 2t is (hat enables po"essionals e'ey(hee to undestand each othe0 But he cannot e"om his po"ession alone0 2n a theate (ith "e( schools and no aims* he is usually the tool* not the instument0 )et (hen the theate does come bac! to the acto* the poblem is still not sol'ed0 On the contay* deadly actin+ becomes the heat o" the cisis0 The dilemma o" the acto is not uni;ue to commecial theates (ith inade;uate eheasal time0 Sin+es and o"ten dances !eep thei teaches by them to the end o" thei days? actos once launched ha'e nothin+ (hatsoe'e to help them to de'elop thei talents0 2" this is seen most alamin+ly in the commecial theate* the same applies to pemanent companies0 A"te he eaches a cetain position the acto does no moe home(o!0 Ta!e a youn+ acto* un"omed* unde'eloped* but bustin+ (ith talent* "ull o" latent possibilities0 uite apidly he disco'es (hat he can do* and* a"te mastein+ his initial di""iculties* (ith a bit o" luc! he may "ind himsel" in the en'iable position o" ha'in+ a ob (hich he lo'es* doin+ it (ell (hile +ettin+ paid and admied at the same time0 2" he is to de'elop* the ne=t sta+e must be to +o beyond his appaent an+e* and to be+in to e=ploe (hat eally comes had0 But no one has time "o this sot o" poblem0 His "iends ae little use* his paents ae unli!ely to !no( much about his at* and his a+ent* (ho may be (ell8meanin+ and
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intelli+ent* is not thee to +uide him past +ood o""es o" +ood pats to(ads a 'a+ue somethin+ else that (ould be e'en bette0 Buildin+ a caee and atistic de'elopment do not necessaily +o hand in hand o"ten the acto* as his caee +o(s* be+ins to tun in (o! that +ets moe and moe simila0 2t is a (etched stoy* and all the e=ceptions blu the tuth0 Ho( does the a'ea+e acto spend his daysG O" couse* its a (ide an+e? "om lyin+ in bed* din!in+* +oin+ to the hai8 desse* to the a+ent* "ilmin+* ecodin+* eadin+* some times studyin+ e'en* lattely* toyin+ a bit (ith politics0 But (hethe his use o" time is "i'olous o eanest is beside the point? little that he does elates to his main peoccupation>not to stand still as an acto>(hich means not to stand still as a human bein+* (hich means (o! aimed at his atistic +o(th>and (hee can such (o! ta!e placeG Time a"te time 2 ha'e (o!ed (ith actos (ho a"te the usual peamble that they Dput themsel'es in my hands ae ta+ically incapable ho(e'e had they ty o" layin+ do(n "o one bie" instant e'en in eheasal the ima+e o" themsel'es that has hadened ound an inne emptiness0 On the occasions that it is possible to penetate this shell* it is li!e smashin+ the pictue on a tele'ision set0 2n En+land* it seems suddenly that (e ha'e a ma'ellous ne( beed o" youn+ actos>(e "eel (e ae (itnessin+ t(o lines o" men in a "actoy "acin+ opposite diections? one line shu""les out +ey* tied* the othe stides "o(ad "esh and 'ital0
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inbon potential to its pope "uition0 Natually* in an indi'idualist po"ession* "alse and e=a++eated impotance is +i'en to e=ceptional cases0 Outstandin+ actos li!e all eal atists ha'e some mysteious psychic chemisty* hal" conscious and yet thee8;uates hidden* that they themsel'es may only de"ine as Dinstinct* Dhunch* Dmy 'oices* that enables them to de'elop thei 'ision and thei at0 Special cases may "ollo( special ules? one o" the +eatest actesses o" ou time (ho seems in eheasal to be obse'in+ no method (hatsoe'e actually has an e=taodinay system o" he o(n (hich she can only aticulate in nusey lan+ua+e0 DKneadin+ the "lou today* dalin+* she has said to me0 DPuttin+ it bac! to ba!e a bit lon+e* DNeed some yeast no(* D
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So (hen (e "ind deadliness* (ho is the culpitG Enou+h has been said publicly and pi'ately to ma!e the citics eas bun* to ma!e us belie'e that it is "om them that the (ost deadliness eally stems0 O'e the yeas (e moan and +umble about Dthe Citics as thou+h it (ee al(ays the same si= men hutlin+ by et* "om Pais to Ne( )o!* "om at sho( to concet to the play* al(ays committin+ the same monumental eos0 O as thou+h they (ee all li!e Thomas Bec!et>the olly* (hoin+ "iend o" the Kin+ (ho the day he became Cadinal tuned as disappo'in+ as all his pedecessos? citics come and +o* yet those (ho ae citici@ed +eneally "ind Dthem the same0 Ou system* the ne(spapes* the eades demands* the notice dictated by phone* the poblems o" space* the ;uantity o" ubbish in ou playhouses* the soul8destoyin+ e""ect o" doin+ the same ob o"ten and too lon+* all conspie to pe'ent a citic "om e=ecisin+ his 'ital "unction0
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"i+htenin+ e=i+encies is se'ed la+ely by casual labou0 2n a deadly 'acuum thee ae "e( places (hee (e can popely lean the ats o" the theate>so (e tend to dop in on the theate o""ein+ lo'e instead o" science0 This is (hat the un"otunate citic is ni+htly called to ud+e0 2ncompetence is the 'ice* the condition and the ta+edy o" the (olds theate on any le'el? "a e'ey +ood li+ht comedy o musical o political e'ue o 'ese play o classic that (e see thee ae scoes o" othes that most o" the time ae betayed by a lac! o" elementay s!ills0 The techni;ues o" sta+in+* desi+nin+* spea!in+* (al!in+ acoss a sta+e* sittin+>e'en listenin+>ust aent su""iciently !no(n compae the little it ta!es>e=cept luc!>to +et (o! in many o" the theates o" the (old (ith the minimum le'el o" s!ill demanded say in piano playin+? thin! o" ho( many thousands o" music teaches in thousands o" small cities can play all the notes o" the most di""icult passa+es o" 7is@t o si+ht8ead Sciabin0 Compaed (ith the simple ability o" musicians most o" ou (o! is at amateu le'el most o" the time0 A citic (ill see "a moe incompetence than competence in his theate+oin+0 2 (as once as!ed to diect an opea at a 3iddle Easten opea house (hich (ote "an!ly in its lette o" in'itation Dou ochesta has not all the instuments and plays some (on+ notes but ou audiences so "a ha'e not noticed0 1otunately* the citic does tend to notice and in this sense* his an+iest eaction is 'aluable>it is a call "o competence0 This is a 'ital "unction* but he has still anothe one0 He is a pathma!e0 The citic oins in the deadly +ame (hen he does not accept this esponsibility* (hen he belittles his o(n impotance0 A citic is usually a sincee and decent man acutely a(ae o" the human aspects o" his ob one o" the "amous DButches o" Boad(ay (as said to ha'e been tomented by the !no(led+e that on
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him alone depended peoples happiness and "utue0 Still* e'en i" he is a(ae o" his po(e o" destuction* he undeates his po(e "o +ood0 and "e( citics any(hee (ould dispute this>the only possibility is to ud+e e'ents in elation to a possible +oal0 This +oal should be the same "o atist and citic>the mo'in+ to(ads a less deadly* but* as yet* la+ely unde"ined theate0 This is ou e'entual pupose* ou shaed aim* and notin+ all the si+n8posts and "ootpints on the (ay is ou common tas!0 Ou elations (ith citics may be stained in a supe"icial sense? but in a deepe one the elationship is absolutely necessay? li!e the "ish in the ocean* (e need one anothes de'ouin+ talents to pepetuate the sea beds e=istence0 Ho(e'e* this de'ouin+ is not nealy enou+h? (e need to shae the endea'ou to ise to the su"ace0 This is (hat is had "o all o" us0 The citic is pat o" the (hole and (hethe he (ites his notices "ast o slo(* shot o lon+* is not eally impotant0 Has he an ima+e o" ho( a theate could be in his community and is he e'isin+ this ima+e aound each e=peience he ecei'esG Ho( many citics see thei ob this (ayG 2t is "o this eason that the moe the citic becomes an inside* the bette0 2 see nothin+ but +ood in a citic plun+in+ into ou li'es* meetin+ actos* tal!in+* discussin+* (atchin+* inte'enin+0 2 (ould (elcome his puttin+ his hands on the medium and attemptin+ to (o! it himsel"0 Cetainly* thee is a tiny social poblem>ho( does a citic tal! to someone (hom he has ust damned in pintG 3omentay a(!(adnesses may aise>but it is ludicous to thin! that it is la+ely this that depi'es some citics o" a 'ital contact (ith the (o! o" (hich they ae a pat0 The embaassment on his side and ous can easily be li'ed do(n and cetainly a close elation (ith the (o! (ill in no (ay put the citic into the position o" conni'ance (ith the people he has +ot to !no(0 The citicism that theate people ma!e o" one
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anothe is usually o" de'astatin+ se'eity>but absolutely pecise0 The citic (ho no lon+e enoys the theate is ob'iously a deadly citic* the citic (ho lo'es the theate but is not citically clea (hat this means* is also a deadly citic? the 'ital citic is the citic (ho has clealy "omulated "o himsel" (hat the theate could be>and (ho is bold enou+h to tho( this "o8 mula into eopady each time he paticipates in a theatical e'ent0 The (ost poblem "o the po"essional citic is that he is seldom as!ed to e=pose himsel" to scochin+ e'ents that chan+e his thin!in+? it is had "o him to etain his enthusiasm* (hen thee ae "e( +ood plays any(hee in the (old0 )ea a"te yea* thee is ich ne( mateial pouin+ into the cinema yet all the theates can do is ma!e an unhappy choice bet(een +eat taditional (itin+ o "a less +ood moden (o!s0 and e'en i" his "ist attempt at dama concens only t(o people* (hate'e the style he is still e;uied to li'e "ully (ith them both0 The ob o" shi"tin+ onesel" totally "om one chaacte to anothe>a pinciple on (hich all o" Sha!espeae and all o" Che!ho' is built >is a supe8human tas! at any time0 2t ta!es uni;ue talents and pehaps ones that do not e'en coespond (ith ou a+e0 2" the (o! o" the be+inne8play(i+ht o"ten seems thin* it may (ell be because his an+e o" human sympathy is still unstetched>on the othe hand* nothin+ seems moe suspect than the matue middle8a+ed man o" lettes (ho sits do(n to in'ent chaactes and then tell us all thei secets0 The 1ench e'ulsion a+ainst the classic "om o" the no'el (as a eaction "om the
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omniscience o" the autho? i" you as! 3a+ueite 9uas (hat he chaacte is "eelin+ she (ill o"ten eply* DHo( do 2 !no(G i" you as! Robbe :illet (hy a chaacte has made a cetain action he could ans(e* DAll 2 !no( "o sue is that he opened the doo (ith his i+ht hand0 But this (ay o" thin!in+ hasnt eached the 1ench theate* (hee it is still the autho (ho at the "ist eheasal does a one8man sho(* eadin+ out and pe"omin+ all the pats0 This is the most e=a++eated "om o" a tadition that dies had e'ey(hee0 The autho has been "oced to ma!e a 'itue o" his specialness* and to tun his liteainess into a cutch "o a sel"8impotance that in his heat he !no(s is not usti"ied by his (o!0 3aybe a need "o pi'acy is a deep pat o" an authos ma!e8up0 2t is possible that it is only (ith the doo closed* communin+ (ith himsel"* that he can (estle into "om inne ima+es and con"licts o" (hich he (ould ne'e spea! in public0 and at times they e'en ha'e been in'ol'ed as impesaios0 None the less* (hethe schola o acto* too "e( authos ae (hat (e could tuly call inspiin+ o inspied0 2" the autho (ee a maste and not a 'ictim one could say that he had betayed the theate0 As it is* one can say that he is betayin+ by omission> the authos ae "ailin+ to ise to the challen+e o" thei times0 O" couse* thee ae e=ceptions* billiant* statlin+ ones* hee and thee0 But 2 am thin!in+ a+ain o" the ;uantity o" ne( ceati'e (o! poued into "ilms compaed (ith the (olds output o" ne( damatic te=ts0
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ae moe conscious o" (hat is imitati'e than (hat is eal? i" they e=ploe chaacte* it is seldom that they +o "a beyond steeotypes i" it is a+ument they o""e* it is seldom that a+ument is ta!en to aestin+ e=temes e'en i" it is a ;uality o" li"e that they (ish to e'o!e* (e ae usually o""eed no moe than the liteay ;uality o" the (ell8tuned phase i" it is social citicism they ae a"te* it seldom touches the heat o" any social ta+et i" they (ish "o lau+hte* it is usually by (ell8(on means0 As a esult* (e ae o"ten "oced to choose bet(een e'i'in+ old plays o sta+in+ ne( plays (hich (e "ind inade;uate* ust as a +estue to(ads the pesent day0 O else to attempt to initiate a play>as* "o e=ample* (hen a +oup o" actos and (ites in the Royal Sha!espeae Theate* (antin+ a play on ietnam that did not e=ist* set out to ma!e one* usin+ techni;ues o" impo'isation and autholess in'ention to "ill the 'acuum0 :oup ceation can be in"initely iche* i" the +oup is ich* than the poduct o" (ea! indi'idualism>yet it po'es nothin+0 Thee is e'entually a need "o authoship to each the ultimate compactness and "ocus that collecti'e (o! is almost obli+ed to miss0 2n theoy "e( men ae as "ee as a play(i+ht0 He can bin+ the (hole (old on to his sta+e0 But in "act he is stan+ely timid0 He loo!s at the (hole o" li"e* and li!e all o" us he only sees a tiny "a+ment a "a+ment* one aspect o" (hich catches his "ancy0 Un"otunately he aely seaches to elate his detail to any la+e stuctue>it is as thou+h he accepts (ithout ;uestion his intuition as complete* his eality as all o" eality0 2t is as thou+h his belie" in his subecti'ity as his instument and his sten+th pecludes him "om any dialectic bet(een (hat he sees and (hat he appehends0 So thee is eithe the autho (ho e=ploes his inne e=peience in depth and da!ness* o else the autho (ho shuns these aeas* e=ploin+ the outside (old>each one
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thin!s his (old is complete0 2" Sha!espeae had ne'e e=isted (e (ould ;uite undestandably theoi@e that the t(o can ne'e combine0 The Eli@abethan Theate did e=ist* thou+h>and a(!(adly enou+h (e ha'e this e=ample constantly han+in+ o'e ou heads0 1ou hunded yeas a+o it (as possible "o a damatist to (ish to bin+ the patten o" e'ents in the outside (old* the inne e'ents o" comple= men isolated as indi'iduals* the 'ast tu+ o" thei "eas and aspiations into open con"lict0 9ama (as e=posue* it (as con"ontation* it (as contadiction and it led to analysis* in'ol'ement* eco+nition and* e'entually* to an a(a!enin+ o" undestandin+0 Sha!espeae (as not a pea! (ithout a base* "loatin+ ma+ically on a cloud? he (as suppoted by scoes o" lesse damatists* natually (ith lesse and lesse talents>but shain+ the same ambition "o (estlin+ (ith (hat Hamlet calls the "oms and pessues o" the a+e0 )et a neo8Eli@abethan theate based on 'ese and pa+eanty (ould be a monstosity0 This compels us to loo! at the poblem moe closely and ty to "ind out (hat e=actly the special Sha!espeae ;ualities ae0 One simple "act eme+es at once0 Sha!espeae used the same unit that is a'ailable today>a "e( hous o" public time0 He used this time span to cam to+ethe* second "o second* a ;uantity o" li'ely mateial o" incedible ichness0 This mateial e=ists simultaneously on an in"inite 'aiety o" le'els* it plun+es deep and eaches hi+h? the technical de'ices* the use o" 'ese and pose* the many chan+in+ scenes* e=citin+* "unny* distubin+* (ee the ones the autho (as compelled to de'elop to satis"y his needs? and the autho had a pecise* human and social aim (hich +a'e him eason "o seachin+ "o his themes* eason "o seachin+ "o his means* eason "o ma!in+ theate0
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1o as lon+ as he is an ostich* an isolated ostich* this can ne'e happen0 Be"oe he can aise his head he too must "ace the same cisis0 He too must disco'e (hat he belie'es a theate to be0 Natually* an autho can only (o! (ith (hat he has +ot and cannot leap out o" his sensibility0 He cannot tal! himsel" into bein+ bette o othe than he is0 He can only (ite about (hat he sees and thin!s and "eels0 But one thin+ can amend the instument at his disposal0 The moe clealy he eco+ni@es the missin+ lin!s in his elationships>the moe accuately he e=peiences that he is ne'e deep enou+h in enou+h aspects o" li"e* no deep enou+h in enou+h aspects o" the theate* that his necessay seclusion is also his pison>the moe then can he be+in to "ind (ays o" connectin+ stands o" obse'ation and e=peience (hich at pesent emain unlin!ed0 7et me ty to de"ine moe pecisely the issue that con"onts the (ite0 The theates needs ha'e chan+ed* yet the di""eence is not simply one o" "ashion0 2t is not as thou+h "i"ty yeas a+o one type o" theate (as in 'o+ue (hile today the autho (ho "eels the Dpulse o" the public can "ind his (ay to the ne( idiom0 The di""eence is that "o a lon+ time play(i+hts ha'e 'ey success"ully taded on applyin+ to the theate 'alues "om othe "ields0 2" a man could D(ite>and (itin+ meant the ability to put to+ethe (ods and phases in a stylish and ele+ant manne>then this (as accepted as a stat to(ads +ood (itin+ in the theate0 2" a man could in8 'ent a +ood plot* +ood t(ists* o (hats descibed as Dundestandin+ human natue these (ee all consideed to be at least steppin+8stones to(ads "ine play(itin+0 No( the lu!e(am 'itues o" +ood ca"tsmanship* sound constuction* e""ecti'e cutains* cisp dialo+ue ha'e all been thoou+hly debun!ed0 Not least* the in"luences o" tele'ision has been to accustom 'ie(es o" all classes all o'e the (old to ma!e instant ud+ment>at the moment they catch si+ht o" a shot on the sceen>so that the a'ea+e adult continually situates scenes
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and chaactes unaided* (ithout a D+ood ca"tsman helpin+ (ith e=position and e=planation0 The steady disceditin+ o" non8 theate 'itues is no( be+innin+ to clea the (ay "o othe 'itues0 These ae in "act moe closely elated to the theate "om and also they ae moe e=actin+ ones0 Because i" one stats "om the pemise that a sta+e is a sta+e>not a con'enient place "o the un"oldin+ o" a sta+ed no'el o a sta+ed poem o a sta+ed lectue o a sta+ed stoy>then the (od that is spo!en on this sta+e e=ists* o "ails to e=ist* only in elation to the tensions it ceates on that sta+e (ithin the +i'en sta+e cicumstances0 2n othe (ods* althou+h the damatist bin+s his o(n li"e nutued by the li"e aound him into his (o!>the empty sta+e is no i'oy to(e>the choices he ma!es and the 'alues he obse'es ae only po(e"ul in popotion to (hat they ceate in the lan+ua+e o" theate0 3any e=amples o" this can be seen (hee'e an autho "o moal o political easons attempts to use a play as the beae o" a messa+e0 by "acin+ the poblem o" the 'ey natue o" damatic utteance0 Thee is no (ay out>unless he is pepaed to settle "o a second8hand 'ehicle thats no lon+e in (o!in+ ode and 'ey unli!ely to ta!e him to (hee he (ants to +o0 Hee the authos eal poblem and the diectos eal poblem +o hand in +lo'e0
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head* then you must conue its sound "om it0 This demands many delibeate actions and the esult may ha'e +eat simplicity0 Ho(e'e* settin+ out to Dbe simple can be ;uite ne+ati'e* an easy e'asion o" the e=actin+ steps to the simple ans(e0 2t is a stan+e ole* that o" the diecto? he does not as! to be :od and yet his ole implies it0 He (ants to be "allible* and yet an instincti'e conspiacy o" the actos is to ma!e him the abite* because an abite is so despeately (anted all the time0 2n a sense the diecto is al(ays an imposte* a +uide at ni+ht (ho does not !no( the teitoy* and yet he has no choice>he must +uide* leanin+ the oute as he +oes0 9eadliness o"ten lies in (ait (hen he does not eco+ni@e this situation* and hopes "o the best* (hen it is the (ost that he needs to "ace0 9eadliness al(ays bin+s us bac! to epetition? the deadly diecto uses old "omulae* old methods* old o!es* old e""ects stoc! be+innin+s to scenes* stoc! ends and this applies e;ually to his patnes* the desi+nes and composes* i" they do not stat each time a"esh "om the 'oid* the deset and the tue ;uestion>(hy clothes at all* (hy music* (hat "oG A deadly diecto is a diecto (ho bin+s no challen+e to the conditioned e"le=es that e'ey depatment must contain0 1o hal" a centuy at least* it has been accepted that the theate is a unity and that all elements should ty to blend>this has led to the eme+ence o" the diecto0 But it has la+ely been a matte o" e=tenal unity* a "aily e=tenal blendin+ o" styles so that contadictoy styles do not a0 that a ain+ o" e=tenals is ;uite essential0 and the society "om (hich the audience comes>the tue unity o" all
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these elements may best be se'ed by "actos that by othe standads seem u+ly* discodant and destucti'e0 A stable and hamonious society mi+ht need only to loo! "o (ays o" e"lectin+ and ea""imin+ its hamony in its theates0 Such theates could set out to unite cast and audience in a mutual Dyes0 But a shi"tin+* chaotic (old o"ten must choose bet(een a playhouse that o""es a spuious Dyes o a po'ocation so ston+ that it splintes its audience into "a+ments o" 'i'id Dnos0 7ectuin+ on these themes has tau+ht me a +eat deal0 2 !no( that at this point someone al(ays leaps up in the audience to as! (hethe IaJ 2 thin! that all theates that ae not up to the lo"tiest standads should be closed o IbJ (hethe 2 thin! its a bad thin+ "o people to enoy themsel'es at a +ood entetain ment o IcJ (hat about the amateusG 3y eply usually is that 2 (ould ne'e li!e to be a censo* ban anythin+ o spoil anyones "un0 2 ha'e the +eatest e+ad "o the epetoy theates* and "o +oups all thou+h the (old stu++lin+ a+ainst +eat odds to sustain the le'el o" thei (o!0 2 ha'e the +eatest espect "o othe peoples pleasue and paticulaly "o anyones "i'olity0 2 came to the theate mysel" "o sensual and o"ten iesponsible easons0 Entetainment is "ine0 But 2 still as! my ;uestiones (hethe they eally "eel on the (hole that theates +i'e them (hat they e=pect o (ant0 2 dont paticulaly mind (aste* but 2 thin! its a pity not to !no( (hat one is (astin+0 Some old ladies use pound notes as boo!ma!s? this is only silly i" it is absent8minded0 The poblem o" the 9eadly Theate is li!e the poblem o" the deadly boe0 E'ey deadly boe has head* heat* ams* le+s?
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usually* he has "amily and "iends? he e'en has his admies0 )et (e si+h (hen (e come acoss him>and in this si+h (e ae e+ettin+ that someho( he is at the bottom instead o" the top o" his possibilities0
$ The Holy Theate 2 A3 callin+ it the Holy Theate "o shot* but it could be called The Theate o" the 2n'isible83ade8isible? the notion that the sta+e is a place (hee the in'isible can appea has a deep hold on ou thou+hts0 i" he is ela=ed* open and attuned* then the in'isible (ill ta!e possession o" him thou+h him* it (ill each us0 This is the notion* the tue deam behind the debased ideals o" the 9eadly Theate0 This is (hat is meant and emembeed by those (ho (ith "eelin+ and seiousness use bi+ ha@y (ods li!e nobility* beauty* poety* (hich 2 (ould li!e to e8e=amine "o the paticula ;uality they su++est0 The theate is the last "oum (hee idealism is still an open ;uestion? many audiences all o'e the (old (ill ans(e positi'ely "om thei o(n e=peience that they ha'e seen the "ace o" the in'isible thou+h an e=peience on the 6%
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sta+e that tanscended thei e=peience in li"e0 They (ill maintain that /edi0us o 1erenice or Ha2let o The Three "isters pe"omed (ith beauty and (ith lo'e "ies the spiit and +i'es them a eminde that daily dabness is not necessaily all0 this (as a theate o" colou and mo'ement* o" "ine "abics* o" shado(s* o" eccentic* cascadin+ (ods* o" leaps o" thou+ht and o" cunnin+ machines* o" li+htness and o" all "oms o" mystey and supise>it (as the theate o" a batteed Euope that seemed to shae one aim>a eachin+ bac! to(ads a memoy o" lost +ace0
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one0 D9inne* said the othe and the childen sceamed appo'al0 Da hush that settled into a deep and tue theatical silence0 An ima+e (as bein+ made eal* in ans(e to the need "o somethin+ that (as not thee0 2n the bunt8out shell o" the Hambu+ Opea only the sta+e itsel" emained>but an audience assembled on it (hilst a+ainst the bac! (all on a (a"e8thin set sin+es clambeed up and do(n to pe"om The 1ar-er of "e#ille! because nothin+ (ould stop them doin+ so0 2n a tiny attic "i"ty people cammed to+ethe (hile in the inches o" emainin+ space a hand"ul o" the best actos esolutely continued to pactise thei at0 2n a uined 9Qsseldo"* a mino O""enbach about smu++les and bandits "illed the theate (ith deli+ht0 Thee (as nothin+ to discuss* nothin+ to analyse>in :emany that (inte* as in 7ondon a "e( yeas be"oe* the theate (as espondin+ to a hun+e0 o (as it a hun+e "o the missin+ thin+s o" li"e* a hun+e* in "act* "o bu""es a+ainst ealityG The ;uestion is an impotant one* because many people belie'e that in the 'ey ecent past thee still (as a theate (ith cetain 'alues* cetain s!ills* cetain ats that (e pehaps (antonly ha'e destoyed o cast aside0 slo(ly and impeceptibly the (ine (as adulteated dop by dop0 The cutain used to be the +eat symbol o" a (hole school o"
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theate>the ed cutain* the "ootli+hts* the idea that (e ae all childen a+ain* the nostal+ia and the ma+ic (ee all o" a piece0 :odon Cai+ spent his li"e ailin+ a+ainst the theate o" illusion* but his most teasued memoies (ee o" painted tees and "oests and his eyes (ould li+ht up as he descibed e""ects o" tro20e d$:il) But the day came (hen the same ed cutain no lon+e hid supises* (hen (e no lon+e (anted>o needed>to be childen a+ain* (hen the ou+h ma+ic yielded to a hashe common8sense then the cutain (as pulled do(n and the "ootli+hts emo'ed0 Cetainly* (e still (ish to captue in ou ats the in'isible cuents that ule ou li'es* but ou 'ision is no( loc!ed to the da! end o" the spectum0 Today the theate o" doubtin+* o" unease* o" touble* o" alam* seems tue than the theate (ith a noble aim0 E'en i" the theate had in its oi+ins ituals that made the in'isible incanate* (e must not "o+et that apat "om cetain Oiental theates these ituals ha'e been eithe lost o emain in seedy decay0 Bachs 'ision has been scupulously pese'ed by the accuacy o" his notations? in 1a An+elico (e (itness tue incanation? but "o us to attempt such pocesses today* (hee do (e "ind the souceG 2n Co'enty* "o instance* a ne( cathedal has been built* accodin+ to the best ecipe "o achie'in+ a noble esult0 Honest* sincee atists* the Dbest* ha'e been +ouped to+ethe to ma!e a ci'ili@ed stab at celebatin+ :od and 3an and Cultue and 7i"e thou+h a collecti'e act0 So thee is a ne( buildin+* "ine ideas* beauti"ul +lass8(o!>only the itual is theadbae0 Those Ancient and 3oden hymns* chamin+ pehaps in a little county chuch* those numbes on the (all* those do+8 collas and the lessons>they ae sadly inade;uate hee0 The ne( place cies out "o a ne( ceemony* but o" couse it is the ne( ceemony that should ha'e come "ist>it is the ceemony in all its meanin+s that should ha'e dictated the shape o" the place* as it did (hen all the +eat mos;ues and cathedals and temples (ee built0 :ood(ill* sinceity* e'eence* belie" in cultue ae not ;uite
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enou+h? the oute "om can only ta!e on eal authoity i" the ceemony has e;ual authoity>and (ho today can possibly call the tuneG O" couse* today as at all times* (e need to sta+e tue ituals* but "o ituals that could ma!e theate8+oin+ an e=peience that "eeds ou li'es* tue "oms ae needed0 These ae not at ou disposal* and con"eences and esolutions (ill not bin+ them ou (ay0 The acto seaches 'ainly "o the sound o" a 'anished tadition* and citic and audience "ollo( suit0 (hethe it be connected (ith Chistmas* bithdays o "uneals>but the (ods emain (ith us and old impulses sti in the mao(0 the esult is aely con'incin+0 And a"te the yeas and yeas o" (ea!e and (ateie imitations (e no( "ind ousel'es eectin+ the 'ey notion o" a holy sta+e0 2t is not the "ault o" the holy that it has become a middle8class (eapon to !eep childen +ood0 a taditionalism appo'ed la+ely by to(n* schola and pess0 2t needed the boldness o" a 'ey e=taodinay old +entleman* Si Bay ac!son* to tho( all this out o" the (indo( and so ma!e a tue seach "o tue 'alues possible once moe0 And it (as at Stat"od yeas late* at the o""icial luncheon to celebate Sha!espeaes 6th bithday* that 2 sa( a clea e=ample o" the di""eence bet(een (hat a itual is and (hat it could be0 2t (as "elt that Sha!espeaes bithday called "o a itual celebation0 The only celebation anyone could 'a+uely emembe (as elated to a
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"east? and a "east today means a list o" people "om ,ho$s ,ho! assembled ound Pince Philip* eatin+ smo!ed salmon and stea!0 Ambassados nodded to one anothe and passed the itual ed (ine0 2 chatted (ith the local 30P0 Then someone made a "omal speech* (e listened politely>and ose to ou "eet to toast "o not moe than a "action o" a second* thou+h the common consciousness o" e'eyone pesent and all "o once concentatin+ on the same thin+ >passed the notion that "ou hunded yeas a+o such a man had been* and that this (as (hat (e (ee assembled "o0 1o a beath o" time the silence deepened* a touch o" meanin+ (as thee>an instant late it (as bushed a(ay and "o+otten0 2" (e undestood moe about ituals* the itual celebation o" an indi'idual to (hom (e o(e so much mi+ht ha'e been intentional* not accidental0 2t mi+ht ha'e been as po(e"ul as all his plays* and as un"o+ettable0 Ho(e'e* (e do not !no( ho( to celebate* because (e do not !no( (hat to celebate0 All (e !no( is the end esult? (e !no( and (e li!e the "eel and sound o" celebatin+ thou+h applause* and this is (hee (e +et stuc!0 anothe "om o" eco+nition and appeciation "o an e=peience shaed0
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distubin+ play Afore ight 5o2e (as a itual o" death? ,est "ide "tory a itual o" uban 'iolence* :enet ceates ituals o" steility and de+adation0 but not (hen 2 see (hat they popose0 They ae not seachin+ "o a holy theate* they ae not tal!in+ about a theate o" miacles? they ae tal!in+ o" the tame play (hee Dhi+he only means Dnice>bein+ noble only means bein+ decent>alas* happy endin+s and optimism cant be odeed li!e (ine "om cellas0 They spin+ (hethe (e (ish it o not "om a souce and i" (e petend thee is such a souce eadily at hand (e (ill +o on cheatin+ ousel'es (ith otten imitations0 2" (e eco+ni@e ho( despeately "a (e ha'e di"ted "om anythin+ to do (ith a holy theate (e can be+in to discad once and "o all the deam that a "ine theate could etun in a tice i" only a "e( nice people tied hade0 3oe than e'e* (e ca'e "o an e=peience that is beyond the humdum0 Some loo! "o it in a@@* classical music* in maiuana and in 7S90 2n the theate (e shy a(ay "om the holy because (e dont !no( (hat this could be>(e only !no( that (hat is called the holy has let us do(n* (e shin! "om (hat is called poetic because the poetic has let us do(n0 Attempts to e'i'e poetic dama too o"ten ha'e led to somethin+ (ishy8(ashy o obscue0 Poety has become a meanin+less tem* and its association (ith (od8music* (ith s(eet sounds* is a han+o'e o" a Tennysonian tadition that has someho( (apped itsel" ound Sha!espeae* so
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that (e ae conditioned by the idea that a 'ese play is hal"8(ay bet(een pose and the opea* neithe spo!en no sun+* yet (ith a hi+he cha+e than pose>hi+he in content* hi+he someho( in moal 'alue0 All the "oms o" saced at ha'e cetainly been destoyed by bou+eois 'alues but this sot o" obse'ation does not help ou poblem0 2t is "oolish to allo( a e'ulsion "om bou+eois "oms to tun into a e'ulsion "om needs that ae common to all men? i" the need "o a tue contact (ith a saced in'isibility thou+h the theate still e=ists* then all possible 'ehicles must be e8e=amined0 2 ha'e sometimes been accused o" (antin+ to destoy the spo!en (od* and indeed in this absudity thees a +ain o" sense0 2n its "usion (ith the Ameican idiom ou e'e8chan+in+ lan+ua+e has aely been iche* and yet it does not seem that the (od is the same tool "o damatists that it once (as0 2s it that (e ae li'in+ in an a+e o" ima+esG 2s it e'en that (e must +o thou+h a peiod o" ima+e8satuation* "o the need "o lan+ua+e to e8eme+eG This is 'ey possible* "o today (ites seem unable to ma!e ideas and ima+es collide thou+h (ods (ith Eli@abethan "oce0 The most in"luential o" moden (ites* Becht* (ote "ull and ich te=ts* but the eal con'iction o" his plays is insepaable "om the ima+ey o" his o(n poductions0 )et in the deset one pophet aised his 'oice0 Railin+ a+ainst the steility o" the theate be"oe the (a in 1ance an illuminated +enius* Antoine Ataud* (ote tacts descibin+ "om his ima+ination and intuition anothe theate>a Holy Theate in (hich the bla@in+ cente spea!s thou+h those "oms closest to it0 A theate (o!in+ li!e the pla+ue* by into=ication* by in"ection* by analo+y* by ma+ic a theate in (hich the play* the e'ent itsel"* stands in place o" a te=t0 2s thee anothe lan+ua+e* ust as e=actin+ "o the autho* as a lan+ua+e o" (odsG 2s thee a lan+ua+e o" actions* a lan+ua+e o"
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sounds>a lan+ua+e o" (od8as8pat8o" mo'ement* o" (od8as8lie* (od8as8paody* o" (od8as8ubbish* o" (od8as8contadiction* o" (od8shoc! o (od8cyG 2" (e tal! o" the moe8than8liteal* i" poety means that (hich cams moe and penetates deepe>is this (hee it liesG Chales 3ao(it@ and 2 instituted a +oup (ith the Royal Sha!espeae Theate called the Theate o" Cuelty to in'esti+ate these ;uestions and to ty to lean "o ousel'es (hat a holy theate mi+ht be0 The title (as by (ay o" homa+e to Ataud* but it did not mean that (e (ee tyin+ to econstuct Atauds o(n theate0 Anyone (ho (ishes to !no( (hat DTheate o" Cuelty means should e"e diectly to Atauds o(n (itin+s0 althou+h many e=ecises (ee 'ey "a "om (hat he had poposed0 and (ee these intechan+eable>o had each its special sten+ths and limitationsG So (e (o!ed by imposin+ dastic conditions0 An acto must communicate an idea>the stat must al(ays be a thou+ht o a (ish that he has to poect>but he has only* say* one "in+e* one tone o" 'oice* a cy* o the capacity to (histle at his disposal0 An acto sits at one end o" the oom* "acin+ the (all0 At the othe end anothe acto* loo!in+ at the "ist ones bac!* not allo(ed to mo'e0 The second acto must ma!e the "ist one obey him0 As the
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"ist one has his bac! tuned* the second has no (ay o" communicatin+ his (ishes e=cept thou+h sounds* "o he is allo(ed no (ods0 This seems impossible* but it can be done0 2t is li!e cossin+ an abyss on a ti+htope? necessity suddenly poduces stan+e po(es0 2 ha'e head o" a (oman li"tin+ a hu+e ca o"" he inued child>a "eat technically impossible "o he muscles in any pedictable conditions0 7udmilla Pitoe"" used to +o on sta+e (ith he heat poundin+ in a (ay that in theoy should ha'e !illed he e'ey ni+ht0 on anothe occasion* it (as the eyes o the bac! o" the head0 A 'aluable e=ecise (as to "i+ht in patnes* ta!in+ and +i'in+ bac! e'ey blo(* but ne'e bein+ allo(ed to touch* ne'e mo'in+ the head* no the ams* no "eet0 2n othe (ods a mo'ement o" the toso is all that is allo(ed? no ealistic contact can ta!e place* yet a "i+ht must be en+a+ed physically* emotionally and caied thou+h0 Such e=ecises should not be thou+ht o" as +ymnastics>"eein+ muscula esistance is only a by8poduct>the pupose all the time is to incease esistance>by limitin+ the altenati'es>and then usin+ this esistance in the stu++le "o a tue e=pession0 The pinciple is the one o" ubbin+ t(o stic!s to+ethe0 This "iction o" unyieldin+ opposites ma!es "ie>and othe "oms o" combustion can be obtained in the same (ay0 The acto then "ound that to communicate his in'isible meanin+s he needed concentation* he needed (ill he needed to summon all his emotional ese'es he needed coua+e he needed clea thou+ht0 But the most impotant esult (as that he (as led
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ine=oably to the conclusion that he needed "om0 2t (as not enou+h to "eel passionately>a ceati'e leap (as e;uied to mint a ne( "om (hich could be a containe and a e"lecto "o his impulses0 That is (hat is tuly called an Daction0 One o" the most inteestin+ moments (as duin+ an e=ecise in (hich each membe o" the +oup had to act a child0 Natually* one a"te the othe did an Dimitation o" a child by stoopin+* (i++lin+* o s;ua(!in+ > and the esult (as pain"ully embaassin+0 Then the tallest o" the +oup came "o(ad and (ithout any physical chan+e at all* (ith no attempt to imitate baby tal!* he pesented "ully to e'eyones complete satis"action the idea that he had been called upon to cay0 Ho(G 2 cant descibe it it happened as diect communication* only "o those pesent0 This is (hat some theates call ma+ic* othes science* but its the same thin+0 An in'isible idea (as i+htly sho(n0 2 say Dsho(n because an acto ma!in+ a +estue is both ceatin+ "o himsel" out o" his deepest need and yet "o the othe peson0 2t is had to undestand the tue notion o" spectato* thee and not thee* i+noed and yet needed0 The actos (o! is ne'e "o an audience* yet al(ays is "o one0 The onloo!e is a patne (ho must be "o+otten and still constantly !ept in mind? a +estue is statement* e=pession* communication and a pi'ate mani"estation o" loneliness>it is al(ays (hat Ataud calls a si+nal thou+h the "lames>yet this implies a shain+ o" e=peience* once contact is made0 Slo(ly (e (o!ed to(ads di""eent (odless lan+ua+es? (e too! an e'ent* a "a+ment o" e=peience and made e=ecises that tuned them into "oms that could be shaed0
THE HO7) THEATRE
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e=peimented (ith and came to eect the taditional lan+ua+e o" mas!s and ma!eups as no lon+e appopiate0 unde the cust is the boilin+ matte (e see i" (e pee into a 'olcano0 Ho( can (e tap this ene+yG and the inne man (hose anachy and poety is usually e=pessed only in his (ods0 1o centuies* unealistic speech has been uni'esally accepted* all sots o" audiences ha'e s(allo(ed the con'ention that (ods can do the stan+est thin+s>in a monolo+ue* "o instance* a man stays still but his ideas can dance (hee they (ill0 aultin+ speech is a +ood con'ention* but is thee anotheG the cicle o" spectatos that is at ease (hen the man spea!s is tho(n into chaos? in this instant o" ha@ad can a di""eent meanin+ appeaG 2n natualistic plays the play(i+ht conti'es the dialo+ue in such
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THE E3PT) SPACE
a (ay that (hile seemin+ natual it sho(s (hat he (ants to be seen0 By usin+ lan+ua+e illo+ically* by intoducin+ the idiculous in speech and the "antastic in beha'iou* an autho o" the Theate o" the Absud opens up "o himsel" anothe 'ocabulay0 1o instance* a ti+e comes into the oom* but the couple ta!e no notice? the (i"e spea!s* the husband ans(es by ta!in+ o"" his pants and a ne( pai "loats in thou+h the (indo(0 The theate o" the Absud did not see! the uneal "o its o(n sa!e0 2t used the uneal to ma!e cetain e=ploations* because it sensed the absence o" tuth in ou e'eyday e=chan+es* and the pesence o" the tuth in the seemin+ "a8"etched0 Althou+h thee ha'e been some e8 ma!able indi'idual (o!s stemmin+ "om this appoach to the (old* as a eco+ni@able school the Absud has eached an impasse0 7i!e so much that is no'el in te=tue* li!e much concete music* "o instance* the supise element (eas thin* and (e ae le"t to "ace the "act that the "ield it co'es is sometimes 'ey small0 1antasy in'ented by the mind is apt to be li+ht(ei+ht* the (himsicality and the suealism o" much o" the Absud (ould no moe ha'e satis"ied Ataud than the nao(ness o" the psycholo+ical play0
THE HO7) THEATRE
4.
in the theate could (e libeate ousel'es "om the eco+ni@able "oms in (hich (e li'e ou daily li'es0 This made the theate a holy place in (hich a +eate eality could be "ound0 Those (ho 'ie( his (o! (ith suspicion as! ho( all8 embacin+ is this tuth* and secondly* ho( 'aluable is the e=peienceG A totem* a cy "om the (omb? these can cac! thou+h (alls o" peudice in any man? a ho(l can cetainly each thou+h to the +uts0 But is this e'ealin+* is this contact (ith ou o(n epessions ceati'e* theapeuticG 2s it eally holy>o is Ataud in his passion da++in+ us bac! to a nethe (old* a(ay "om sti'in+* a(ay "om the li+ht>to 90 H0 7a(ence*
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THE E3PT) SPACE
the spectato>2 did so once>and "o a second 2 ha'e a possibility to each him in a di""eent (ay0 2 must elate this possibility to a pupose* othe(ise a moment late he is bac! (hee he (as? inetia is the +eatest "oce (e !no(0 2 sho( a sheet o" blue>nothin+ but the colou blue>blueness is a diect statement that aouses an emotion* the ne=t second that impession "ades? 2 hold up a billiant "lash o" scalet>a di""eent impession is made* but unless someone can +ab this moment* !no(in+ (hy and ho( and (hat "o>it too be+ins to (ane0 The touble is that one can easily "ind onesel" "iin+ the "ist shots (ithout any sense o" (hee the battle could lead0 One loo! at the a'ea+e audience +i'es us an iesistible u+e to assault it>to shoot "ist and as! ;uestions late0 This is the oad to the Happenin+0 A Happenin+ is a po(e"ul in'ention* it destoys at one blo( many deadly "oms* li!e the deainess o" theate buildin+s* and the chamless tappin+s o" cutain* usheette* cloa!oom* po+amme* ba0 A Happenin+ can be any(hee* any time* o" any duation? nothin+ is e;uied* nothin+ is taboo0 A Happenin+ may be spontaneous* it may be "omal* it may be anachistic* it can +eneate into=icatin+ ene+y0 Behind the Happenin+ is the shout D
THE HO7) THEATRE
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same obsessional symbols "lou* custad pies* olls o" pape* dessin+* undessin+* dessin+8up* undessin+ a+ain* chan+in+ clothes* ma!in+ (ate* tho(in+ (ate* blo(in+ (ate* hu++in+* ollin+* (ithin+>you "eel that i" a Happenin+ became a (ay o" li"e then by contast the most humdum li"e (ould seem a "antastic happenin+0 ey easily a Happenin+ can be no moe than a seies o" mild shoc!s "ollo(ed by let8do(ns (hich po+essi'ely combine to neutali@e the "uthe shoc!s be"oe they ai'e0 O else the "en@y o" the shoc!e blud+eons the shoc!ee into becomin+ still anothe "om o" the 9eadly Audience>he stats (illin+ and is assaulted into apathy0 The simple "act is that Happenin+s ha'e bou+ht into bein+ not the easiest but the most e=actin+ "oms o" all0 As shoc!s and supises ma!e a dent in a spectatos e"le=es* so that he is suddenly moe open* moe alet* moe a(a!e* the possibility and the esponsibility aise "o onloo!e and pe"ome ali!e0 The instant must be used* but ho(* (hat "oG Hee* (e ae bac! to the oot ;uestion>(hat ae (e seachin+ "o any(ayG 9o8it8yousel" en hadly "its the bill0 The Happenin+ is a ne( boom o" +eat e""icacity? it is cetainly s(eepin+ a(ay the ubbish* but as it cleas the (ay the old dialo+ue is head a+ain* the debate o" "om a+ainst "omless* "eedom a+ainst discipline a dialectic as old as Pytha+oas* (ho "ist set in opposition the tems 7imit and Unlimited0 2t is all 'ey (ell to use cumbs o" en to asset the pinciple that e=istence is e=istence* that e'ey mani"estation contains (ithin it all o" e'eythin+* and that a slap on the "ace* a t(ea! o" the nose o a custad pie ae all e;ually Buddha0 All eli+ions asset that the in'isible is 'isible all the time0 But hees the cunch0 Reli+ious teachin+>includin+ en>assets that this 'isible8in'isible cannot be seen automatically>it can only be seen +i'en cetain conditions0 The conditions can elate to cetain states o to a cetain undestandin+0 2n any e'ent* to compehend the 'isibility o" the in'isible is a li"es (o!0 Holy at is an aid to
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THE E3PT) SPACE
this* and so (e ai'e at a de"inition o" a holy theate0 A holy theate not only pesents the in'isible but also o""es conditions that ma!e its peception possible0 The Happenin+ could be elated to all o" this* but the pesent inade;uacy o" the Happenin+ is that it e"uses to e=amine deeply the poblem o" peception0 Nai'ely it belie'es that the cy D (hich instead o" paint and can'as* o +lue and sa(dust* o solid obects* used people to ma!e cetain elationships and "oms0 7i!e a paintin+* a happenin+ is intended as a ne( obect* a ne( constuction bou+ht into the (old* to enich the (old* to add to natue* to sit alon+side e'eyday li"e0 To those (ho "ind happenin+s deay the suppote etots that any one thin+ is as +ood as anothe0 2" some seem D(ose than othes* this* they say* is the esult o" the spectatos conditionin+ and his aded eye0 Those (ho ta!e pat in a happenin+ and +et a !ic! out o" doin+ so can a""od to e+ad the outsides boedom (ith indi""eence0 The 'ey "act that they paticipate hei+htens thei peception0 The man (ho puts on a dinne ac!et "o the opea* sayin+* D2 enoy a sense o" occasion* and the hippy (ho puts on a "lo(eed suit "o an all8 ni+ht li+ht8sho( ae both eachin+ incoheently in the same diection0 Occasion* E'ent* Happenin+>the (ods ae intechan+eable0 The stuctues ae di""eent>the opea is constucted and epeated accodin+ to taditional pinciples* the li+ht8sho( un"olds "o the "ist and last time accodin+ to accident and en'ionment but both ae delibeately constucted social +athein+s that see! "o an in'isibility to intepenetate and animate the odinay0 Those o" us (ho (o! in theates ae implicitly challen+ed to +o ahead to meet this hun+e0 Thee ae many people attemptin+ in thei o(n (ays to ta!e up the challen+e0 2 (ill ;uote thee0
THE HO7) THEATRE
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Thee is 3ece Cunnin+ham0 Stemmin+ "om 3atha :aham* he has e'ol'ed a ballet company (hose daily e=ecises ae a continual pepaation "o the shoc! o" "eedom0 A classical dance is tained to obse'e and "ollo( e'ey detail o" a mo'ement that he is +i'en0 He has tained his body to obey* his techni;ue is his se'ant* so that instead o" bein+ (apped up in the doin+ o" the mo'ement he can let the mo'ement un"old in intimate company (ith the un"oldin+ o" the music0 3ece Cunnin+hams dances* (ho ae hi+hly tained* use thei discipline to be moe a(ae o" the "ine cuents that "lo( (ithin a mo'ement as it un"olds "o the "ist time>and thei techni;ue enables them to "ollo( this "ine pomptin+* "eed "om the clumsiness o" the untained man0 as notions ae bon and "lo( bet(een them* ne'e epeatin+ themsel'es* al(ays in mo'ement>the inte'als ha'e shape* so that the hythms can be sensed as ust and the popotions as tue? all is spontaneous and yet thee is ode0 2n silence thee ae many potentialities chaos o ode* muddle o patten* all lie "allo(>the in'isible made 'isible is o" a saced natue* and as he dances 3ece Cunnin+ham sti'es "o a holy at0 Pehaps the most intense and pesonal (itin+ o" ou time comes "om Samuel Bec!ett0 Bec!etts plays ae symbols in an e=act sense o" the (od0 A "alse symbol is so"t and 'a+ue? a tue symbol is had and clea0 and they stand on the sta+e as obects0 They ae theate machines0 People smile at them* but they hold thei +ound? they ae citic8poo"0
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THE E3PT) SPACE
elation (ith us (e cant deny0 2" (e accept this* the symbol opens in us a +eat and (ondein+ O0 This is ho( Bec!etts da! plays ae plays o" li+ht* (hee the despeate obect ceated is (itness o" the "eocity o" the (ish to bea (itness to the tuth0 Bec!ett does not say Dno (ith satis"action he "o+es his meciless Dno out o" a lon+in+ "o Dyes and so his despai is the ne+ati'e "om (hich the contou o" its opposite can be da(n0 Thee ae t(o (ays o" spea!in+ about the human condition? thee is the pocess o" inspiation>by (hich all the positi'e elements o" li"e can be e'ealed* and thee is the pocess o" honest 'ision> by (hich the atist beas (itness to (hate'e it is that he has seen0 The "ist pocess depends on e'elation it cant be bou+ht about by holy (ishes0 The second one depends on honesty* and it mustnt be clouded o'e by holy (ishes0 Bec!ett e=pesses ust this distinction in Ha00y %ays) The optimism o" the lady buied in the +ound is not a 'itue* it is the element that blinds he to the tuth o" he situation0 1o a "e( ae "lashes she +limpses he condition* but at once she blots them out (ith he +ood chee0 Bec!etts action on some o" his audience is e=actly li!e the action o" this situation on the leadin+ chaacte0 The audience (i++les* s;uims and ya(ns* it (al!s out o else in'ents and pints e'ey "om o" ima+inay complaint as a mechanism to (ad o"" the uncom"otable tuth0 Sadly* it is the (ish "o optimism that many (ites shae that pe'ents them "om "indin+ hope0
THE HO7) THEATRE
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audience lau+hs and cies out>and in the end celebates (ith Bec!ett this audience lea'es his plays* his blac! plays* nouished and eniched* (ith a li+hte heat* "ull o" a stan+e iational oy0 Poety* nobility* beauty* ma+ic>suddenly these suspect (ods ae bac! in the theate once moe0 2n Poland thee is a small company led by a 'isionay* e@y :oto(s!i* that also has a saced aim0 The theate* he belie'es* cannot be an end in itsel" li!e dancin+ o music in cetain de'ish odes* the theate is a 'ehicle* a means "o sel"8study* sel"8 e=ploation a possibility o" sal'ation0 The acto has himsel" as his "ield o" (o!0 This "ield is iche than that o" the painte* iche than that o" the musician* because to e=ploe he needs to call on e'ey aspect o" himsel"0 His hand* his eye* his ea* and his heat ae (hat he is studyin+ and (hat he is studyin+ (ith0 Seen this (ay* actin+ is a li"es (o!>the acto is step by step e=tendin+ his !no(led+e o" himsel" thou+h the pain"ul* e'echan+in+ cicumstances o" eheasal and the temendous punctuation points o" pe"omance0 2n :oto(s!is teminolo+y* the acto allo(s a ole to Dpenetate him at "ist he is all obstacle to it* but by con8 stant (o! he ac;uies technical mastey o'e his physical and psychic means by (hich he can allo( the baies to dop0 DAuto8 penetation by the ole is elated to e=posue? the acto does not hesitate to sho( himsel" e=actly as he is* "o he eali@es that the secet o" the ole demands his openin+ himsel" up* disclosin+ his o(n secets0 So that the act o" pe"omance is an act o" saci"ice* o" saci"icin+ (hat most men pe"e to hide>this saci"ice is his +i"t to the spectato0 Hee thee is a simila elation bet(een acto and audience to the one bet(een piest and (oshippe0 2t is ob'ious that not e'eyone is called to piesthood and no taditional eli+ion e=pects this o" all men0 Thee ae laymen> (ho ha'e necessay oles in li"e>and those (ho ta!e on othe budens* "o the laymens sa!e0 The piest pe"oms the itual "o himsel" and on behal" o" othes0 :oto(s!is actos o""e thei
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THE E3PT) SPACE
pe"omance pe"omance as a ceemony ceemony "o those (ho (ish to to assist? the acto acto in'o!es* lays bae (hat lies in e'ey man > and (hat daily li"e co'es up0 This theate is holy because its pupose is holy it has a clealy de"ined place in the community and it esponds to a need the chuches can no lon+e "ill0 :oto(s!is theate is as close as anyone has +ot to Atauds ideal0 2t is a complete (ay o" li"e "o all its membes* and so it is in contast (ith most othe a#ant9 garde and e=peimental e=peimental +oups (hose (o! is scambled and usually in'alidated in'alidated thou+h lac! o" means0 3ost e=peimental poducts cannot cannot do (hat they they (ant because because outside conditions conditions ae too hea'ily loaded a+ainst them0 They ha'e scatch casts* eheasal time eaten into by the need to ean thei li'in+* inade;uate inade;uate sets* costumes* costumes* li+hts* etc0 Po'ety is thei complaint complaint and thei e=cuse0 :oto(s!i ma!es po'ety an ideal his actos ha'e +i'en up e'eythin+ e=cept thei o(n bodies they ha'e the human instument and limitless time>no (onde they "eel the ichest theate in the (old0 These thee theates* Cunnin+ham* :oto(s!i* and Bec!ett ha'e se'eal thin+s in common small means* intense (o!* i+oous discipline* discipline* absolute pecision0 Also* almost as a condition* they ae theates "o an elite) 3ece Cunnin+ham usually plays plays to poo houses* and i" his admies ae scandali@ed by his lac! o" suppot he himsel" ta!es it in his stide0 Bec!ett only aely "ills an a'ea+e si@ed auditoium0 :oto(s!i plays "o thity spectatos> as a delibeate choice0 He is con'inced that the poblems "acin+ himsel" and the acto ae so +eat that to conside a la+e audience audience could only lead to a dilution o" the (o!0 He said to me? D3y seach is based on the diecto and the acto0 )ou base yous on the diecto* acto* audience0 2 accept that this is possible* but "o me it is too indiect0 2s he i+htG Ae these the only possible theates to touch DealityG They ae cetainly tue to themsel'es* themsel'es* they cetainly "ace the basic ;uestion* D
THE HO7) THEATRE
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each (o!s to lessen his o(n need0 And yet the 'ey puity o" thei esol'e* the hi+h and seious natue o" thei acti'ity ine'itably bin+s a0 colou to thei choices and a limitation to thei "ield0 They ae unable to be both esoteic and popula at one and the same time0 Thee is no co(d in Bec!ett* no 1alsta""0 1o 3ece Cunnin+ham* as once "o Schoenbe+* it (ould need a tour de force to e8in'ent Rin+ a in+ o Roses o to (histle 7od "a#e The i" ou lan+ua+e is too special (e (ill lose pat o" the spectatos belie"0 The model* as al(ays* is Sha!espeae0 His aim continually continually is holy* metaphysical* yet he ne'e ma!es the mista!e o" stayin+ too lon+
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THE E3PT) SPACE
on the hi+hest plane0 He !ne( ho( had it is "o us to !eep company (ith the absolute>so he continually bumps us do(n to eath > and :oto(s!i eco+ni@es this* spea!in+ o" the need "o both Dapotheosis Dapotheosis and Ddeision0 Ddeision0 the audience is al(ays the challen+e (ithout (hich a pe"omance pe"omance (ould be a sham0 sham0 Also* it is a pactical pactical community community that ma!es pe"omances pe"omances "o a li'in+ and o""es them "o sale0 2n the 7i'in+ Theate* thee needs become one? it e=ists "o the sa!e s a!e o" pe"omin+* it eans its li'in+ thou+h pe"omin+ and its pe"omances pe"omances contain the most most intense and intimate intimate moments moments o" its collecti'e li"e0 One day this caa'an may halt0 This could be in a hostile
THE HO7) THEATRE
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en'ionment>li!e its oi+ins in Ne( )o!>in (hich case its "unction (ill be to po'o!e and di'ide audiences audiences by inceasin+ thei a(aeness o" uncom"otable contadiction bet(een a (ay o" li"e on sta+e and a (ay o" li"e outside0 Thei o(n identity (ill be constantly da(n and eda(n by the natual tension and hostility bet(een themsel'es themsel'es and thei thei suoundin+s0 Altenati'ely Altenati'ely** they may come to est in some (ide community that shaes some o" thei 'alues0 Hee thee (ould be a di""eent unity and a di""eent tension? the tension (ould be shaed by sta+e and audience>it (ould be the e=pession o" the unesol'ed ;uest "o a holiness etenally unde"ined0 2n "act* the 7i'in+ Theate* e=emplay in so many (ays* has still not yet come to +ips (ith its o(n essential dilemma0 dilemma0 Seachin+ Seachin+ "o holiness (ithout tadition* (ithout souce* it is compelled to tun to many taditions* many souces>yo+a* en* psychoanalysis* psychoanalysis* boo!s* heasay* heasay* disco'ey* inspiation>a inspiation>a ich but dan+eous eclecticism0 1o the method that leads to (hat they ae see!in+ cannot be an additi'e one0 To subtact* to stip a(ay can only be e""ected in the li+ht o" some constant0 They ae still in seach o" this constant0 2n the meantime* they ae continually nouished by a 'ey Ameican Ameican humou and oy that is suealist* but (ith both "eet "imly on the +ound0 2n Haitian 'oodoo* all you need to be+in a ceemony is a pole and people0 )ou be+in be+in to beat the dums dums and "a a(ay a(ay in A"ica the +ods hea you call0 They decide to come to you* and as 'oodoo is a 'ey pactical eli+ion* it ta!es into account the time that a +od needs to coss the Atlantic0 So you +o on beatin+ you dum* chantin+ and din!in+ um0 2n this (ay* you pepae yousel"0 Then "i'e o si= hous pass and the +ods "ly in>they cicle abo'e
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THE E3PT) SPACE
you heads* but it is not (oth loo!in+ up as natually they ae in'isible0 This is (hee the pole becomes so 'ital0 and so* ni+htly* the Haitian is in contact (ith the +eat po(es and mysteies that ule his day0 2n the theate* the tendency "o centuies has been to put the acto at a emote distance* on a plat"om* "amed* decoated* lit* painted* in hi+h shoes>so as to help to pesuade the i+noant that he is holy* that his at is saced0 9id this e=pess e'eenceG O (as thee behind it a "ea that somethin+ (ould be e=posed i" the li+ht (ee too bi+ht* the meetin+ too neaG Today* (e ha'e e=posed the sham0 But (e ae edisco'ein+ that a holy theate is still (hat (e need0 So (hee should (e loo! "o itG 2n the clouds o on the +oundG
% The Rou+h Theate 2T 2S al(ays the popula theate that sa'es the day0 Thou+h the a+es it has ta!en many "oms* and thee is only one "acto that they all ha'e in common>a ou+hness0 Salt* s(eat* noise* smell? the theate thats not in a theate* the theate on cats* on (a+ons* on testles* audiences standin+* din!in+* sittin+ ound tables* audiences oinin+ in* ans(ein+ bac!? theate in bac! ooms* upstais ooms* bans the one8ni+ht stands* the ton sheet pinned up acoss the hall* the batteed sceen to conceal the ;uic! chan+es>that one +eneic tem* theatre! co'es all this and the spa!lin+ chandelies too0 2 ha'e had many aboti'e discussions (ith achitects buildin+ ne( theates>tyin+ 'ainly to "ind (ods (ith (hich to communicate my o(n con'iction that it is not a ;uestion o" +ood buildin+s and bad? a beauti"ul place may ne'e bin+ about e=plosion o" li"e (hile a hapha@ad hall may be a te8 mendous meetin+ place? this is the mystey o" the theate* but in the undestandin+ o" this mystey lies the only possibility o" odein+ it into a science0 2n othe "oms o" achitectue thee is a elationship bet(een conscious* aticulate desi+n and +ood "unctionin+? a (ell8desi+ned hospital may be moe e""icacious than a hi++ledy8pi++ledy one but as "o theates* the poblem o" desi+n cannot stat lo+ically0 2t is not a matte o" sayin+ analytically (hat ae the e;uiements* ho( best they can be o+ani@ed>this (ill usually bin+ into e=istence a tame* con'entional* o"ten cold hall0 The science o" theate8buildin+ must come "om studyin+ (hat it is that bin+s about the most 'i'id elationship bet(een people>and is this best se'ed by asymmety* e'en by disodeG 2" so* (hat can be the ule o" this disodeG An achitect is bette o"" i" he (o!s li!e a scene ./
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desi+ne* mo'in+ scaps o" cadboad by intuition* than i" he builds his model "om a plan* pepaed (ith compass and ule0 2" (e "ind that dun+ is a +ood "etili@e* it is no use bein+ s;ueamish i" the theate seems to need a cetain cude element* this must be accepted as pat o" its natual soil0 At the be+innin+ o" electonic music* some :eman studios claimed that they could ma!e e'ey sound that a natual instument could ma!e>only bette0 They then disco'eed that all thei sounds (ee ma!ed by a cetain uni"om steility0 So they analysed the sounds made by clainets* "lutes* 'iolins* and "ound that each note contained a ema!ably hi+h popotion o" plain noise? actual scapin+* o the mi=tue o" hea'y beathin+ (ith (ind on (ood? "om a puist point o" 'ie( this (as ust dit* but the composes soon "ound themsel'es compelled to ma!e synthetic dit>to Dhumani@e thei compositions0 Achitects emain blind to this pinciple>and ea a"te ea the most 'ital theatical e=peiences occu outside the le+itimate places constucted "o the pupose0 :odon Cai+ in"luenced Euope "o hal" a centuy thou+h a couple o" pe"omances +i'en in Hampstead in a chuch hall>the si+natue o" the Becht theate* the (hite hal"8cutain* oi+inated ;uite pactically in a cella* (hen a (ie had to be slun+ "om (all to (all0 The Rou+h Theate is close to the people? it may be a puppet theate* it may>as in :ee! 'illa+es to this day>be a shado( sho(? it is usually distin+uished by the absence o" (hat is called style0 Style needs leisue? puttin+ o'e somethin+ in ou+h conditions is li!e a e'olution* "o anythin+ that comes to hand can be tuned into a (eapon0 The Rou+h Theate doesnt pic! and choose? i" the audience is esti'e* then it is ob'iously moe impotant to holle at the touble ma!es>o impo'ise a +a+> than to ty to pese'e the unity o" style o" the scene0 2n the lu=uy o" the hi+h8class theate* e'eythin+ can be all o" a piece? in a ou+h theate a buc!et (ill be ban+ed "o a battle* "lou used to sho( "aces (hite (ith "ea0 The asenal is limitless? the aside* the placad* the topical e"eence* the local o!es* the e=ploitin+ o"
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accidents* the son+s* the dances* the tempo* the noise* the elyin+ on contasts* the shothand o" e=a++eation* the "alse noses* the stoc! types* the stu""ed bellies0 The popula theate* "eed o" unity o" style* actually spea!s a 'ey sophisticated and stylish lan+ua+e? a popula audience usually has no di""iculty in acceptin+ inconsistencies o" accent and dess* o in datin+ bet(een mime and dialo+ue* ealism and su++estion0 They "ollo( the line o" stoy* una(ae in "act that some(hee thee is a set o" standads (hich ae bein+ bo!en0 3atin Esslin has (itten that in San uentin pisones seein+ a play "o the "ist time in thei li'es and bein+ con"onted (ith ,aiting for 7odot had no poblem at all in "ollo(in+ (hat to e+ula theate+oes (as incompehensible0 One o" the pionee "i+ues in the mo'ement to(ads a ene(ed Sha!espeae (as diectly* as a child does>not as a +o(n8up monitoin+ himsel" (ith notions o" histoy and peiod0 3y "iend told me that the total pe8pop8at mi=tue had an e=taodinay homo+eneity0 2 am sue o" it0 Poel (as a +eat inno'ato and he clealy sa( that consistency had no elation to eal Sha!espeaian style0 2 once did a poduction o" 'o#e$s 'a-our$s 'ost (hee 2 dessed the chaacte called Constable 9ull as a ictoian policeman because his name at once conued up the typical "i+ue o" the 7ondon bobby0 1o othe easons the est o" the chaactes (ee dessed in
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anachonism0 A lon+ time a+o 2 sa( a poduction o" The Ta2ing of the "hre (hee all the actos dessed themsel'es e=actly the (ay they sa( the chaactes>2 still emembe a co(boy* and a "at chaacte bustin+ the buttons o" a pa+eboys uni"om>and that it (as "a and a(ay the most satis"yin+ endein+ o" this play 2 ha'e seen0 O" couse* it is most o" all dit that +i'es the ou+hness its ed+e "ilth and 'ul+aity ae natual* obscenity is oyous? (ith these the spectacle ta!es on its socially libeatin+ ole* "o by natue the popula theate is anti8authoitaian* anti8taditional* anti8pomp* anti8petence0 This is the theate o" noise* and the theate o" noise is the theate o" applause0 Thin! o" those t(o a("ul mas!s that +lo(e at us "om so many boo!s on theate>in ancient :eece (e ae told these mas!s epesented t(o e;ual elements* ta+edy and comedy0 At least* they ae al(ays sho(n as e;ual patnes0 Since then* thou+h* the Dle+itimate theate has been consideed the impotant one (hile the Rou+h Theate has been thou+ht less seious0 But e'ey attempt to e'itali@e the theate has +one bac! to the popula souce0 3eyehold had the hi+hest aims* he sou+ht to pesent all o" li"e on the sta+e* his e'eed maste (as Stanisla's!y* his "iend (as Che!ho' but in "act it (as to the cicus and the music hall that he tuned0 Becht (as ooted in the cabaet? oan 7ittle(ood lon+s "o a "un"ai? Cocteau* Ataud* a!htan+o'* the most impobable bed"ello(s* all these hi+hbo(s etun to the people? and Total Theate is ust a mi=8up o" these in+edients0 All the time* e=peimental theate comes out o" the theate buildin+s and etuns to the oom o the in+? it is the Ameican musical on the ae occasions (hen it "ul"ils its pomise* and not the opea* that is the eal meetin+ place o" the Ameican ats0 2t is to Boad(ay that Ameican poets* choeo+aphes and composes tun0 A choeo+aphe li!e eome Robbins is an inteestin+
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e=ample* mo'in+ "om the pue and abstact theates o" Balanchine and 3atha :aham to(ads the ou+hness o" the popula sho(0 But the (od Dpopula doesnt ;uite "ill the bill? Dpopula conues up the county "ai and the people in a olly hamless (ay0 The popula tadition is also beabaitin+* "eocious satie and +otes;ue caicatue0 This ;uality (as pesent in the +eatest o" ou+h theates* the Eli@abethan one* and in the En+lish theate today obscenity and tuculence ha'e become the motos o" e'i'al0 Suealism is ou+h>ay is ou+h0 Spi!e 3illi+ans theate* in (hich the ima+ination* "eed by anachy* "lies li!e a (ild bat in and out o" e'ey possible shape and style* has it all0 3illi+an* Chales they (ee Ubu to the lette0 But not to the li"e the tele'ision audience ne'e accepted the cude eality o" the stoy? it sa( some piouettin+ dolls* +ot ba""led and boed and soon s(itched o""0 The 'iulent potest play had become a hi+h8bo( >eu d$es0rit) At about the same time* on :eman tele'ision thee (as a C@ech poduction o" =-u) This 'esion dise+aded e'ey one o" ays ima+es and indications? it in'ented an up8to8the8minute pop8at style o" its o(n* made out o" dustbins* +aba+e and ancient ion bedsteads? 30 Ubu (as no mas!ed Humpty89umpty but a eco+ni@able and shi"ty slob> 3me Ubu (as a slea@y* attacti'e (hoe* the social conte=t clea0 1om the "ist shot o" 30 Ubu stumblin+ in his undepants out o" bed (hile a na++in+ 'oice "om the pillo(s as!ed (hy he (asnt
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Kin+ o" Poland* the audiences belie" (as cau+ht and it could "ollo( the suealist de'elopments o" the stoy because it accepted the pimiti'e situation and chaactes on thei o(n tems0 This all concens the appeaance o" ou+hness* but (hat is this theates intentG 1ist o" all it is thee unashamedly to ma!e oy and lau+hte* (hat Tyone :uthie calls Dtheate o" deli+ht and any theate that can tuly +i'e deli+ht has eaned its place0 Alon+ (ith seious* committed and pobin+ (o!* thee must be iesponsibility0 This is (hat the commecial theate* the boule'ad theate* can +i'e us>but all too o"ten it is tied and theadbae0 1un continually needs a ne( electic cha+e? "un "o "uns sa!e is not impossible* but seldom enou+h0 1i'olity can be its cha+e? hi+h spiits can ma!e a +ood cuent* but all the time the batteies ha'e to be eplenished? ne( "aces* ne( ideas ha'e to be "ound0 A ne( o!e "lashes and is +one then it is the old o!e that etuns0 The ston+est comedy is ooted in achetypes* in mytholo+y in basic ecuent situations and ine'itably it is deeply embedded in the social tadition0 Comedy does not al(ays stem "om the main "lo( o" a social a+ument? it is as thou+h di""eent comic taditions banch a(ay in many diections? "o a cetain time* althou+h the couse is out o" si+ht* the steam continues to "lo( on* then one day* une=pectedly* it dies up completely0 Thee is no had and "ast ule to say that one must ne'e ust culti'ate e""ects and su"aces "o thei o(n sa!e0 pese'ed "oods lose thei taste0 The Holy Theate has one ene+y* the Rou+h has othes0 7i+htheatedness and +aiety "eeds it* but so does the same ene+y that poduces ebellion and opposition0 This is a militant ene+y? it is the ene+y
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o" an+e* sometimes the ene+y o" hate0 The ceati'e ene+y behind the ichness ichness o" in'ention in'ention in the Beline Beline Ensembles poduction o" The %ays of the 5o22une is the same ene+y that could man the baicades? the ene+y o" Arturo o" Arturo =i could +o stai+ht to (a0 The (ish to chan+e society* to +et it to con"ont its etenal hypocisies* is a +eat po(ehouse0 po(ehouse0 1i+ao o 1alsta"" o Tatu""e lampoon and debun! thou+h lau+hte* and the authos pupose is to bin+ about about a social social chan+e0 ohn Adens ema!able play "ergeant Musgra#e$s %ance can be ta!en amon+st many othe meanin+s as an illustation o" ho( tue theate comes into bein+0 3us+a'e "aces a co(d in a ma!et place on an impo'ised impo'ised sta+e and he he attempts to communica communicate te as "ocibly as possible his sense o" the hoo and "utility o" (a0 The demonstation demonstation that he impo'ises impo'ises is li!e a +enuine piece o" popula theate* theate* his pops ae machine8+uns* machine8+uns* "la+s* and and a uni"omed s!eleton that he hauls alo"t0
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appaently appaently no style* no con'entions* no limitations>in pactice* it has all thee0 ust as in li"e the (eain+ o" old clothes can stat as de"iance and tun into a postue* so ou+hness can become an end in itsel"0 The de"iant popula theate man can be so do(n8to8eath that he "obids his mateial to "ly0 He can e'en deny "li+ht as a possibility* possibility* o the hea'ens as a suitable suitable place to (ande0 (ande0 This bin+s us to the point point (hee the Holy Holy Theate and and the Rou+h Theate sho( thei tue anta+onism to one anothe0 The Holy Theate deals (ith the in'isible and this in'isible contains all the hidden impulses o" man0 The Rou+h Theate deals (ith mens actions* and because it is do(n to eath and diect>because it admits (ic!edness and lau+hte>the ou+h and eady seems bette than the the hollo(ly holy0 holy0 2t is impossible to conside this "uthe (ithout stoppin+ to loo! at the implications o" the ston+est* most in"luential and the most adical theate man o" ou time* Becht0 No one seiously concened (ith the theate can by8pass Becht0 Becht is the !ey "i+ue o" ou time* and all theate (o! today at some point stats o etuns to his statements statements and achie'ement0 achie'ement0 alienation0 As coine o" the tem alienation! Becht must be consideed histoically0 histoically0 He be+an (o!in+ at a time (hen most :eman sta+es (ee dominated eithe by natualism o by +eat total8theate onslau+hts o" an opeatic natue desi+ned to s(eep up the spectato by his emotions so that he "o+ot himsel" completely0 completely0
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bet(een actos actos and audience>the audience>the actos actos uni;ue aim (as (as to ceate a pecise esponse in an audience "o (hom he had total espect0 2t (as out o" espect "o the audience that Becht intoduced intoduced the idea o" alienation* "o alienation is a call to halt? alienation alienation is cuttin+* inteuptin+* inteuptin+* holdin+ somethin+ up to the li+ht* ma!in+ us loo! a+ain0 Alienation is abo'e all an appeal to the spectato to (o! "o himsel"* so to become moe and moe esponsible "o acceptin+ acceptin+ (hat he sees only i" it is con'incin+ to him in an adult (ay0 Becht eects the omantic notion that in the theate (e all become childen a+ain0 The alienation e""ect and the happenin+ e""ect ae simila and opposite>the opposite>the happenin+ shoc! is thee to smash thou+h all the baies set up by ou ou eason* alienation alienation is to shoc! us us into bin+in+ the best best o" ou eason into play0 play0 Alienation Alienation (o!s in many (ays on many !eys0 A nomal sta+e action (ill appea eal to us i" it is con'incin+ and so (e ae apt to ta!e it* tempoaily* as obecti'e tuth0 A +il* aped* (al!s on to a sta+e in teas>and i" he actin+ touches us su""iciently* su""iciently* (e automatically automatically accept the implied conclusion that she is a 'ictim and an un"otunate one0 But suppose a clo(n (ee to "ollo( he* mimic!in+ he teas* and suppose by his talent he succeeds in ma!in+ us lau+h0 His moc!ey destoys destoys ou "ist esponse0 Then (hee do ou sympathies sympathies +oG The tuth o" he chaacte* chaacte* the 'alidity o" he position* ae both both put into ;uestion ;uestion by the clo(n* clo(n* and at the same same time ou o(n easy sentimentality is e=posed0 2" caied "a enou+h* such a seies o" e'ents can suddenly ma!e us con"ont ou shi"tin+ 'ie(s o" i+ht and (on+0 All this stems "om a stict sense o" pupose0 Becht belie'ed that* in ma!in+ an audience ta!e stoc! o" the elements in a situation* the theate (as se'in+ the pupose o" leadin+ its audience to a uste undestandin+ o" the society in (hich it li'ed* and so to leanin+ in (hat (ays that society (as capable o" chan+e0
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Alienation can (o! thou+h antithesis paody* imitation* citicism* the (hole an+e o" hetoic is open to it0 2t is the puely theatical method o" dialectical e=chan+e0 Alienation is the lan+ua+e open to us today that is as ich in potentiality as 'ese? it is the possible de'ice o" a dynamic theate in a chan+in+ (old* and thou+h alienation (e could each some o" those aeas that Sha!espeae touched by his use o" dynamic de'ices in lan+ua+e0 Alienation can be 'ey simple* it can be no moe than a set o" physical tic!s0 The "ist alienation de'ice 2 e'e sa( (as as a child* in a S(edish chuch the collection ba+ had a spi!e on the end o" it to nud+e those o" the con+e+ation (hom the semon had sent to sleep0 Becht used placads and 'isible spotli+hts "o the same pupose oan 7ittle(ood dessed he soldies as Pieots> alienation has endless possibilities0 2t aims continually at pic!in+ the balloons o" hetoical playin+>Chaplins contastin+ senti8 mentality and calamity is alienation0 O"ten (hen an acto is caied a(ay by his pat he can +et moe and moe e=a++eated* moe and moe cheaply emotional* and yet s(eep the audience alon+ (ith him0 Hee the alienatin+ de'ice (ill !eep us a(a!e (hen pat o" us (ishes to suende (holly to the tu+ on the heatstin+s0 But it is 'ey had to inte"ee (ith a spectatos stoc! eactions0 At the end o" the "ist act o" 'ear (hen :louceste is blinded* (e bou+ht the house li+hts up be"oe the last sa'a+e action (as completed>so as to ma!e the audience ta!e stoc! o" the scene be"oe bein+ en+ul"ed in automatic applause0 2n Pais* (ith The 8e0resentati#e (e a+ain did all in ou po(e to inhibit applause* because appeciation o" the actos talents seemed iele'ant in a Concentation Camp document0 None the less* both the un"otunate :louceste and the most nauseatin+ chaacte o" all* the Ausch(it@ docto* al(ays le"t the sta+e to simila ounds o" applause0 ean :enet can (ite the most elo;uent lan+ua+e* but the ama@in+ impessions in his plays ae 'ey o"ten bou+ht about by the
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'isual in'entions (ith (hich he u=taposes seious* beauti"ul* +otes;ue and idiculous elements0 Thee ae "e( thin+s in the moden theate as compact and spellbindin+ as the clima= o" the "ist potion o" The "creens (hen the sta+e action is a scibblin+ +a""iti o" (a on to 'ast (hite su"aces* (hile 'iolent phases* ludicous people and outsi@e dummies all to+ethe "om a monument to colonialism and e'olution0 Hee the potency o" the conception is insepaable "om the multi8le'elled seies o" de'ices that become its e=pession0 :enets The 1lac4s ta!es on its "ull meanin+ (hen thee is a po(e"ul shi"tin+ elationship bet(een actos and public0 2n Pais* (itnessed by intellectuals* the play (as bao;ue liteay entetainment in 7ondon* (hee no audience could be "ound (ho caed about eithe 1ench liteatue o Ne+oes* the play (as meanin+less in Ne( )o!* in :ene 1an!els supeb poduction it (as electic and 'ibant0 2 am told the 'ibations chan+ed "om ni+ht to ni+ht dependin+ on the popotion o" blac!s to (hites in the house0 The Marat+"ade could not ha'e e=isted be"oe Becht? it is concei'ed by Pete and moeo'e the e'ents o" #5/ ae bein+ seen (ith the eyes both o" #// and o" #-..>"o the people (atchin+ the play epesent an ealy nineteenth8centuy audience and yet ae also thei t(entieth8centuy sel'es0 All these ciss8cossin+ planes thic!en the e"eence at each moment and compel an acti'ity "om each membe o" the public0 At the end o" the play the asylum +oes bese!? all the actos impo'ise (ith the utmost 'iolence and "o an instant the sta+e ima+e is natualistic and compellin+0 Nothin+* (e "eel* could e'e stop this iot? nothin+* (e conclude* can e'e stop the madness o" the (old0 )et it (as at this moment* in the Royal Sha!espeae Theate 'esion* that a sta+e mana+eess
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(al!ed on to the sta+e* ble( a (histle* and the madness immediately ended0 2n this action* a conundum (as pesented0 A second a+o* the situation had been hopeless? no( it is all o'e* the actos ae pullin+ off thei (i+s? o" couse* its ust a play0 So (e be+in to applaud0 But une=pectedly the actos applaud us bac!* ionically0 Cai+ (anted a to!en shado( to ta!e the place o" a complete painted "oest and he only did so because he eco+nised that useless in"omation absobed ou attention at the e?0ense of so2ething 2ore i20ortant) Becht too! this i+ou and applied it not only to sceney but to the (o! o" the acto and to the attitude o" the audience0 2" he cut out supe"luous emotion* and the de'elopment o" chaacteistics and "eelin+s that elated only to the chaacte* it (as because he sa( that the claity o" his theme (as theatened0 An acto in othe :eman theates o" Bechts day >and many an En+lish acto today>belie'es that his entie ob is to pesent his chaacte as "ully as possible* in the ound0 This means that he spends his obse'ation and his ima+ination in "indin+ additional details "o his potait* "o* li!e the society painte* he (ants the pictue to be as li"e8li!e and eco+ni@able as possible0 No one has told him thee could be any othe aim0 Becht intoduced the simple and de'astatin+ idea that D"ully need not mean Dli"eli!e no Din the ound0 He pointed out that e'ey acto has to se'e the action o" the play* but until the acto undestands (hat the tue action o" the play is* (hat its tue pupose is* "om the authos point o" 'ie( and in elation to the needs o" a chan+in+ (old outside Iand (hat side is he himsel" on in the stu++les that di'ide the (oldJ* he cannot possibly !no( (hat he is se'in+0 Ho(e'e* (hen he undestands pecisely (hat
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is demanded o" him* (hat he must "ul"ill* then he can popely undestand his ole0
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discussion0 The theate is not the classoom* and a diecto (ith a peda+o+ic undestandin+ o" Becht can no moe animate his plays than a pedant those o" Sha!espeae0 The ;uality o" the (o! done in any eheasal comes entiely "om the ceati'ity o" the (o!in+ climate>and ceati'ity cannot be bou+ht into bein+ by e=planations0 The lan+ua+e of eheasals is li!e li"e itsel"? it uses (ods* but also silences* stimuli* paody* lau+hte* unhappiness* despai* "an!ness and concealment* acti'ity and slo(ness* claity and chaos0 Becht eco+ni@ed this and in his last yeas he supised his associates by sayin+ that the theate must be nai'e0 li!e Dnatualistic it can be used (ith contempt to close a subect o scoe a point0 Un"otunately* it also leads to a simpli"ication* contastin+ the lan+ua+e o" action>this lan+ua+e is had* bi+ht and e""ecti'e>(ith the lan+ua+e o" psycholo+y>this is 1eudian* mushy* shi"tin+* da!* impecise0 7oo!ed at this (ay* o" couse psycholo+y must lose0 But is the di'ision a tue oneG E'eythin+ is illusion0 The e=chan+e o" impessions thou+h
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ima+es is ou basic lan+ua+e? at the moment (hen one man e=pesses an ima+e at that same instant the othe man meets him in belie"0 The shaed association is the lan+ua+e>i" the association e'o!es nothin+ in the second peson* i" thee is no instant o" shaed illusion* thee is no e=chan+e0 Becht o"ten too! the case o" a man descibin+ a steet accident as a naati'e situation>so let us ta!e his e=ample and e=amine the pocess o" peception that is in'ol'ed0 li!e the painted tee0 But (hen Becht stated thee (as somethin+ in the theate called illusion* the implication (as that thee (as somethin+ else that (as not illusion0 So illusion became opposed to eality0 2t (ould be bette i" (e clealy opposed dead illusion to
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li'in+ illusion* +lum statement to li'ely statement* "ossili@ed shape to mo'in+ shado(* the "o@en pictue to the mo'in+ one0 and ud+e0 This di'ision is neate in theoy than in pactice0 2t is not possible that anyone (atchin+ eithe a natualistic poduction o" a play o" Che!ho' o a "omali@ed :ee! ta+edy should suende to the belie" that he is in Russia o Ancient Thebes0 )et it is su""icient in eithe case "o an acto o" po(e to spea! a po(e"ul te=t "o the spectato to be cau+ht up in an illusion* althou+h* o" couse* he (ill still !no( that he is at e'ey instant in a theate0 The aim is not ho( to a'oid illusion> e'eythin+ is illusion* only some thin+s seem moe illusoy than othe0 2t is the hea'y8handed 2llusion that does not be+in to con'ince us0 On the othe hand* the illusion that is composed by the "lash o" ;uic! and chan+in+ impessions !eeps the dat o" the ima+ination at play0 This illusion is li!e the sin+le dot in the mo'in+ tele'ision pictue? it only lasts "o the instant its "unction demands0 2t is an easy mista!e to conside Che!ho' as a natualistic (ite* and in "act many o" the sloppiest and thinnest plays o" ecent yeas called Dslice o" li"e "ondly thin! themsel'es Che!ho'ian0 Che!ho' ne'e ust made a slice o" li"e>he (as a docto (ho (ith in"inite +entleness and cae too! thousands and thousands o" "ine layes o"" li"e0 These he cultued* and then aan+ed them in an e=;uisitely cunnin+* completely ati"icial and meanin+"ul ode in (hich pat o" the cunnin+ lay in so dis+uisin+ the ati"ice that the esult loo!ed li!e the !eyhole 'ie( it ne'e had been0 Any
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pa+e o" The Three "isters +i'es the impession o" li"e un"oldin+ as thou+h a tape8ecode had been le"t unnin+0 2" e=amined cae"ully it (ill be seen to be built o" coincidences as +eat as in 1eydeau>the 'ase o" "lo(es that o'etuns* the "ie8en+ine that passes at ust the i+ht moment the (od* the inteuption* the distant music* the sound in the (in+s* the entance* the "ae(ell> touch by touch* they ceate thou+h the lan+ua+e o" illusions an o'eall illusion o" a slice o" li"e0 This seies o" impessions is e;ually a seies o" alienations? each uptue is a subtle po'ocation and a call to thou+ht0 2 ha'e aleady ;uoted pe"omances in :emany a"te the (a0 2n a Hambu+ +aet 2 once sa( a poduction o" Cime and Punishment* and that e'enin+ became* be"oe its "ou8hou stetch (as o'e* one o" the most sti!in+ theate e=peiences 2 ha'e e'e had0 By shee necessity* all poblems o" theate style 'anished? hee (as the eal main steam* the essence o" an at that stems "om the stoy8telle loo!in+ ound his audience and be+innin+ to spea!0 All the theates in the to(n had been destoyed* but hee* in this attic* (hen an acto in a chai touchin+ ou !nees be+an ;uietly to say* D2t (as in the yea o" #/> that a youn+ student* Roman Rodiano'itchi Ras!olni!o'(e (ee +ipped by li'in+ theate0 :ipped0
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only "a+mentay impessions that only came into bein+ at the instant they (ee e;uied* and at once 'anished a+ain* (e ne'e lost si+ht o" bein+ cammed to+ethe in a co(ded oom* "ollo(in+ a stoy0 The naato could add details* he could e=plain and philosophi@e* the chaactes themsel'es could slip "om natualistic actin+ into monolo+ue* one acto could* by hunchin+ his bac!* slip "om one chaactei@ation to anothe* and point "o point* dot "o dot* sto!e "o sto!e* the (hole comple= (old o" 9ostoe's!ys no'el (as eceated0 Ho( "ee is the con'ention o" a no'el* ho( e""otless the elationship o" (ite to eade? bac!+ounds can be e'o!ed and dismissed* the tansition "om the oute to the inne (old is natual and continuous0 The success o" the Hambu+ e=peiment eminded me a+ain o" ho( +otes;uely clumsy* ho( inade;uate and piti"ul the theate becomes* not only (hen a +an+ o" men and cea!in+ machines ae needed to mo'e us only "om one place to the ne=t* but e'en (hen the tansition "om the (old o" action to the (old o" thou+ht has to be e=plained by any de'ice>by music* chan+in+ li+hts o clambein+ on to plat"oms0 2n the cinema* :odad has sin+lehanded bou+ht about a e'olution by sho(in+ ho( elati'e the eality o" a photo+aphed scene can be0
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play (ee e'ealed as thou+h "o the "ist time? much o" it can seldom ha'e been so (ell sta+ed0 The company appoached the play socially and politically and this meant that the stoc! mechanical (ays o" sta+in+ Sha!espeaian co(ds (ee no lon+e possible0 2t (ould ha'e been impossible to +et any one o" those intelli+ent actos playin+ an anonymous citi@en meely to ma!e chees* muttes and ees on cue li!e bit playes thou+h the a+es0 The ene+y that "ed the months o" (o! that e'entually illuminated all the stuctue o" sub8plot came "om the actos inteest in the social themes0 The small pats (ee not boin+ to the actos>they ne'e became bac!+ound because they ob'iously caied issues "ascinatin+ to study and po'ocati'e to discuss0 The people* the tibunes* the battle* the assemblies* (ee ich in te=tue? all "oms o" theate (ee pessed into se'ice>the costumes had the "eel o" e'eyday li"e but the sta+e positions had the "omality o" ta+edy0 The speech (as sometimes hei+htened* sometimes collo;uial* the battles used ancient Chinese techni;ues to cay moden meanin+s0 Thee (as not a moment o" stoc! theaticality* no any noble emotion used "o its o(n sa!e0 Coiolanus (as not ideali@ed no e'en li!eable? he (as e=plosi'e* 'iolent>not admiable but con'incin+0 E'eythin+ se'ed the action (hich itsel" (as cystal clea0 And then appeaed a tiny de"ect that became "o ne a deep* inteestin+ "la(0 The mao con"ontation scene bet(een Coiolanus and olumnia at the +ates o" Rome (as e(itten0 2 do not "o one moment ;uestion the pinciple o" e(itin+ Sha!espeae>a"te all* the te=ts do not +et buned>each peson can do (hat he thin!s necessay (ith a te=t and still no one su""es0
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They in'ented an additional piece o" naati'e0 Coiolanus demanded the citi@ens o" Rome to +i'e a smo!e si+nal i" they (ee pepaed to suende0 At the end o" his discussion (ith his mothe he sees a column o" smo!e isin+ "om the ampats and is ubilant0 His mothe points out that the smo!e is not a si+n o" suende* but the smo!e "om the "o+es o" the people amin+ themsel'es to de"end thei homes0 Coiolanus eali@es that Rome can cay on (ithout him and senses the ine'itability o" his o(n de"eat0 He yields0 2n theoy* this ne( plot is as inteestin+ and (o!s as (ell as the old one0 But any play o" Sha!espeaes has an o+anic sense0 On pape it (ould loo! as thou+h the episode can easonably be substituted "o anothe* and cetainly in many plays thee ae scenes and passa+es that can easily be cut o tansposed0 But i" one has a !ni"e in one hand* one needs a stethoscope in the othe0 The scene bet(een Coiolanus and his mothe is close to the heat o" the play? li!e the stom in 7ea o a Hamlet monolo+ue* its emotional content en+endes the heat by (hich stands o" cool thou+ht and pattens o" dialectical a+ument ae e'entually "used0 the damatic "act o" a mystey (e cant completely "athom0 The Beline Ensembles choice implied that thei social attitude (ould be (ea!ened by acceptin+ the un"athomable natue o" the man8(ithin8the8social8scene0 Histoically it is clea ho( a theate loathin+ the sel"8indul+ent indi'idualism o" bou+eois at should ha'e tuned to actions instead0
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2n Pe!in+ today it seems to ma!e +ood sense to sho( +iant e'en supposin+ that such a line could be "ound0 The accumulation o" e'ents o" the last "e( yeas* the assassinations* schisms* do(n"alls* upisin+s and the local (as ha'e had an inceasin+ly demysti"yin+ e""ect0
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to him and (hat belon+s to the state* ae in ;uestion a+ain0 A+ain* as in Eli@abethan times* man is as!in+ (hy he has a li"e and a+ainst (hat he can measue it0 2t is not by chance that the ne( metaphysical theate o" :oto(s!i aises in a county denched in both Communism and Catholicism0 Pete so that heoism* sel"8totue o matydom become omantic a+onies* in the 'oid0
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cetain to be (o!in+ "om a 3a=ist point o" 'ie(0 This is because 3a=ism po'ides the (ite (ith a stuctue* a tool and an aim>bee"t o" these thee elements the non83a=ist tuns to 3an0 This can easily ma!e the (ite 'a+ue and (oolly0 But the 'ey best non8political (ite may be anothe sot o" e=pet* (ho can disciminate 'ey pecisely in the teacheous (old o" indi'idual shades o" e=peience0 The epic (ite o" 3a=ist plays seldom bin+s to his (o! this same "ine sense o" human indi'iduality? pehaps because he is un(illin+ to e+ad a mans sten+th and a mans (ea!ness (ith e;ual impatiality0 2t is pehaps "o this eason that stan+ely the pop tadition in En+land has such (ide appeal? non8political* unali+ned* it is none the less tuned in on a "a+mented (old in (hich bombs* du+s* :od* paents* se=* and pi'ate an=ieties* ae insepaable>and all illuminated by a (ish* not a 'ey ston+ (ish* but a (ish all the same>"o some sot o" chan+e o tans"omation0 Thee is a challen+e to all the theates in the (old (ho ha'e not yet be+un to "ace the mo'ements o" ou time* to satuate themsel'es in Becht* to study the Ensemble and see all those "acets o" society that ha'e "ound no place in thei shut8o"" sta+es0 Thee is a challen+e to e'olutionay theates in counties (ith a clea8cut e'olutionay situation li!e in 7atin Ameica to haness thei theates boldly to unmista!ably clea8cut themes0 E;ually* thee is a challen+e no( to the Beline Ensemble and its "ollo(es to econside thei attitude to the da!ness o" indi'idual man0 This is ou only possibility>to loo! at the a""imations o" Ataud* 3eye8hold* Stanisla's!y* :oto(s!i* Becht* then compae them (ith the li"e o" the paticula place in (hich (e (o!0
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Sha!espeae is a model o" a theate that contains Becht and Bec!ett* but +oes beyond both0 Ou need in the post8Becht theate is to "ind a (ay "o(ads* bac! to Sha!espeae0 2n Sha!espeae the intospection and the metaphysics so"ten nothin+0 uite the e'ese0 2t is thou+h the uneconciled opposition o" Rou+h and Holy* thou+h an atonal sceech o" absolutely unsympathetic !eys that (e +et the distubin+ and the un"o+ettable impessions o" his plays0 2t is because the contadictions ae so ston+ that they bun on us so deeply0 Ob'iously* (e cant (histle up a second Sha!espeae0 But the moe clealy (e see in (hat the po(e o" Sha!espeaian theate lies* the moe (e pepae the (ay0 1o e=ample* (e ha'e at last become a(ae that the absence o" sceney in the Eli@abethan theate (as one o" its +eatest "eedoms0 2n En+land at least* all poductions "o ;uite some time ha'e been in"luenced by the disco'ey that Sha!espeaes plays (ee (itten to be pe"omed continuously* that thei cinematic stuctue o" altenatin+ shot scenes* plot intecut (ith subplot* (ee all pat o" a total shape0 This shape is only e'ealed dynamically* that is* in the uninteupted se;uence o" these scenes* and (ithout this thei e""ect and po(e ae lessened as much as (ould be a "ilm that (as poected (ith bea!s and musical inteludes bet(een each eel0 The Eli@abethan sta+e (as li!e the attic 2 (as descibin+ in Hambu+* it (as a neutal open plat"om>ust a place (ith some doos>and so it enabled the damatist e""otlessly to (hip the spectato thou+h an unlimited succession o" illusions* co'ein+* i" he chose* the entie physical (old0 2t has also been pointed out that the natue o" the pemanent stuctue o" the Eli@abethan playhouse* (ith its "lat open aena and its la+e balcony and its second smalle +alley* (as a dia+am o" the uni'ese as seen by the si=teenth8centuy audience and play(i+ht>the +ods* the cout and the people>thee le'els* sepaate and yet o"ten intemin+lin+>a sta+e that (as a pe"ect philosophes machine0
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pictues da(n "om the (old o" "abulous disco'eies>he penetates a psychic e=istence (hose +eo+aphy and mo'ements emain ust as 'ital "o us to undestand today0 2n an ideal elation (ith a tue acto on a bae sta+e (e (ould continually be passin+ "om lon+ shot to close* tac!in+ o umpin+ in and out and the planes o"ten o'elap0 Compaed (ith the cinemas mobility* the theate once seemed pondeous and cea!y* but the close (e mo'e to(ads the tue na!edness o" theate* the close (e appoach a sta+e that has a li+htness and an+e "a beyond "ilm o tele'ision0 The po(e o" Sha!espeaes plays is that they pesent man simultaneously in all his aspects? touch "o touch* (e can identi"y and (ithda(0 A pimiti'e situation distubs us in ou subconscious ou intelli+ence (atches* comments* philosophi@es0 Becht and Bec!ett ae both contained in Sha!espeae uneconciled0 and yet at one and the same time (e e'aluate politically* obecti'ely in elation to society0 Because the
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po"ound eaches past the e'eyday* a hei+htened lan+ua+e and a itualistic use o" hythm bin+s us to those 'ey aspects o" li"e (hich the su"ace hides? and yet because the poet and the 'isionay do not seem li!e odinay people* because the epic state is not one on (hich (e nomally d(ell* it is e;ually possible "o Sha!espeae (ith a bea! in his hythm* a t(ist into pose* a shi"t into slan+y con'esation o else a diect (od "om the audience to emind us>in plain common8sense>o" (hee (e ae and to etun us to the "amilia ou+h (old o" spades as spades0 So it is that Sha!espeae succeeded (hee no one has succeeded be"oe o since in (itin+ plays that pass thou+h many sta+es o" consciousness0 and one that sho(s these t(o elements* Holy and Rou+h* almost schematically* side by side0 They ae opposed and they coe=ist0 2n Measure for Measure (e ha'e a base (old* a 'ey eal (old in (hich the action is "imly ooted0 This is the dis+ustin+* stin!in+ (old o" medie'al ienna0 The da!ness o" this (old is absolutely necessay to the meanin+ o" the play? 2sabellas plea "o +ace has "a moe meanin+ in this 9ostoe's!ian settin+ than it (ould in lyical comedys ne'e8ne'e land0 it demands an absolutely con'incin+ ou+hness and dit0 Also* (hen so much o" the play is eli+ious in thou+ht* the loud humou o" the bothel is impotant as a de'ice* because it is alienatin+ and humani@in+0 1om the "anatical chastity o" 2sabella and the mystey o" the 9u!e (e ae plun+ed
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bac! to Pompey and Banadine "o douches o" nomality0 To e=ecute Sha!espeaes intentions (e must animate all this stetch o" the play* not as "antasy* but as the ou+hest comedy (e can ma!e0 and at the same time (e must ta!e +eat cae* "o all aound the popula scenes ae +eat aeas o" the play that clumsiness could destoy0 As (e ente this holie land* (e (ill "ind that Sha!espeae +i'es us a clea si+nal>the ou+h is in pose* the est in 'ese0 2n the pose scenes* 'ey boadly spea!in+* the (o! can be eniched by ou o(n in'ention>the scenes need added e=tenal details to assue them o" thei "ullest li"e0 2n the passa+es in 'ese (e ae aleady on ou +uad? Sha!espeae needs 'ese because he is tyin+ to say moe* to compact to+ethe moe meanin+0 less beadth* moe intensity0 uite simply (e need a di""eent appoach* a di""eent style0 Thee is nothin+ to be ashamed o" in chan+in+ style>loo! at a pa+e o" a 1olio (ith hal"8closed eyes and you see a chaos o" ie+ulaly spaced symbols0 2" (e ion Sha!espeae into any one typo+aphy o" theate (e lose the eal meanin+ o" the play>i" (e "ollo( his e'e8shi"tin+ de'ices* he (ill lead us thou+h many di""eent !eys0 2" (e "ollo( the mo'ement in Measure for Measure bet(een the Rou+h and the Holy (e (ill disco'e a play about ustice* mecy* honesty* "o+i'eness* 'itue* 'i+inity* se= and death? !aleidoscopically one section o" the play mios the othe* it is in acceptin+ the pism as a (hole that its meanin+s eme+e0 and this used to lead to a t(o8 minute stoppin+ o" the play0 The de'ice became a 'oodoo pole> a silence in (hich all the in'isible elements o" the e'enin+ came
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to+ethe* a silence in (hich the abstact notion o" mecy became concete "o that moment to those pesent0 This Rou+hHoly stuctue also sho(s clealy in the t(o pats of Henry (*@ 1alsta"" and the pose ealism o" the inn scenes on the one hand and the poetic le'els o" so much else>both elements contained (ithin one comple= (hole0 2n A ,inter$s Tale a 'ey subtle constuction hin+es on the !ey moment (hen a statue comes to li"e0 This is o"ten citici@ed as a clumsy de'ice* an implausible (ay o" (indin+ up the plot* and it is usually usti"ied only in tems o" omantic "iction an a(!(ad con'ention o" the times that Sha!espeae (as "oced to use0 2n "act* the statue that comes to li"e is the tuth o" the play0 2n A ,inter$s Tale (e "ind a natual di'ision into thee sections0 7eontes accuses his (i"e o" in"idelity0 He condemns he to death0 The child is put to sea0 2n the second pat the child +o(s up* and no( in a di""eent pastoal !ey the 'ey same action is epeated0 The man "alsely accused by 7eontes no( in tun beha'es ust as uneasonably0 The conse;uence is the same>the child a+ain ta!es "li+ht0 He ouney ta!es he bac! to 7eontes palace and the thid pat is no( in the same place as the "ist* but t(enty yeas late0 A+ain* 7eontes "inds himsel" in simila conditions* in (hich he could be as 'iolently uneasonable as be"oe0 Thus the main action is pesented "ist "eociously then a second time by chamin+ paody but in a bold mao !ey* "o the pastoal o" the play is a mio as (ell as a stai+ht de'ice0 The thid mo'ement is in anothe contastin+ !ey>a !ey o" emose0
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(hole time patten o" the play is tans"omed? the past and the "utue ae no lon+e the same0 The le'el chan+es* and e'en i" (e call it a miacle* the statue has none the less come to li"e0 and so it ma!es us (onde deeply0 Hee (e ha'e an e=ample o" the Dhappenin+ e""ect>the moment (hen the illo+ical bea!s thou+h ou e'eyday undestandin+ to ma!e us open ou eyes moe (idely0 The (hole play has established ;uestions and e"eences? the moment o" supise is a olt to the !aleidoscope* and (hat (e see in the playhouse (e can etain and elate to the plays ;uestions (hen they ecu tansposed* diluted and dis+uised* in li"e0 2" (e ima+ine "o a moment Measure for Measure and A ,inter$s Tale (itten by Sate* it (ould be easonable to +uess that in the one case 2sabella (ould not !neel "o An+elo>so that the play (ould end (ith the hollo( cac!le o" the "iin+ s;uad>and in the othe the statue (ould not come to li"e* so that 7eontes (ould be "aced (ith the blea! conse;uences o" his actions0 Both Sha!espeae and Sate (ould be "ashionin+ plays accodin+ to thei sense o" tuth? one authos inne mateial contains di""eent intimations "om the othes0 The mista!e (ould be to ta!e e'ents o episodes "om a play and ;uestion them in the li+ht o" some thid outside standad o" plausibility>li!e Deality o Dtuth0 The sot o" play that Sha!espeae o""es us is ne'e ust a seies o" e'ents? it is "a easie to undestand i" (e conside the plays as obects>as many "aceted comple=es o" "om and meanin+ in (hich the line o" naati'e is only one amon+st many aspects> and cannot po"itably be played o studied on its o(n0 E=peimentally* (e can appoach 7ea not as a linea naati'e*
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but as a cluste o" elationships0 1ist* (e ty to id ousel'es o" the notion that because the play is called &ing 'ear it is pimaily the stoy o" one indi'idual0 So (e pic! an abitay point in the 'ast stuctue>the death o" Codelia* say* and no( instead o" loo!in+ to(ads the Kin+ (e tun instead to(ads the man (ho is esponsible "o he death0 yet i" (e loo! at ou "ist impession o" him in the ealy scenes* (e "ind he is by "a the most attacti'e chaacte (e meet0 2n the openin+ scenes thee is a denial o" li"e in 7eas usty ionclad po(e :louceste is tetchy* "ussy and "oolish* a man blind to e'eythin+ e=cept his in"lated ima+e o" his o(n impotance and in damatic contast (e see the ela=ed "eedom o" his bastad son0 E'en i" in theoy (e obse'e that the (ay he leads :louceste by the nose is hadly moal* instincti'ely (e cannot but side (ith his natual anachy0 Not only do (e sympathi@e (ith :oneil and Re+an "o "allin+ in lo'e (ith him* but (e tend to side (ith them in "indin+ Edmund so admiably (ic!ed* because he a""ims a li"e that the scleosis o" the olde people seems to deny0 Can (e !eep this same attitude o" admiation to(ads Edmund (hen he has Codelia !illedG 2" not* (hy notG it is not the po(e"ul Edmund* but his youn+e bothe (ho (ins0 2n the "ist scenes o" the play* Edmund had no touble at all in out(ittin+ Ed+a>no( "i'e acts late in
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sin+le combat it is Ed+a (ho dominates0 Acceptin+ this as damatic tuth athe than omantic con'ention* (e ae "oced to as! ho( it has come about0 Can (e e=plain it all ;uite simply in tems o" moal +o(th>Ed+a has +o(n up* Edmund has decayed>o is the (hole ;uestion o" Ed+as undoubted de'elopment "om na#etB to undestandin+>and Edmunds 'isible chan+e "om "eedom to entan+lement>"a moe comple= than a cut8and8died ;uestion o" the tiumph o" the +ood0 Aent (e compelled in "act to elate this to all the e'idence connected (ith the ;uestion o" +o(th and decline* i0e0 youth and a+e* i0e0 sten+th and (ea!ness0 2" "o a moment (e assume this point o" 'ie(* then suddenly the (hole play seems concened (ith scleosis opposin+ the "lo( o" e=istence* o" cataacts that dissol'e* o" i+id attitudes that yield* (hile at the same time obsessions "om and positions haden0 O" couse the (hole play is also about si+ht and blindness* (hat si+ht amounts to* (hat blindness means>ho( the t(o eyes o" 7ea i+noe (hat the instinct o" the 1ool appehends* ho( the t(o eyes o" :louceste miss (hat his blindness !no(s0 But the obect has many "acets many themes ciss8coss its pismatic "om0 7et us stay (ith the stands o" a+e and youth* and in pusuit o" them mo'e on to the 'ey last lines o" the play0
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Ho(e'e* i" (e loo! bac! thou+h Ed+as o(n line o" action* (e see that althou+h Ed+as e=peience in the stom paallels 7eas* it cetainly has not (ou+ht in him the intense inne chan+e that has ta!en place in 7ea0 )et Ed+a ac;uied the sten+th "o t(o !illin+s>"ist Os(ald* then his bothe0 ho( deeply has he e=peienced this loss o" innocenceG 2s he still (ide8eyedG 2s he sayin+ in his closin+ (ods that youth and a+e ae limited by thei o(n de"initions>that the only (ay to see as much as 7ea is to +o thou+h 7eas mill* and then i0so facto one is youn+ no lon+e0 7ea li'es lon+e than :louceste>in time and in depth>and as a esult he undoubtedly Dsees moe than :louceste be"oe he dies0 9oes Ed+a (ish to say that it is e=peience o" this ode and intensity that eally means Dli'in+ lon+0 2" so* the Dbein+ youn+ is a state (ith its o(n blindness> li!e that o" the ealy Ed+a* and its o(n "eedom li!e that o" the ealy Edmund0 A+e in tun has its blindness and decay0 Ho(e'e* tue si+ht comes "om an acuteness o" li'in+ that can tans"om the old0 2ndeed* it is clealy sho(n to us in the un"oldin+ o" the play that 7ea su""es most and D+ets "athest0 Undoubtedly* his bie" moment o" capti'ity (ith Codelia is as a moment o" bliss* peace and econciliation* and Chistian commentatos o"ten (ite as thou+h this (ee the end o" the stoy>a clea tale o" the ascent "om the in"eno thou+h pu+ation to paadise0 Un"otunately "o this neat 'ie( the play continues* pitilessly* a(ay "om econciliation0 Da statement that in+s li!e a hal"8open ;uestion>is that it caies no moal o'etones at all0 He does not su++est "o one moment that youth o a+e* seein+ o not seein+* ae in any (ay supeio* in"eio* moe desiable o less desiable one than the othe0 2n "act (e ae
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compelled to "ace a play (hich e"uses all moali@in+>a play (hich (e be+in to see not as a naati'e any lon+e* but as a 'ast* comple=* coheent poem desi+ned to study the po(e and the emptiness o" nothin+>the positi'e and ne+ati'e aspects latent in the @eo0 So (hat does Sha!espeae meanG but usually it only se'es to put +eneations o" school childen o"" theate "o li"e0 But (hen (e see ho( nothin+ in the play is (hat it seems* ho( it ta!es place on an island and not on an island* duin+ a day and not duin+ a day* (ith a tempest that sets o"" a seies o" e'ents that ae still (ithin a tempest e'en then the stom is done* that the chamin+ pastoal "o childen natually encompasses ape* mude* conspiacy and 'iolence (hen (e be+in to uneath the themes that Sha!espeae so cae"ully buied* (e see that it is his complete "inal statement* and that it deals (ith the (hole condition o" man0 2n a simila (ay* Sha!espeaes "ist play Titus Andronicus be+ins to yield its
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secets the moment one ceases to e+ad it as a stin+ o" +atuitous sto!es o" melodama and be+ins to loo! "o its completeness0 E'eythin+ in Titus is lin!ed to a da! "lo(in+ cuent out o" (hich su+e the hoos* hythmically and lo+ically elated>i" one seaches in this (ay one can "ind the e=pession o" a po(e"ul and e'entually beauti"ul babaic itual0 But in Titus this un8 eathin+ is compaati'ely simple>today (e can al(ays "ind ou (ay to the 'iolent sub8conscious0 The Te20est is anothe matte0 1om "ist play to last* Sha!espeae mo'ed thou+h many limbos? maybe the conditions cannot be "ound today "o the plays natue to be e'ealed "ully0 Until* ho(e'e* a (ay o" pesentin+ it can be "ound* (e can at least be (ay o" con"usin+ unsuccess"ul attempts at (estlin+ (ith the te=t (ith the thin+ itsel"0 E'en i" unplayable today* it emains an e=ample o" ho( a metaphysical play can "ind a natual idiom that is holy* comic and ou+h0 So it is that in the second hal" o" the t(entieth centuy in En+land (hee 2 am (itin+ these (ods* (e ae "aced (ith the in"uiatin+ "act that Sha!espeae is still ou model0 2n this espect* ou (o! on Sha!espeae poduction is al(ays to ma!e the plays Dmoden because it is only (hen the audience comes into diect contact (ith the plays themes that time and con'entions 'anish0 E;ually* (hen (e appoach the moden theate* in (hate'e "om* (hethe the play (ith a "e( chaactes* the happenin+* o the play (ith hodes o" chaactes and scenes* the poblem is al(ays the same >(hee ae the e;ui'alents to the Eli@abethan sten+ths* in the sense o" an+e and stetch0
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2 ha'e tal!ed a lot about inne and oute (olds* but li!e all oppositions it is a elati'e one* a con'enience o" notation0 2 ha'e tal!ed about beauty* ma+ic* lo'e? !noc!in+ these (ods (ith one hand* seemin+ to each to(ads them (ith the othe0 And yet the paado= is a simple one0 All that (e see connected (ith these (ods seems deadly? (hat they imply coesponds to (hat (e need0 2" (e do not undestand cathasis* that is because it has become identi"ied (ith an emotional steam bath0 2" (e do not undestand ta+edy* it is because it has become con"used (ith Actin+ The Kin+0
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THE E3PT) SPACE
But i" ou lan+ua+e must coespond (ith ou a+e* then (e must also accept that today ou+hness is li'elie and holiness deadlie than at othe times0 Once* the theate could be+in as ma+ic? ma+ic at the saced "esti'al* o ma+ic as the "ootli+hts came up0 Today* it is the othe (ay ound0 The theate is hadly (anted and its (o!es ae hadly tusted0 So (e cannot assume that the audience (ill assemble de'outly and attenti'ely0 2t is up to us to captue its attention and compel its belie"0 To do so (e must po'e that thee (ill be no tic!ey* nothin+ hidden0
6 The 2mmediate Theate THERE 2S no doubt that a theate can be a 'ey special place0 2t is li!e a ma+ni"yin+ +lass* and also li!e a educin+ lens0 2t is a small (old* so it can easily be a petty one0 2t is di""eent "om e'eyday li"e so it can easily be di'oced "om li"e0 On the othe hand* (hile (e li'e less and less in 'illa+es o nei+hbouhoods* and moe and moe in open8ended +lobal communities* the theate community stays the same? the cast o" a play is still the si@e that it has al(ays been0 The theate nao(s li"e do(n0 2t nao(s it do(n in many (ays0 2t is al(ays had "o anyone to ha'e one sin+le aim in li"e>in the theate* ho(e'e* the +oal is clea0 1om the "ist eheasal* the aim is al(ays 'isible* not too "a a(ay* and it in'ol'es e'eyone0 and e'en i" they e+etted its absence it (ould not hampe thei "unctionin+ in any (ay0 But in the theate thee is no such sepaation? at e'ey instant the pactical ;uestion is an atistic one? the most incoheent* uncouth playe is as much in'ol'ed in mattes o" pitch and pace* intonation and hythm* position* distance* colou and shape as the most sophisticated0 2n eheasal* the hei+ht o" the chai* the te=tue o" the costume* the bi+htness o" the li+ht* the ;uality o" emotion* matte all the time? the aesthetics ae pactical0 One (ould be (on+ to say that this is #6
#4
THE E3PT) SPACE
because the theate is an at0 The sta+e is a e"lection o" li"e* but this li"e cannot be e8li'ed "o a moment (ithout a (o!in+ system based on obse'in+ cetain 'alues and ma!in+ 'alue8 ud+ements0 A chai is mo'ed up o do(n sta+e* because its Dbette so0 T(o columns ae (on+>but addin+ a thid ma!es them Di+ht>the (ods Dbette* D(ose* Dnot so +ood* Dbad ae day a"te day* but these (ods (hich ule decisions cay no moal sense (hatsoe'e0 Anyone inteested in pocesses in the natual (old (ould be 'ey e(aded by a study o" theate conditions0 His disco'eies (ould be "a moe applicable to +eneal society than the study o" bees o ants0 Unde the ma+ni"yin+ +lass he (ould see a +oup o" people li'in+ all the time accodin+ to pecise* shaed* but un8named standads0 He (ould see that in any community a theate has eithe no paticula "unction>o a uni;ue one0 The uni;ueness o" the "unction is that it o""es somethin+ that cannot be "ound in the steet* at home* in the pub* (ith "iends* o on a psychiatists couch in a chuch o at the mo'ies0 Thee is only one inteestin+ di""eence bet(een the cinema and the theate0 The cinema "lashes on to a sceen ima+es "om the past0 As this is (hat the mind does to itsel" all thou+h li"e* the cinema seems intimately eal0 O" couse* it is nothin+ o" the sot>it is a satis"yin+ and enoyable e=tension o" the uneality o" e'eyday peception0 The theate* on the othe hand* al(ays assets itsel" in the pesent0 This is (hat can ma!e it moe eal than the nomal steam o" consciousness0 This also is (hat can ma!e it so distubin+0 No tibute to the latent po(e o" the theate is as tellin+ as that paid to it by censoship0 2n most e+imes* e'en (hen the (itten (od is "ee* the ima+e "ee* it is still the sta+e that is libeated last0 2nstincti'ely* +o'enments !no( that the li'in+ e'ent could ceate a dan+eous electicity>e'en i" (e see this happen all too seldom0 But this ancient "ea is a eco+nition o" an ancient
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potential0 The theate is the aena (hee a li'in+ con"ontation can ta!e place0 The "ocus o" a la+e +oup o" people ceates a uni;ue intensity>o(in+ to this "oces that opeate at all times and ule each pesons daily li"e can be isolated and pecei'ed moe clealy0 No(* 2 must become unashamedly pesonal0 2n the thee pecedin+ chaptes 2 ha'e dealt (ith di""eent "oms o" theate* in +eneal* as they occu all o'e the (old* and natually as they occu to me0 2" this "inal section* (hich ine'itably is a sot o" conclusion* ta!es the "om o" a theate 2 appea to ecommend* this is because 2 can only spea! o" the theate 2 !no(0 2 must nao( my si+hts and tal! about theate as 2 undestand it* autobio+aphically0 2 (ill endea'ou to spea! o" actions and conclusions "om (ithin my "ield o" (o!? this is (hat constitutes my e=peience and my point o" 'ie(0 2n tun* the eade must obse'e that it is insepaable "om all the thin+s on my passpot> nationality* date o" bith* place o" bith* physical chaacteistics* colou o" eyes* si+natue0 Also* it is insepaable "om todays date0 This is a pictue o" the autho at the moment o" (itin+? seachin+ (ithin a decayin+ and e'ol'in+ theate0 As 2 continue to (o!* each e=peience (ill ma!e these conclusions inconclusi'e a+ain0 2t is impossible to assess the "unction o" a boo!>but 2 hope this one may pehaps be o" use some(hee* to someone else (estlin+ (ith his o(n poblems in elation to anothe time and place0 But i" anyone (ee to ty to use it as a handboo!* then 2 can de"initely (an him>thee ae no "omulas? thee ae no methods0 2 can descibe an e=ecise o a techni;ue* but anyone (ho attempts to epoduce them "om my desciption is cetain to be disappointed0 2 (ould undeta!e to teach anyone all that 2 !no( about theate ules and techni;ue in a "e( hous0 The est is pactice>and that cannot be done alone0
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THE E3PT) SPACE
2n pe"omance* the elationship is actosubectaudience0 2n eheasal it is actosubectdiecto0 The ealiest elationship is diectosubectdesi+ne0 Sceney and costumes can sometimes e'ol'e in eheasal at the same time as the est o" the pe"omance* but o"ten pactical consideations o" buildin+ and dess8ma!in+ "oce the desi+ne to ha'e his (o! cut and died be"oe the "ist eheasal0 2 ha'e o"ten done my o(n desi+ns0 This can be a distinct ad'anta+e* but "o a 'ey special eason0 then as he (o!s on the set he may suddenly "ind the place o" the scene that eludes him as he (o!s on the stuctue o" the di""icult scene he may suddenly +limpse its meanin+ in tems o" sta+e action o a succession o" colous0 2n (o! (ith a desi+ne* a sympathy o" tempo is (hat mattes most0 2 ha'e (o!ed (ith oy (ith many ma'ellous desi+nes>but ha'e at times been cau+ht in stan+e taps* as (hen the desi+ne eaches a compellin+ solution too "ast >so that 2 "ound mysel" ha'in+ to accept o e"use shapes be"oe 2 had sensed (hat shapes seemed to be immanent in the te=t0
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lies be"oe him0 3any desi+nes* ho(e'e* tend to "eel that (ith the deli'ey o" the sets and costume s!etches a mao potion o" thei o(n ceati'e (o! in +enuinely complete0 This paticulaly applies to +ood paintes (o!in+ in the theate0 1o them* a completed desi+n is complete0 At lo'es can ne'e undestand (hy all sta+e desi+nin+ isnt done by D+eat paintes and sculptos0 not the sta+e pictue* but the sta+e mo'in+ pictue0 A "ilm edito shapes his mateial a"te the e'ent? the sta+e desi+ne is o"ten li!e the edito o" an Alice8Thou+h8the87oo!in+8:lass "ilm* cuttin+ dynamic mateial in shapes* be"oe this mateial has yet come into bein+0 The late he ma!es his decisions* the bette0 2t is 'ey easy>and it happens ;uite o"ten>to spoil an actos pe"omance (ith the (on+ costume0 The acto (ho is as!ed his 'ie(s about a costume desi+n be"oe eheasals stat is in a simila position to the diecto (ho is as!ed "o a decision be"oe he is eady0 He has not yet had a physical e=peience o" his ole> so his 'ie(s ae theoetical0 2" the desi+ne s!etches (ith panache >and i" the costume is beauti"ul in its o(n i+ht>the acto (ill o"ten accept it (ith enthusiasm* only to disco'e (ee!s late that it is out o" tune (ith all that he is tyin+ to e=pess0 1undamental to the (o! o" desi+nin+ is the poblem>(hat should an acto (eaG A costume doesnt ust come out o" the desi+nes head? it spin+s "om a bac!+ound0 Ta!e the situation o" a (hite Euopean acto playin+ a apanese0 E'en i" e'ey conti'ance is used* his costume (ill ne'e ha'e the allue o" a Samuai in a
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THE E3PT) SPACE
apanese "ilm0 2n the authentic settin+* the details ae i+ht and elated to one anothe? in the copy based on a study o" documents* thee is almost ine'itably a steady seies o" compomises the mateial is only moe o less the same* the detail o" the cut adapted and appo=imate* e'entually the acto himsel" is unable to inhabit the costume (ith the instincti'e i+ht ness o" the men close to the souce0 2" (e cannot pesent a apanese o an A"ican satis"actoily by pocesses o" imitation* the same holds +ood "o (hat (e call Dpeiod0 An acto (hose (o! seems eal in eheasal clothes easily loses this inte+ity (hen dessed in a to+a copied "om a 'ase in the Bitish 3useum0 )et (eain+ e'eyday clothes is seldom the ans(e* they ae usually inade;uate as a uni"om "o pe"omance0 The Noh theate* "o instance* has pese'ed itual pe"omin+ clothes that ae o" +eat beauty* and so has the Chuch0 2n bao;ue peiods* a contempoay D"iney e=isted>and so could be the base o" clothin+ "o play o opea0 The omantic ball (as still ecently a 'alid souce "o ema!able desi+nes li!e Oli'e 3essel o Chistian BLad0 2n the U0S0S0R0 a"te the Re'olution* the (hite tie and tails* dopped "om social li"e* still supplied the "omal basis "o clothin+ musicians aptly and ele+antly in a manne that sepaated the pe"omance "om the eheasal0 1o us e'ey time (e stat a ne( poduction (e ae compelled to eopen this ;uestion as thou+h "o the "ist time0
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can colou and te=tue hei+htenG but e'eyone deploes it* natually0 2n e8 action* e'ey acto (ants to play e'eythin+0 2n "act* he cant? each acto is e'entually bloc!ed by his o(n tue limits* (hich outline his eal type0 All one can say is that most attempts to decide in ad'ance (hat an acto can not do ae usually aboti'e0 The inteest in actos is thei capacity "o poducin+ unsuspected taits in eheasal? the disappointment in an acto is (hen he is tue to "om0 To ty to cast D!no(in+ly is usually a 'anity? it is bette to ha'e the time and conditions in (hich it is possible to ta!e is!s0 One may o"ten be (on+>but in e=chan+e these (ill be ;uite une=pected e'elations and de'elopments0 No acto stands completely still in his caee0 2t is easy to ima+ine that he has +ot stuc! at a cetain le'el* (hen in "act a consideable unseen chan+e is unde (ay inside him0 The acto (ho seems 'ey +ood at an audition may be 'ey talented* but on the (hole this is unli!ely>he is moe pobably ust e""icient and his e""ecti'eness is only s!in8deep0 The acto (ho seems 'ey bad at an audition is most li!ely the (ost acto pesent* but this is not necessaily the case* and it is ust possible he is the best0 Thee is no scienti"ic (ay ound this? i" the system dictates the employin+ o" actos one doesnt !no(* one is "oced to (o! la+ely by +uess(o!0 At the be+innin+ o" eheasals the actos ae the opposite o" the ideally ela=ed ceatues they (ould li!e to be0 They bin+ (ith them a hea'y ba++a+e o" tensions0 So 'aied ae these tensions that (e can "ind some 'ey une=pected phenomena0 1o instance* a youn+ acto playin+ (ith a +oup o" ine=peienced "iends may e'eal a talent and a techni;ue that put po"essionals to shame0 )et ta!e the 'ey same acto (ho has* as it (ee* po'ed his (oth and suound him (ith the olde actos he most espects* and o"ten he becomes not only a(!(ad and sti""* but e'en his
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THE E3PT) SPACE
talent +oes0 Put him then amon+st actos he despises and he (ill come into his o(n a+ain0 1o talent is not static* it ebbs and "lo(s accodin+ to many cicumstances0 Not all actos o" the same a+e ae at the same sta+e o" thei po"essional (o!0 Some ha'e a blend o" enthusiasm and !no(led+e that is suppoted by a con"idence based on pe'ious small successes and is not undemined by "ea o" imminent total "ailue0 They stat eheasals "om a di""eent position "om the pehaps e;ually youn+ acto (ho has made a sli+htly +eate name and (ho is aleady be+innin+ to (onde ho( much "athe he can +o>has he eally +ot any(hee yet* (hat is his status* is he eco+ni@ed* (hat does the "utue holdG The acto (ho belie'es he may one day play Hamlet has endless ene+y? the one (ho sees that the outside (old is not con'inced he (ill e'e play a lead is aleady tyin+ himsel" into pain"ul !nots o" intospection (ith a conse;uent need "o sel"8assetion0 2n the +oup that +athes "o a "ist eheasal* (hethe a scatch cast o a pemanent company* an in"inite numbe o" pesonal ;uestions and (oies han+ unspo!en in the ai0 O" couse* these ae all enhanced by the pesence o" the diecto? i" he (ee in a :od8sent state o" total ela=ation he could +eatly help* but moe o" the time he too is tense and in'ol'ed (ith the poblems o" his poduction and hee too the need publicly to deli'e the +oods is "uel to his o(n 'anity and his sel"8absoption0 2n "act* a diecto can ne'e a""od to be+in (ith his "ist poduction0 2 emembe heain+ that a buddin+ hypnotist ne'e con"esses to a subect that he is hypnoti@in+ "o the "ist time0 He has Ddone it success"ully many times0 2 be+an (ith my second poduction* because (hen at se'enteen 2 "aced my "ist +oup o" shap and citical amateus* 2 (as "oced to in'ent a non8e=istent ust completed tiumph to +i'e them and mysel" the con"idence (e both e;uied0 The "ist eheasal is al(ays to a de+ee the blind leadin+ the
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blind0 On the "ist day a diecto may sometimes ma!e a "omal speech e=plainin+ the basic ideas behind the comin+ (o!0 O else he may sho( models o costume s!etches* o boo!s o photo+aphs* o he may ma!e o!es* o else +et the actos to ead the play0 Ha'in+ din!s o playin+ a +ame to+ethe o machin+ ound the theate o buildin+ a (all all (o! in the same (ay? no one is in a state to absob (hat is said>the pupose o" anythin+ you do on the "ist day is to +et you thou+h to the second one0 The second day is aleady di""eent>a pocess is no( at (o!* and a"te t(enty8"ou hous e'ey sin+le "acto and elationship has subtly chan+ed0 E'eythin+ you do in eheasal a""ects this pocess? playin+ +ames to+ethe is a pocess that has cetain esults* li!e a +eate "eelin+ o" con"idence* "iendliness and in"omality0 One can play +ames at auditions ust to bin+ about an easie atmosphee0 The +oal is ne'e in the +ame alone>in the shot time a'ailable "o eheasin+ a play* social ease is not enou+h0 A hao(in+ collecti'e e=peience>li!e the impo'isations on madness (e had to do "o the Marat+"ade bin+s about anothe esult the actos ha'in+ shaed di""iculties ae open to one anothe and to the play in a di""eent (ay0 A diecto leans that the +o(th o" eheasals is a0 de'elopin+ pocess he sees that thee 2s a i+ht time "o e'eythin+* and his at is the at o" eco+ni@in+ these moments0 He leans that he has no po(e to tansmit cetain ideas in the ealy days0 He (ill come to eco+ni@e the loo! on the "ace o" an appaently ela=ed but innely an=ious acto (ho cannot "ollo( (hat he is bein+ told0 He (ill then disco'e that all he needs is to (ait* not push too had0 2n the thid (ee! all (ill ha'e chan+ed* and a (od o a nod (ill ma!e instant communication0 And the diecto (ill see that he too does not stay still0 Ho(e'e much home8(o! he does* he cannot "ully undestand a play by himsel"0
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THE E3PT) SPACE
"ind that he is undestandin+ e'eythin+ di""eently0 The actos sensibilities tun seachli+hts on to his o(n>and he (ill eithe !no( moe* o at least see* moe 'i'idly that he has so "a disco'eed nothin+ 'alid0 2n "act* the diecto (ho comes to the "ist eheasal (ith his scipt pepaed (ith the mo'es and business* etc0* noted do(n* is a eal deadly theate man0 "oty pieces epesentin+ the "oty actos to (hom the "ollo(in+ monin+ 2 (ould ha'e to +i'e odes* de"inite and clea0 A+ain and a+ain* 2 sta+ed the 'ey "ist enty o" the Cout* eco+ni@in+ that this (as (hen all (ould be lost o (on* numbein+ the "i+ues* da(in+ chats* manoeu'in+ the scaps o" cadboad to and "o* on and o"" the set* tyin+ them in bi+ batches* then in small* "om the side* "om the bac!* o'e +ass mounds* do(n steps* !noc!in+ them all o'e (ith my slee'e* cusin+ and statin+ a+ain0 As 2 did so* 2 noted the mo'es* and (ith no one to notice my indecision* cossed them out* then made "esh notes0 The ne=t monin+ 2 ai'ed at eheasal* a "at pompt boo! unde my am* and the sta+e mana+ement bou+ht me a table* eactin+ to my 'olume* 2 obse'ed* (ith espect0 2 di'ided the cast into +oups* +a'e them numbes and sent them to thei statin+ places* then* eadin+ out my odes in a loud con"ident (ay 2 let loose the "ist sta+e o" the mass entance0 As
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the actos be+an to mo'e 2 !ne( it (as no +ood0 These (ee not emotely li!e my cadboad "i+ues* these la+e human bein+s thustin+ themsel'es "o(ad* some too "ast (ith li'ely steps 2 had not "oeseen* bin+in+ them suddenly on top o" me>not stoppin+* but (antin+ to +o on* stain+ me in the "ace? o else lin+ein+* pausin+* e'en tunin+ bac! (ith ele+ant a""ectations that too! me by supise>(e had only done the "ist sta+e o" the mo'ement* lette a on my chat* but aleady no one (as i+htly placed and mo'ement b could not "ollo(>my heat san! and* de8 spite all my pepaation* 2 "elt ;uite lost0 ich in ene+y* "ull o" pesonal 'aiations* shaped by indi'idual enthusiasms and la@inesses* pomisin+ such di""eent hythms* openin+ so many une=pected possibilities0 2t (as a moment o" panic0 2 thin!* loo!in+ bac!* that my (hole "utue (o! hun+ in the balance0 2 stopped* and (al!ed a(ay "om my boo!* in amon+st the actos* and 2 ha'e ne'e loo!ed at a (itten plan since0 2 eco+ni@ed once and "o all the pesumption and the "olly o" thin!in+ that an inanimate model can stand "o a man0 O" couse* all (o! in'ol'es thin!in+? this means compain+* boodin+* ma!in+ mista!es* +oin+ bac!* hesitatin+* statin+ a+ain0 The painte natually does this* so does the (ite* but in secet0 The theate diecto has to e=pose his uncetainties to his cast* but in e(ad he has a medium (hich e'ol'es as it esponds? a sculpto says that the choice o" mateial continually amends his ceation? the li'in+ mateial o" actos is tal!in+* "eelin+ and e=ploin+ all the time>eheasin+ is a 'isible thin!in+8aloud0 7et me ;uote a stan+e paado=0 Thee is only one peson as e""ecti'e as a 'ey +ood diecto>and that is a otten one0 2t
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THE E3PT) SPACE
sometimes happens that a diecto is so bad* so completely (ithout diection* so incapable o" imposin+ his (ill* that his lac! o" ability becomes a positi'e 'itue0 2t di'es the actos to despai0 :adually his incompetence ma!es a +ul" that ya(ns in "ont o" the cast* and as the "ist ni+ht appoaches insecuity +i'es (ay to teo* (hich becomes a "oce0 2t has happened that in the last moments a company "ound a sten+th and a unity as thou+h by ma+ic>and they +a'e a "ist8ni+ht pe"omance "o (hich the diecto +ot hi+h paise0 E;ually* (hen a diecto is "ied* the ne( man ta!in+ o'e o"ten has an easy ob? 2 once entiely e8sta+ed someone elses poduction in the couse o" one ni+ht>and +ot un"ai cedit "o the esult0 9espai had so pepaed the +ound that a touch "om one "in+e (as all that (as e;uied0 Ho(e'e* (hen the diecto is plausible enou+h* sten enou+h* aticulate enou+h to +et the actos patial tust* then the esult can mis"ie easiest o" all0 E'en i" the acto ends by disa+eein+ (ith some o" (hat he is told* he still passes some o" the load on to the diecto "eelin+ that Dhe may be i+ht* o at least that the diecto is 'a+uely Desponsible and (ill someho( Dsa'e the day0 This spaes the acto the "inal pesonal esponsibility and pe'ents the conditions "o the spontaneous combustion o" a company comin+ into bein+0 2t is the modest diecto* the honouable unassumin+ one* o"ten the nicest man* (ho should be tusted least0 and diectos (ho do not (ish to be despots ae sometimes tempted to the "atal couse o" doin+ nothin+* culti'atin+ noninte'ention in the belie" that this is the only (ay o" espectin+ the acto0 This is a (etched "allacy>(ithout leadeship a +oup cannot each a coheent esult (ithin a +i'en time0 A diecto is not "ee o" esponsibility>he is totally esponsible>but he is not "ee o" the pocess eithe* he is pat o" it0
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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E'ey no( and then an acto tuns up (ho poclaims that diectos ae unnecessay? actos could do it by themsel'es0 This may be tue0 But (hat actosG 1o actos to de'elop somethin+ alone* they (ould need to be ceatues so hi+hly de'eloped that they (ould hadly need eheasal eithe they (ould ead the scipt and in a (in! the in'isible substance o" the play (ould appea "ully aticulated amon+st them0 This is uneal? a diecto is thee to help a +oup e'ol'e to(ads this ideal situation0 The diecto is thee to attac! and yield* po'o!e and (ithda( until the inde"inable stu"" be+ins to "lo(0 The anti8diecto (ants the diecto out o" the (ay "om the "ist eheasal? any diecto disappeas* a little late* on the "ist ni+ht0 Soone o late the acto must appea and the ensemble ta!e command0 The diecto must sense (hee the acto (ants to +o and (hat it is he a'oids* (hat bloc!s he aises to his o(n intentions0 No diecto inects a pe"omance0 At best a diecto enables an acto to e'eal his o(n pe"omance* that he mi+ht othe(ise ha'e clouded "o himsel"0 Actin+ be+ins (ith a tiny inne mo'ement so sli+ht that it is almost completely in'isible0 the mo'ement occus in anyone* but in most non8actos the mo'ement is too sli+ht to mani"est itsel" in any (ay? the acto is a moe sensiti'e instument and in him the temo is detected>in the cinema the +eat ma+ni"ie* the lens* descibes this to the "ilm that notes it do(n* so "o the cinema the "ist "lic!e is all0 2n ealy theate eheasals* the impulse may +et no "uthe than a "lic!e> e'en i" the acto (ishes to ampli"y it all sots o" e=taneous psychic psycholo+ical tensions can inte'ene>then the cuent is shot8cicuited* eathed0 1o this "lic!e to pass into the (hole o+anism* a total ela=ation must be thee* eithe +od8+i'en o
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THE E3PT) SPACE
bou+ht about by (o!0 This* in shot* is (hat eheasals ae all about0 2n this (ay actin+ is mediumistic>the idea suddenly en'elops the (hole in an act o" possession>in :oto(s!is teminolo+y the actos ae Dpenetated>penetated by themsel'es0 2n 'ey youn+ actos* the obstacles ae sometimes 'ey elastic* penetation can happen (ith supisin+ ease and they can +i'e subtle and comple= incanations that ae the despai o" those (ho ha'e e'ol'ed thei s!ill o'e yeas0 )et late* (ith success and e=peience* the same youn+ actos build up thei baies to themsel'es0 Childen can o"ten act (ith e=taodinay natual techni;ue0 People "om eal li"e ae ma'ellous on sceen0 But (ith adult po"essionals thee has to be a t(o8(ay pocess* and the stiin+ "om (ithin has to be aided by the stimulus "om outside0 Sometimes study and thou+ht can help an acto to eliminate the peconceptions that blind him to deepe meanin+s* but sometimes it is the e'ese0 To each an undestandin+ o" a di""icult ole* an acto must +o to the limits o" his pesonality and intelli+ence>but sometimes +eat actos +o "athe still i" they ehease the (ods and at the same time listen acutely to the echoes that aise in them0 ohn :iel+ud is a ma+ician>his "om o" theate is one that is !no(n to each abo'e the odinay* the common* the banal0 His ton+ue* his 'ocal chods* his "eelin+ "o hythm compose an instument that he has consciously de'eloped all thou+h his caee in a unnin+ analo+y (ith his li"e0 His natual inne aistocacy* his oute social and pesonal belie"s* ha'e +i'en him a hieachy o" 'alues* an intense discimination bet(een base and pecious* and a con'iction that the si"tin+* the (eedin+* the selectin+* the di'idin+* the e"inin+ and the tansmutin+ ae acti'ities that ne'e end0 His at has al(ays been moe 'ocal than physical? at some ealy sta+e in his caee he decided that "o himsel" the body (as a less supple instument than the head0 He thus ettisoned pat o" an actos possible e;uipment but made
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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tue alchemy (ith the est0 2t is not ust speech* not melodies* but the continual mo'ement bet(een the (od8"omin+ mechanism and his undestandin+ that has made his at so ae* so touchin+ and especially so a(ae0 in Sco"ield* instument and playe ae one>an instument o" "lesh and blood that opens itsel" to the un!no(n0 Sco"ield* (hen 2 "ist !ne( him as a 'ey youn+ acto* had a stan+e chaacteistic? 'ese hampeed him* but he (ould ma!e un"o+ettable 'ese out o" lines o" pose0 2t (as as thou+h the act o" spea!in+ a (od sent thou+h him 'ibations that echoed bac! meanin+s "a moe comple= than his ational thin!in+ could "ind? he (ould ponounce a (od li!e Dni+ht and then he (ould be compelled to pause? listenin+ (ith all his bein+ to the ama@in+ impulses stiin+ in some mysteious inne chambe* he (ould e=peience the (onde o" disco'ey at the moment (hen it happened0 Those bea!s* those sallies in depth* +i'e his actin+ its absolutely pesonal stuctue o" hythms* its o(n instincti'e meanin+s? to ehease a pat* he lets his (hole natue>a milliad o" supe8 sensiti'e scannes>pass to and "o acoss the (ods0 2n pe"omance the same pocess ma!es e'eythin+ that he has appaently "i=ed come bac! a+ain each ni+ht the same and absolutely di""eent0 2 use t(o (ell8!no(n names as illustations* but the phenomenon is thee all the time in eheasal* and continually eopens the poblem o" innocence and e=peience* o" spontaneity and !no(led+e0 Thee ae also thin+s youn+ actos and un!no(n
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THE E3PT) SPACE
actos can do that ha'e passed beyond the each o" "ine actos (ith e=peience and s!ill0 Thee ha'e been times in theate histoy (hen the actos (o! has been based on cetain accepted +estues and e=pessions? thee ha'e been "o@en systems o" attitudes (hich (e eect today0 2t is pehaps less ob'ious that the opposite pole* the 3ethod Actos "eedom in choosin+ anythin+ (hatsoe'e "om the +estues o" e'eyday li"e is e;ually esticted* "o in basin+ his +estues on his obse'ation o on his o(n spontaneity the acto is not da(in+ on any deep ceati'ity0 He is eachin+ inside himsel" "o an alphabet that is also "ossili@ed* "o the lan+ua+e o" si+ns "om li"e that he !no(s is the lan+ua+e not o" in'ention but o" his conditionin+0 His obse'ations o" beha'iou ae o"ten obse'ations o" poections o" himsel"0 li!e 3acel 3aceaus chaacte (ho bea!s out o" one pison to "ind himsel" (ithin anothe0
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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eaction (as chec!ed and li!e li+htnin+ the memoy substituted some imitation o" a "om once seen0 9abbin+ the paint (as e'en moe e'ealin+? the hais8beadth o" teo be"oe the blan!ness* and then the eassuin+ eady8made idea comin+ to the escue0 This 9eadly Theate lu!s inside us all0 The aim o" impo'isation in tainin+ actos in eheasal* and the aim o" e=ecises* is al(ays the same? it is to +et a(ay "om 9eadly Theate0 2t is not ust a matte o" splashin+ about in sel"8 indul+ent euphoia as outsides o"ten suspect "o it aims at bin+in+ the acto a+ain and a+ain to his o(n baies* to the points (hee in place o" ne(8"ound tuth he nomally substitutes a lie0 An acto playin+ a bi+ scene "alsely appeas "alse to the audience because* instant "o instant* in his po+ession "om one attitude o" the chaacte to anothe* he is substitutin+ "alse details "o eal ones? tiny tansitional phoney emotions thou+h imitation attitudes0 But this cannot be +appled (ith (hile eheasin+ bi+ scenes>too much is +oin+ on* it is "a too complicated0 The pupose o" an e=ecise is to educe and etun? to nao( the aea do(n and do(n until the bith o" a lie is e'ealed and cau+ht0 2" the acto can "ind and see this moment he can pehaps open himsel" to a deepe* moe ceati'e impulse0 Similaly* (hen t(o actos play to+ethe0 a "acsimile (hich (o!s (hene'e the actos ae in the same an+e o" style>i0e0 olde actos play beauti"ully to+ethe* and so do 'ey youn+ ones but (hen they ae mi=ed up* "o all thei cae and mutual espect* the esult is o"ten a mess0 1o a poduction 2 did o" :enets The 1alcony in Pais it (as necessay to mi= actos o" 'ey di""eent bac!+ounds>classically tained* "ilm tained* ballet tained and simple amateu0 Hee* lon+ e'enin+s o" 'ey
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THE E3PT) SPACE
obscene bothel impo'isations se'ed only one pupose>they enabled this hybid +oup o" people to come to+ethe and be+in to "ind a (ay o" espondin+ diectly to one anothe0 Some e=ecises open the actos to one anothe in a ;uite di""eent (ay? "o e=ample* se'eal actos may play completely di""eent scenes side by side* but ne'e spea!in+ at the same moment* so that each has to pay close attention to the (hole* in ode to !no( ust (hat moments depended on him0 O else de'elopin+ a collecti'e sense o" esponsibility "o the ;uality o" an impo'isation* and s(itchin+ to ne( situations as soon as the shaed in'ention "la+s0 3any e=ecises set out "ist to "ee the acto* so he may be allo(ed to disco'e by himsel" (hat only e=ists in himsel"? ne=t* to "oce him to accept blindly e=tenal diections* so that by coc!in+ a sensiti'e enou+h ea he could hea in himsel" mo'ements he (ould ne'e ha'e detected any othe (ay0 1o instance a 'aluable e=ecise is di'idin+ a Sha!espeae solilo;uy into thee 'oices* li!e a canon* and then ha'in+ the thee actos ecite at bea!nec! speed o'e and o'e a+ain0 At "ist* the technical di""iculty absobs all the actos attention* then +adually as they maste the di""iculties they ae as!ed to bin+ out the meanin+ o" the (ods* (ithout 'ayin+ the in"le=ible "om0 Because o" the speed and the mechanical hythm this seems impossible? the acto is pe'ented "om usin+ any o" his nomal e=pessi'e e;uipment0 Then suddenly he busts a baie and e=peiences ho( much "eedom thee can be (ithin the ti+htest discipline0 Anothe 'aiant is to ta!e the t(o lines DTo be o not to be* That is the ;uestion and +i'e them to ten actos* one (od each0 The actos stand in a closed cicle and endea'ou to play the (ods one a"te the othe* tyin+ to poduce a li'in+ phase0 This is so di""icult that it instantly e'eals e'en to the most uncon'inced acto ho( closed and insensiti'e he is to his nei+hbou0
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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a"te lon+ (o! the sentence suddenly "lo(s* a thillin+ "eedom is e=peienced by e'eyone0 They see in a "lash the possibility o" +oup playin+* and the obstacles to it0 This e=ecise can be de'eloped by substitutin+ othe 'ebs "o Dbe* (ith the same e""ect o" a""imation and denial>and e'entually it is possible to put sounds o +estues in place o" one o all o" the (ods and still maintain a li'in+ damatic "lo( bet(een the ten paticipants0 The pupose o" such e=ecises is to lead actos to the point (hee i" one acto does somethin+ une=pected but tue* the othes can ta!e this up and espond on the same le'el0 This is ensemble playin+? in actin+ tems it means ensemble ceation* an a(esome thou+ht0 2t is no use thin!in+ that e=ecises belon+ to school and only apply to a cetain peiod o" the actos de'elopment0 An acto li!e any atist* is li!e a +aden and it is no help to pull out the (eeds ust once* "o all time0 The (eeds al(ays +o(* this is ;uite natual* and they must be cleaned a(ay* (hich is natual and necessay too0 Actos must study by 'ayin+ means? an acto has mainly an act o" elimination to ma!e0 Stanisla's!ys title DBuildin+ a Chaacte is misleadin+>a chaacte isnt a static thin+ and it cant be built li!e a (all0 Reheasals dont lead po+essi'ely to a "ist ni+ht0 This is somethin+ 'ey had "o some actos to undestand> especially those (ho pide themsel'es most on thei s!ill0 1o medioce actos the pocess o" chaacte buildin+ is as "ollo(s? they ha'e an acute moment o" atistic an+uish* at the 'ey stat >DD2 !no( 2'e played many success"ul pats be"oe but* this time* (ill inspiation comeG This acto comes in teo to the "ist eheasal* but +adually his standad pactices "ill the 'acuum o" his "ea? as he Ddisco'es a (ay o" doin+ each section* he battens it do(n* elie'ed that once a+ain he has been spaed the "inal catastophe0 So on the "ist ni+ht althou+h he is ne'ous* his ne'es ae those o" the
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%$THE E3PT) SPACE
ma!sman (ho !no(s he can hit the ta+et but is a"aid he (ont +et a bulls8eye a+ain (hen his "iends ae (atchin+0 The eally ceati'e acto eaches a di""eent and "a (ose teo on the "ist ni+ht0 All thou+h eheasals he has been e=ploin+ aspects o" a chaacte (hich he senses al(ays to be patial* to be less than the tuth>so he is compelled* by the honesty o" his seach* endlessly to shed and stat a+ain0 A ceati'e acto (ill be most eady to discad the hadened shells o" his (o! at the last eheasal because hee* (ith the "ist ni+ht appoachin+* a billiant seachli+ht is cast on his ceation* and he sees its piti"ul inade;uacy0 The ceati'e acto also lon+s to clin+ on to all hes "ound* he too (ants at all costs to a'oid the tauma o" appeain+ in "ont o" an audience* na!ed and unpepaed>still this is e=actly (hat he must do0 He must destoy and abandon his esults e'en i" (hat he pic!s up seems almost the same0 This is easie "o 1ench actos than "o En+lish ones* because tempeamentally they ae moe open to the idea that nothin+ is any +ood0 And this is the only (ay that a pat* instead o" bein+ built* can be bon0 The ole that has been -uilt is the same e'ey ni+ht>e=cept that it slo(ly eodes0 1o the pat that is bon to be the same it must al(ays be ebon* (hich ma!es it al(ays di""eent0 O" couse* paticulaly in a lon+ un* the e""ot o" daily e8ceation becomes unbeaable and unthin!able* and this is (hee the e=peienced ceati'e atist is compelled to "all bac! on a second le'el called techni;ue to cay him thou+h0 2 did a play (ith that pe"ectionist Al"ed 7unt0 2n the "ist act* he had a scene sittin+ on a bench0 2n eheasal* he su++ested* as a piece o" natual business* ta!in+ o"" his shoe and ubbin+ his "oot0 Then he added shadin+ the shoe to empty it be"oe puttin+ it bac! on a+ain0 One day (hen (e (ee on tou in Boston* 2 (al!ed past his dessin+8oom0 The doo (as aa0 He (as pepain+ "o the pe"omance* but 2 could see that he (as loo!in+ out "o me0 He
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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bec!oned e=citedly0 2 (ent into the dessin+8oom* he closed the doo* as!ed me to sit do(n0 DThees somethin+ 2 (ant to ty toni+ht* he said0 DBut only i" you a+ee0 2 (ent "o a (al! on Boston Common this a"tenoon and "ound these0 He held out his palm0 2t contained t(o tiny pebbles0 DThat scene (ee 2 sha!e out my shoe* he continued* Dits al(ays (oied me that nothin+ "alls out0 So 2 thou+ht 2d ty puttin+ the pebbles in0 Then (hen 2 sha!e it* youd see them dop>and youd hea the sound0 it is dummed into an acto that sinceity is all he needs0 in othe (ods* the at becomes insincee0 The youn+ acto obse'es the insinceity o" the old8time and is dis+usted0 He seaches "o sinceity0 Sinceity is a loaded (od? li!e cleanliness it caies childhood associations o" +oodness* tuth8tellin+ and decency0 2t seems a +ood ideal* a0 bette aim than ac;uiin+ moe and moe techni;ue* and as sinceity is a "eelin+* one can al(ays tell (hen ones bein+ sincee0 So thee is a path one can "ollo( one can
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THE E3PT) SPACE
"ind ones (ay to sinceity by emotional D+i'in+* by bein+ dedicated* by honesty* by ta!in+ a no8holds8baed appoach and by* as the 1ench say* Dplun+in+ into the bath0 Un"otunately* the esult can easily be the (ost !ind o" actin+0 detached (ithout detachment0 He must be sincee* he must be insincee? he must pactise ho( to be insincee (ith sinceity and ho( to lie tuth"ully0 This is almost impossible* but it is essential and easily i+noed0 All too o"ten* actos>and it is not thei "ault* but that o" the deadly schools (ith (hich the (old is litteed> build thei (o! on "a+8ends o" doctine0 The +eat system o" Stanisla's!y* (hich "o the "ist time appoached the (hole at o" actin+ "om the point o" 'ie( o" science and !no(led+e* has done as much ham as +ood to many youn+ actos* (ho misead it in detail and only ta!e a(ay a +ood hated o" the shoddy0 A"te Stanisla's!y* Atauds e;ually si+ni"icant (itin+s* hal"8ead and a tenth di+ested* ha'e led to a nai'e belie" that emotional commitment and unhesitatin+ sel"8e=posue ae all that eally count0 This is no( "ed "uthe by ill8di+ested* misundestood bits o" :oto(s!i0 Thee is no( a ne( "om o" sincee actin+ (hich consists o" li'in+ e'eythin+ thou+h the body0 2t is a !ind o" natualism0 2n natualism* the acto ties sinceely to imitate the emotions and actions o" the e'eyday (old and to li'e his ole0 2n this othe natualism the acto +i'es himsel" o'e ust as com8 pletely to li'in+ his unealistic beha'iou* thou+h and thou+h0
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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This is (hee he "ools himsel"0 ust because the type o" theate hes connected (ith seems poles emo'ed "om old8"ashioned natualism* he belie'es that he* too* is "a "om this despised style0 2n "act* he appoaches the landscape o" his o(n emotions (ith the same belie" that e'ey detail must be photo+aphically epoduced0 So he is al(ays at "ull "lood0 The esult is o"ten so"t* "labby* e=cessi'e and uncon'incin+0 Thee ae +oups o" actos* paticulaly in the United States* nouished on :enet and Ataud* (ho despise all "oms o" natualism0 They (ould be 'ey indi+nant i" they (ee called natualistic actos* but this is pecisely (hat limits thei at0 To commit e'ey "ibe o" ones bein+ into an action may seen a "om o" total in'ol'ement>but the tue atistic demand may be e'en moe stin+ent than total in'ol'ement>and need "e(e mani"estations o ;uite di""eent ones0 To undestand this* (e must see that alon+ (ith the emotion thee is al(ays a ole "o a special intelli+ence* that is not thee at the stat* but (hich has to be de'eloped as a selectin+ instument0 Thee is a need "o detachment* in paticula* thee is a need "o cetain "oms? all o" (hich is had to de"ine* but impossible to i+noe0 1o instance* actos can petend to "i+ht (ith total abandon and +enuine 'iolence0 E'ey acto is pepaed "o death scenes>and he tho(s himsel" into them (ith such abandon that he does not eali@e he !no(s nothin+ at all about death0 2n 1ance an acto comes to an audition* as!s to be sho(n the most 'iolent scene in the play and (ithout a ;ualm plun+es into it to demonstate his paces0 The 1ench acto playin+ a classical pat pumps himsel" up in the (in+s then plun+es into the scene? he ud+es the success o "ailue o" the e'enin+ by the de+ee he can suende to his emotions* (hethe his inne cha+e is at its ma=imum pitch and "om this comes a belie" in the 3use* in inspiation and so on0 The (ea!ness o" his (o! is that this (ay
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THE E3PT) SPACE
he tends to play +eneali@ations0 By this 2 mean that in an an+y scene he +ets on to his note o" an+e>o athe he plu+s into his an+e8point and this "oce di'es him thou+h the scene0 This may +i'e him a cetain "oce and e'en at times a cetain hypnotic po(e o'e the audience* and this po(e is "alsely consideed to be Dlyical and Dtanscendental0 2n "act* such an acto in his passion becomes its sla'e and is unable to dop out o" the passion i" a subtle chan+e o" te=t demands somethin+ ne(0 2n a speech that contains both natual and lyical elements he declaims e'eythin+ as thou+h all the (ods (ee e;ually pe+nant0 2t is this clumsiness that ma!es actos appea stupid and +and actin+ seem uneal0 ean :enet (ishes the theate to come out o" the banal* and he (ote a seies o" lettes to Ro+e Blin (hen Blin (as diectin+ The "creens! u+in+ him to push the actos to(ads Dlyicism0 This sounds (ell enou+h in theoy but (hat is lyicismG (e (ill ne'e +et out o" a taditional at8theate ut0 At least one can see that e'eythin+ is a lan+ua+e "o somethin+ and nothin+ is a lan+ua+e "o e'eythin+0 E'ey action happens in its o(n i+ht and e'ey action is an analo+y o" somethin+ else0 2 cumple a piece o" pape? this +estue is complete in itsel"? 2 can stand on a sta+e and (hat 2 do need be no moe than (hat appeas at the moment o" the happenin+0 2t can also be a metapho0 Anyone (ho sa( Patic! 3a+ee slo(ly teain+ stips o"
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ne(spape pecisely as in li"e and yet uttely itualistically in Pintes The 1irthday Party (ill !no( (hat this means0 A metapho is a si+n and is an illustation>so it is a "a+ment o" lan+ua+e0 E'ey tone o" speech* e'ey hythmic patten is a "a+ment o" lan+ua+e and coesponds to a di""eent e=peience0 O"ten* nothin+ is so deadly as a (ell8schooled acto spea!in+ 'ese? thee ae o" couse academic la(s o" posody and they can help to clai"y cetain thin+s "o an acto at a cetain sta+e o" his de'elopment* but he must e'entually disco'e that the hythms o" each chaacte ae as distincti'e as thumbpints? then he must lean that e'ey note in the musical scale coesponds>(hat toG That also he must "ind0 3usic is a lan+ua+e elated to the in'isible by (hich a nothin+ness suddenly is thee in a "om that cannot be seen but can cetainly be pecei'ed0 9eclamation is not music* yet it coesponds to somethin+ di""eent "om odinay speech? "0rechgesang also Cal O"" has set :ee! ta+edy on to a hei+htened le'el o" hythmic speech suppoted and punctuated by pecussion and the esult is not only sti!in+* it is essentially di""eent "om ta+edy spo!en and ta+edy sun+? it spea!s o" a di""eent thin+0 yet it is not music* it cannot be abstacted "om its sense0 ese is decepti'e0 An e=ecise (e once de'eloped in'ol'ed ta!in+ a scene o" Sha!espeaes* such as Romeos "ae(ell to uliet* and tyin+ Iati"icially o" couseJ to disentan+le the di""eent intet(inin+
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THE E3PT) SPACE
styles o" (itin+0 The scene eads?
3ulietC
8o2eoC
2t (as the la!* the heald o" the mon No ni+htin+ale0 7oo!* lo'e* (hat en'ious stea!s 9o lace the se'ein+ clouds in yonde East0 Ni+hts candles ae bunt out* and ocund day Stands tiptoe on the misty mountains tops0 2 must be +one and li'e* o stay and die0
3ulietC
)ond li+ht is not dayli+ht 2 !no( it* 20 2t is some meteo that the sun e=hales To be to thee this ni+ht a tochbeae And li+ht thee on thy (ay to 3antua0 Thee"oe stay yet0 Thou needest not to be +one0
8o2eoC
7et me be taen* let me be put to death0 2 am content* so thou (ilt ha'e it so0 2ll say yon +ey is not the monin+s eye DTis but the pale e"le= o" Cynthias bo(0 No that is not the la! (hose notes do beat The 'aulty hea'en so hi+h abo'e ou heads0 2 ha'e moe cae to stay than (ill to +o0 Come* death* and (elcomeM uliet (ills it so0 Ho( ist* my soulG 7ets tal!0 2t is not day0
The actos then (ee as!ed to select only those (ods that they
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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could play in a ealistic situation* the (ods that they could use unsel"consciously in a "ilm0 This poduced?
3ulietC
Then the actos played this as a +enuine scene "om a moden play "ull o" li'in+ pauses>spea!in+ the selected (ods out loud* but epeatin+ the missin+ (ods silently to themsel'es to "ind the une'en len+ths o" the silences0 The "a+ment o" scene that eme+ed (ould ha'e made +ood cinema* "o the moments o" dialo+ue lin!ed by a hythm o" silences o" une;ual duation in a "ilm (ould be sustained by close shots and othe silent* elated ima+es0 Once this cude sepaation had been made* it (as then possible to do the e'ese? to play the eased passa+es (ith "ull eco+nition that they had nothin+ (hatsoe'e to do (ith nomal speech0 Then it (as possible to e=ploe them in many di""eent (ays>tunin+ them into sounds o mo'ements>until the acto sa( moe and moe 'i'idly ho( a sin+le line o" speech can ha'e cetain pe+s o" natual speech ound (hich t(ist unspo!en thou+hts and "eelin+s
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THE E3PT) SPACE
endeed appaent by (ods o" anothe ode0 This chan+e o" style "om the appaently collo;uial to the e'idently styli@ed is so subtle that it cannot be obse'ed by any cude attitudes0 2" the acto appoaches a speech loo!in+ "o its "om* he must be(ae not to decide too easily (hat is musical* (hat is hythmic0 2t is not enou+h "o an acto playin+ 7ea in the stom* to ta!e a unnin+ ump at the speeches* thin!in+ o" them as splendid slabs o" stom music0 No is it any use spea!in+ them ;uietly "o thei meanin+ on the +ounds that they ae actually ta!in+ place inside his head0 A passa+e o" 'ese can be undestood moe li!e a "omula cayin+ many chaacteistics>a code in (hich each lette has a di""eent "unction0 2n the stom speeches* the e=plosi'e consonants ae thee to su++est by imitation the e=plosi'e patten o" thunde* (ind and ain0 But the consonants ae not e'eythin+? (ithin these cac!lin+ lettes (ithes a meanin+* a meanin+ thats e'e on the chan+e* a meanin+ thats caied by meanin+s beae* ima+es0 Thus* Dyou cataacts and huicanes spout is one thin+ DAll +emens spill at once That ma!e 2n+ate"ul man* is ;uite anothe0 3a= Enst8li!e ima+e in the second line o" the hea'ens spillin+ thei spemato@oa* he must pesent this (ithin the conte=t o" 7eas o(n a+e0 He (ill obse'e a+ain that the 'ese +i'es +eat (ei+ht to DThat ma!e 2n+ate"ul man* this (ill each him as a 'ey pecise sta+e diection "om Sha!espeae himsel"* and he (ill sense and +ope "o a hythmic stuctue that enables him to +i'e to these "ou (ods the sten+th and (ei+ht o" a lon+e line and in so doin+ hul on to the lon+shot o" man in stom a temendous close8up o" his absolute belie" in human in+atitude0 Unli!e a close8up in the cinema* this sot o" close8up* close8up (ith an idea* "ees us "om an e=clusi'e pe8occupation (ith the man himsel"0 Ou comple= "aculties en+a+e moe "ully and in ou minds (e place 2n+ate"ul man o'e 7ea and o'e the
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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(old* his (old* ou (old* at one and the same time0 )et this is the point (hee (e most need to !eep touch (ith common8sense* (hee the i+ht ati"ice tuns stilted o bombastic* DHa'e a (his!y>the content o" this phase dealy is bette endeed by a con'esational tone o" 'oice than by son+0 DHa'e a (his!y* this phase (e (ould a+ee has only one dimension* one (ei+ht* one "unction0 )et in Mada2e 1utterfly these (ods ae sun+ and indiectly Puccinis one phase has bou+ht the (hole "om o" opea into idicule0 D9inne* hoM in 7eas scene (ith his !ni+hts is simila to DHa'e a (his!y0 7eas o"ten declaim this phase* bin+in+ the play into ati"icialities* yet (hen 7ea says the (ods* he is not actin+ in a poetic ta+edy* he is simply a man callin+ "o his dinne0 D2n+ate"ul man and D9inne* hoM ae both lines by Sha!espeae in a 'ese ta+edy* but in "act they belon+ to ;uite di""eent (olds o" actin+0 2n eheasal* "om and content ha'e to be e=amined sometimes to+ethe* sometimes sepaately0 Sometimes an e=ploation o" the "om can suddenly open us up to the meanin+ that dictated the "om>sometimes a close study o" content +i'es us a "esh sound o" hythm0 The diecto must loo! "o (hee the acto is messin+ up his o(n i+ht u+es>and hee he must help the acto to see and o'ecome his o(n obstacles0 All this is a dialo+ue and a dance bet(een diecto and playe0 A dance is an accuate metapho* a (alt@ bet(een diecto* playe and te=t0 Po+ession is cicula* and decidin+ (hos the leade depends on (hee you stand0 The diecto (ill "ind that all the time ne( means ae needed? he (ill disco'e that any eheasal techni;ue has its use* that no techni;ue is all8embacin+0 He (ill "ollo( the natual pinciple o" otation o" cops? he (ill see that e=planation* lo+ic* impo'isation* inspiation* ae methods that apidly un dy and he (ill mo'e "om one to the othe0 He (ill !no( that thou+ht* emotion* and body cant be sepaated>but he (ill see that a
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THE E3PT) SPACE
petended sepaation must o"ten ta!e place0 Some actos do not espond to e=planation* (hile othes do0 This di""es in each situation* and one day it is une=pectedly the non8intellectual acto (ho esponds to a (od "om the diecto* (hile the intellectual undestands all "om a +estue0 2n ealy eheasals* impo'isation* e=chan+e o" associations and memoies* eadin+ o" (itten mateial* eadin+ o" peiod documents* loo!in+ at "ilms and at paintin+s can all se'e to stimulate the mateial ele'ant to the theme o" a play inside each indi'idual0 None o" these methods means much in itsel">each is a stimulus0 2n the Marat+"ade! as !inetic ima+es o" insanity ose up and possessed the acto and as he yielded to them in impo'isation* the othes obse'ed and citici@ed0 So a tue "om (as +adually detached "om the standadi@ed clichLs that ae pat o" an actos e;uipment "o mad scenes0 Then as he poduced an imitation o" madness that con'inced his "ello(s by its seemin+ eality* he had to come up a+ainst a ne( poblem0 He may ha'e used an ima+e "om obse'ation* "om li"e* but the play is about madness as it (as in #//>be"oe du+s* be"oe teatment* (hen a di""eent social attitude to the insane made them beha'e di""eently* and so on0 1o this* the acto had no outside model> he loo!ed at "aces in :oya not as models to imitate but as pods to encoua+e his con"idence in "ollo(in+ the ston+e and moe (oyin+ o" his inne impulses0 He had to allo( himsel" to se'e these 'oices completely and in patin+ "om outside models* he (as ta!in+ +eate is!s0 He had to culti'ate an act o" possession0 As he did so* he "aced a ne( di""iculty* his esponsibility to the play0 All the sha!in+* uddein+ and oain+* all the sinceity in the (old can still +et the play no(hee0 He has lines to spea!>i" he in'ents a chaacte incapable o" spea!in+ them he (ill be doin+ his ob badly0 So the acto has to "ace t(o opposite e;uiements0 The temptation is to compomise>to tone do(n the impulses o" the chaacte to suit the sta+e needs0 But his eal
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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tas! lies in the opposite diection0 3a!e the chaacte 'i'id>and "unctional0 Ho(G 2t is ust thee that the need "o intelli+ence aises0 Thee is a place "o discussion* "o eseach* "o the study o" histoy and documents as thee is a place "o oain+ and ho(lin+ and ollin+ on the "loo0 Also* thee is a place "o ela=ation* in"omality* chumminess* but also thee is a time "o silence and discipline and intense concentation0 Be"oe his "ist eheasal (ith ou actos* :oto(s!i as!ed "o the "loo to be s(ept and "o all clothes and pesonal belon+in+s to be ta!en out o" the oom0 Then he sat behind a des!* spea!in+ to the actos "om a distance* allo(in+ neithe smo!in+ no con'esation0 This tense climate made cetain e=peiences possible0 2" one eads Stanisla's!ys boo!s* one sees that some o" the thin+s said ae puely to e'o!e a seiousness "om an acto at a time (hen the maoity o" theates (ee slipshod0 )et at times* nothin+ is moe libeatin+ than in"o8 mality and the chuc!in+ a(ay o" all holy* hi+h8minded (ays0 Sometimes all the attention must be +i'en to one acto at othe times the collecti'e pocess demands a halt to the indi'iduals (o!0 Not e'ey "acet can be e=ploed0 To discuss e'ey possible (ay (ith e'eyone can be ust too slo( and so it can be destucti'e to the (hole0 Hee the diecto has to ha'e a sense o" time? it is "o him to "eel the hythm o" the pocess and obse'e its di'isions0 Thee is a time "o discussin+ the boad lines o" a play* thee is a time "o "o+ettin+ them* "o disco'ein+ (hat can only be "ound thou+h oy* e=ta'a+ance* iesponsibility0 Thee is a time (hen no one must (oy himsel" about the esults o" his e""ots0 2 hate lettin+ people (atch eheasals because 2 belie'e that the (o! is pi'ile+ed* thus pi'ate? thee must be no concen about (hethe one is bein+ "oolish o ma!in+ mista!es0 Also a eheasal may be incompehensible>o"ten e=cesses can be le"t o encoua+ed e'en to the ama@ement and dismay o" the company until the moment is ipe to call a halt0 But e'en in eheasal thee
#%4
THE E3PT) SPACE
is a time (hen one needs outside people (atchin+* (hen (hat al(ays seem to be hostile "aces can ceate a +ood ne( tension and the tension a ne( "ocus? the (o! must all the time set ne( demands0 Thee is anothe point the diecto must sense0 He must sense the time (hen a +oup o" actos into=icated by thei o(n talent and the e=citement o" the (o! loses si+ht o" the play0 Suddenly one monin+ the (o! must chan+e? the esult must become all impotant0 o!es and emboideies ae then uthlessly paed a(ay and all the attention put on to the "unction o" the e'enin+* on the naatin+* the pesentin+* the techni;ue* the audibility* the communicatin+ to the audience0 So it is "oolish "o a diecto to ta!e a doctinaie 'ie( eithe tal!in+ technical lan+ua+e about pace* 'olume* etc0>o a'oidin+ one because it is inatistic0 2t is (oe"ully easy "o a diecto to +et stuc! in a method0 Thee comes a moment (hen tal! about speed* pecision* diction is all that counts0 DSpeed up* D+et on (ith it* Dits boin+* D'ay the pace* D"o Chists sa!e is then the patte* yet a (ee! be"oe such old8time tal! could ha'e stulti"ied all ceati'ity0 The close the acto appoaches the tas! o" pe"omin+* the moe e;uiements he is as!ed to sepaate* undestand and "ul"ill simultaneously0 He must bin+ into bein+ an unconscious state o" (hich he is completely in cha+e0 The esult is a (hole* indi'isible>but emotion is continually illuminated by intuiti'e intelli+ence so that the spectato* thou+h (ooed* assaulted* alienated and "oced to eassess* ends by e=peiencin+ somethin+ e;ually indi'isible0 Cathasis can ne'e ha'e been simply an emotional pu+e? it must ha'e been an appeal to the (hole man0 No( the moment o" pe"omance* (hen it comes* is eached thou+h t(o passa+e(ays>the "oye and the sta+edoo0 Ae these* in symbolic tems* lin!s o ae they to be seen as symbols o" sepaationG 2" the sta+e is elated to li"e* i" the auditoium is elated to li"e* then the openin+s must be "ee and open
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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passa+e(ays must allo( an easy tansition "om outside li"e to meetin+ place0 But i" the theate is essentially ati"icial* then the sta+edoo eminds the acto that he is no( entein+ a special place that demands costume* ma!e up* dis+uise* chan+e o" identity> and the audience also desses up* so as to come out o" the e'eyday (old alon+ a ed capet into a place o" pi'ile+e0 Both o" these ae tue and both must be cae"ully compaed* because they cay ;uite di""eent possibilities (ith them and elate to ;uite di""eent social cicumstances0 The only thin+ that all "oms o" theate ha'e in common is the need "o an audience0 This is moe than a tuism? in the theate the audience completes the steps o" ceation0 2n the othe ats* it is possible "o the atist to use as his pinciple the idea that he (o!s "o himsel"0 Ho(e'e +eat his sense o" social esponsibility* he (ill say that his best +uide is his o(n instinct>and i" he is satis"ied (hen standin+ alone (ith his completed (o!* the chances ae that othe people (ill be satis"ied too0 2n the theate this is modi"ied by the "act that the last lonely loo! at the completed obect is not possible>until an audience is pesent the obect is not complete0 No autho* no diecto* e'en in a me+alomaniac deam* (ould (ant a pi'ate pe"omance* ust "o himsel"0 No me+alomaniac acto (ould (ant to play "o himsel"* "o his mio0 So "o the autho o the diecto to (o! "o his o(n taste and his o(n ud+ement* he must (o! appo=imately "o himsel" in eheasal and only tuly "o himsel" (hen he is hemmed in by a dense ban! o" audience0 2 thin! any diecto (ill a+ee that his o(n 'ie( o" his o(n (o! chan+es completely (hen he is sittin+ suounded by people0 Seein+ a "ist public pe"omance o" a play one has diected is a stan+e e=peience0 Only a day be"oe* one sat at a un8thou+h and (as completely con'inced that a cetain acto (as playin+ (ell* that a cetain scene (as inteestin+* a mo'ement +ace"ul* a passa+e "ull o" clea and necessay meanin+0 No( suounded by audience pat o" onesel" is espondin+ li!e this audience* so it is
#%5
THE E3PT) SPACE
onesel" (ho is sayin+ D2m boed* Dhes said that aleady* Di" she mo'es once moe in that a""ected (ay 2ll +o mad and e'en D2 dont undestand (hat theye tyin+ to say0 Apat "om the o'e8 sensibility bou+ht about by ne'es* (hat actually is happenin+ to ma!e such a statlin+ chan+e in the diectos 'ie( o" his o(n (o!G 2 thin! that it is abo'e all a ;uestion o" the ode in (hich the e'ents no( occu0 7et me e=plain this by a sin+le e=ample0 2n the "ist scene o" a play a +il meets he lo'e0 She has eheased (ith +eat tendeness and tuth and in'ests a simple +eetin+ (ith an intimacy that touches e'eyone>out o" conte=t0 2n "ont o" an audience* it suddenly becomes clea the the pecedin+ lines and actions ha'e in no (ay pepaed "o this? in "act* the audience may be busy tyin+ to pic! up ;uite di""eent tails elatin+ to othe chaactes and themes>then suddenly it is "aced (ith a youn+ actess mumuin+ hal" inaudibly to a youn+ man0 2n a late scene* the se;uence o" e'ents could ha'e led to a hush in (hich this mumuin+ (ould be e=actly i+ht>hee it seems hal"8 heated* the intention unclea and e'en incompehensible0 The diecto ties to pese'e a 'ision o" the (hole* but he eheases in "a+ments and e'en (hen he sees a un8thou+h it is una'oidably (ith "oe!no(led+e o" all the plays intentions0 aleady these condition di""eent e'ents0 But the di""eence may be supe"icial? a moe po"ound di""eence can
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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aise (hen the acto can play on a chan+in+ inne elationship (ith the spectato0 2" the acto can catch the spectatos inteest* thus lo(e his de"ences and then coa= the spectato to an une=pected position o an a(aeness o" a clash o" opposin+ belie"s* o" absolute contadictions* then the audience becomes moe acti'e0 This acti'ity does not demand mani"estations>the audience that ans(es bac! may seem acti'e* but this may be ;uite supe"icial>tue acti'ity can be in'isible* but also indi'isible0 The one thin+ that distin+uishes the theate "om all the othe ats is that it has no pemanence0 )et it is 'ey easy to apply>almost "om "oce o" citical habit>pemanent standads and +eneal ules to this ephemeal phenomenon0 One ni+ht in an En+lish po'incial to(n* Sto!e8on8Tent* 2 sa( a poduction o" Pyg2alion! sta+ed in a theate8in8the8ound0 The combination o" li'ely actos* li'ely buildin+* li'ely audience* bou+ht out the most spa!lin+ elements o" the play0 2t D(ent ma'ellously0 The audience paticipated "ully0 The pe"omance (as tiumphantly complete0 The cast (ee all too youn+ "o thei pats? they had uncon'incin+ +ey lines painted on thei hai and 'ey ob'ious ma!e8ups0 2" by ma+ic they had been tanspoted that 'ey instant to the
#%-
THE E3PT) SPACE
At the Theate o" Cuelty pat o" ou study (as the audience* and ou 'ey "ist public pe"omance (as an inteestin+ e=peience0 The audience that came to see an De=peimental e'enin+ ai'ed (ith the usual mi=tue o" condescension* play"ulness and "aint disappo'al that the notion o" the a#ant9garde aouses0 (e (anted to see some o" ou e=peiments in pe"omance conditions0 they 4ne (e had aleady pe"omed once be"oe and the "act that thee (as nothing in the papes in itsel" tele+aphed a eassuance0 The ultimate hoos could not ha'e ta!en place>i" one o" the audience had been inued>i" (e had set "ie to the buildin+* then it (ould ha'e been on the "ont pa+e0 No ne(s (as +ood ne(s0
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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Then as the un (oe on* (od o" mouth +ot aound that thee (ee impo'isations* some dull bits* a chun! o" :enet* a sha!e8up o" Sha!espeae* some loud sounds and so the audience ai'ed* selected* because o" couse some no( pe"eed to stay at home* and +adually only the enthusiasts o the detemined sco""es "ilteed thou+h0 and on the last ni+ht o" a D"ailue thee ae al(ays chees0 E'eythin+ helps to condition an audience0 Those (ho +o to a theate despite bad notices +o (ith a cetain (ish* a cetain e=pectation they ae pepaed* i" only "o the (ost0 Almost al(ays (e ta!e ou places in a theate (ith an elaboate set o" e"eences conditionin+ us be"oe the pe"omance be+ins? (hen the play ends* (e ae automati@ed into +ettin+ up and lea'in+ stai+ht a(ay0 it (as inteestin+ to see ho( this possibility o""ended some and +ati"ied othes0 2n "act* thee is no eason (hy one should be hustled "om a theate the moment the action is done* and a"te DU S many people sat still "o ten minutes o moe* then be+an spontaneously to spea! to one anothe0 This seems to me to be moe natual and moe healthy an end to a shaed e=peience then ushin+ a(ay>unless the ushin+ a(ay is also an act o" choice* not o" social habit0 Today* the ;uestion o" the audience seems to be the most impotant and di""icult one to "ace0 and yet at the same time athe ati"icial0 On the (hole it is tue that the youn+e an audience* the moe s(i"t and "ee its eactions0 2t is tue that on the (hole (hat alienates youn+ people "om the theate is (hat is bad in theate any(ay* so in chan+in+ ou "oms to (oo the youn+ (e (ould
#6#
THE E3PT) SPACE
seem to be !illin+ t(o bids (ith one stone0 An obse'ation that can easily be chec!ed at "ootball matches and do+ aces is that a popula audience is "a moe 'i'id in its esponses than a middle8 class one0 So a+ain it (ould seem to ma!e sense to (oo the popula audience thou+h a popula idiom0 But this lo+ic easily bea!s do(n0 The popula audience e=ists and yet it is somethin+ o" a (ill8o8the8(isp0 "ollo(in+ Continental pattens>to sell the notion o" theate to those sections o" society (ho ha'e pehaps ne'e set "oot in a theate and ae pehaps con'inced that theate is not "o them0 These commandos aim at e'o!in+ inteest* bea!in+ do(n baies* ma!in+ "iends0 This is splendid* stimulatin+ (o!0 But behind it lu!s an issue pehaps too dan+eous to touch>(hat tuly ae they sellin+G that is to say* pat o" the bi+ ne( hampe o" +oods no( a'ailable to e'eyone0 Behind all attempts to each ne( audiences thee is a secet patona+e>Dyou too can come to the paty>and li!e all patona+e* it conceals a lie0 The lie is the implication that the +i"t is (oth ecei'in+0 9o (e tuly belie'e in its (othG
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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also displayed scene by scene at the same time0 Accodin+ to the addicti'e 'ie( o" cultue* it (ould be impossible to +o "uthe> the youn+ man pi'ile+ed to ta!e his +il to the Magic Flute eaches the pinnacle o" (hat his community can o""e in tems o" the ci'ili@ed li"e0 The tic!et is Dhot>but (hat is the e'enin+ (othG 2n a sense* all "oms o" audience (ooin+ "lit dan+eously (ith this same poposition>come and shae in the +ood li"e (hich is +ood* because it has to be +ood* because it contains the best0 This can ne'e eally chan+e so lon+ as cultue o any at is simply an appenda+e on li'in+* sepaable "om it and* once sepaated* ob'iously unnecessay0 Such at then is only "ou+ht "o by the atist to (hom* tempeamentally* it is necessay* "o it is his li"e0 2n the theate (e al(ays etun to the same point? it is not enou+h "o (ites and actos to e=peience this compulsi'e necessity* audiences must shae it* too0 So in this sense it is not ust a ;uestion o" (ooin+ an audience0 2t is an e'en hade matte o" ceatin+ (o!s that e'o!e in audiences an undeniable hun+e and thist0 A tue ima+e o" necessay theate8+oin+ 2 !no( is a psychodama session in an asylum0 7et us e=amine "o a moment the conditions that pe'ail thee0 Thee is a small community* (hich leads a e+ula* monotonous li"e0 On cetain days* "o some o" the inmates* thee is an e'ent* somethin+ unusual* somethin+ to loo! "o(ad to* a session o" dama0
#6%
THE E3PT) SPACE
become points points o" contact0 contact0 Con'esation de'elops de'elops pain"ully aound aound these subects and the docto (ill at once pass to damati@in+ them0 2n the cicle* soon* s oon* e'eyone (ill ha'e his ole>but this does not mean that e'eyone is pe"omin+0 Some (ill natually step "o(ad as pota+onists* (hile othes (ill pe"e to sit and (atch* eithe identi"yin+ identi"yin+ (ith the pota+onist* o "ollo(in+ his actions* detached and citical0 A con"lict (ill de'elop? this is tue dama because the people on thei "eet (ill be spea!in+ about tue issues shaed by all pesent in the only manne that can ma!e these issues eally come to li"e0 They may lau+h0 They may cy0 They may not eact at all0 But behind all that that +oes on* amon+st amon+st the so8called so8called insane* lu!s a 'ey simple* 'ey sane basis0 They all shae a (ish to be helped to eme+e "om thei an+uish* e'en i" they dont !no( (hat this help may be* o (hat "om it could ta!e0 At this point* let me ma!e it clea that 2 ha'e no 'ie(s at all on the 'alue o" psychodama as a teatment0 teatment0 Pehaps it has no lastin+ medical medical esult at all0 But in the immediate immediate e'ent thee is an unmista!able esult0 T(o hous a"te any session be+ins all the elations bet(een the people pesent ae sli+htly modi"ied* because o" the e=peience in (hich they ha'e been plun+ed plun+ed to+ethe0 to+ethe0 As a esult* somethin+ somethin+ is moe animated* animated* somethin+ "lo(s moe "eely* some embyonic contacts ae bein+ made bet(een pe'iously sealed8o"" souls0
THE 233E92ATE 233E92ATE THEATRE
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only a pactical di""eence bet(een acto and audience* not a "undamental one0 As 2 (ite* 2 do not !no( (hethe it is only on a tiny scale* in tiny communities* that dama can be ene(ed0 O (hethe it is possible on a la+e la+e scale* in a bi+ playhouse playhouse in a capital city0 city0 Can (e "ind* in tems o" pesent need* (hat :lyndeboune and Bayeuth achie'ed in ;uite othe cicumstances* (ith ;uite di""eent idealsG That is to say* can (e poduce homo+eneous (o! that shapes its audience audience be"oe it has e'en passed thou+h its doosG :lyndeboune and Bayeuth (ee in tune (ith thei society and the classes to (hom they cateed0 Today* Today* it is had to see ho( a 'ital theate and a necessay one can be othe than out o" tune (ith society>not see!in+ to celebate the accepted 'alues* but to challen+e them0 )et the atist is not thee to indict* no to lectue* no to haan+ue* and least o" all to teach0 He is a pat o" Dthem0 Dthem0 He challen+es challen+es the audience audience tuly (hen he is the the spi!e in the side o" an audience that is detemined to challen+e itsel"0 He celebates (ith an audience most tuly (hen he is the mouthpiece o" an audience that has a +ound o" oy0
#64
THE E3PT) SPACE
today to e=pect any sin+le poduction* +oup* style o line o" (o! to e'eal (hat (ee loo!in+ "o0 The theate can only ad'ance cab(ise in a (old (hose mo'in+ "o(ad is as o"ten side(ays as bac!(ads0 This is (hy "o a 'ey lon+ time thee cannot possibly be a (old (old style "o a (old (old theate>as theate>as thee (as in the theates and opea houses o" the nineteenth centuy0 But all is not mo'ement* all is not destuction* all is not estlessness* all is not "ashion0 Thee ae pillas o" a""imation0 Those ae the moments o" achie'ement (hich do occu* suddenly* any(hee? the pe"omances* the occasions (hen collecti'ely a total e=peience* a total theate o" play and spectato ma!es nonsense o" any di'isions li!e 9eadly* Rou+h and Holy0 At these ae moments* the theate o" oy* o" cathasis* o" celebation* celebation* the theate o" e=ploation* the theate o" shaed meanin+* the li'in+ theate ae one0 But once +one* the moment is +one and it cannot be ecaptued ecaptued sla'ishly by imitation>the imitation>the deadly deadly ceeps ceeps bac!* the seach be+ins a+ain0 E'ey cue to action has a call bac! to inetia (ithin it0 Ta!e that holiest o" e=peiences>music0 e=peiences>music0 3usic is the one thin+ that ma!es li"e toleable "o a +eat numbe o" people0 So many hous o" music a (ee! emind people that li"e could be (oth li'in+>but these instants o" solace blunt the ed+e o" thei dissatis"action and so ma!e them moe eady to accept an othe(ise intoleable (ay o" li"e0 Ta!e the shoc!in+ atocity stoies* o the photo o" the napalmed napalmed child* these shoc!s ae the ou+hest o" e=peiences> e=peiences> but they open open the spectatos spectatos eyes to the need "o an action (hich (hich in the e'ent they someho( sap0 2t is as thou+h the "act o" e=peiencin+ a need 'i'idly ;uic!ens this need and ;uenches it in the same beath0
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
#6.
but po(e"ul emotion also disappeas and +ood a+uments lose thei thead0 then somethin+ in the mind buns0 The e'ent scoches on to the memoy an outline* a taste* a tace* a smell>a pictue0 2t is the plays cental ima+e that emains* its silhouette* and i" the elements ae i+htly blended this silhouette (ill be its meanin+* this shape (ill be the essence o" (hat it has to say0 o occasionally a tace deepe than any ima+ey0 2 ha'ent a hope o" emembein+ the meanin+s pecisely* but "om the !enel 2 can econstuct a set o" meanin+s0 Then a pupose (ill ha'e been se'ed0 A "e( hous could amend my thin!in+ "o li"e0 This is almost but not ;uite impossible to achie'e0 The acto himsel" is hadly e'e scaed by his e""ots0 Any acto in his dessin+8oom a"te playin+ a temendous* hoi"yin+ ole is ela=ed and +lo(in+0 2t is as thou+h the passa+e o" ston+ "eelin+s thou+h someone en+a+ed in ston+ physical acti'ity is 'ey healthy0 2 belie'e it is +ood "o a man to be an ochestal conducto* +ood "o him to be a ta+edian? as a ace* they seem consistently to each a ipe old a+e0 But 2 also thin! that thee is a pice0 The mateial you use to ceate these ima+inay people (ho you can pic! up and discad li!e a +lo'e is you o(n "lesh and blood0 The acto is +i'in+ o" himsel" all the time0 2t is his possible +o(th* his possible undestandin+ that he is e=ploitin+* usin+ this mateial to (ea'e these pesonalities (hich dop a(ay (hen the play is done0 Ou ;uestion hee is (hethe anythin+ at all can pe8 'ent the same thin+ happenin+ to the audience0 Can the audience etain a ma! o" its cathasis>o is a +lo( o" (ell8bein+ the 'ey best it can e'e eachG
#65
THE E3PT) SPACE
E'en hee thee ae many contadictions0 The act o" theate is a elease0 Both lau+hte and intense "eelin+s clea some debis "om the system>in this (ay they ae the opposite o" tacema!es* "o li!e all pu+ations they ma!e all clean and ne(0 )et ae the e=peiences that "ee and the e=peiences that emain so completely di""eentG 2snt it a 'ebal na'ety to belie'e that one is opposed to the otheG 2snt it tue to say that in a ene(al all thin+s ae possible a+ainG Thee ae many pin! old men and (omen0 Thee ae those (ho ha'e astonishin+ 'i+ou* but (ho ae +eat babies? un8lined in "ace and natue? olly* but not +o(n8up0 Thee ae also othe old people* not cabbed* not decepit? lined* ma!ed* used>(ho ae +lo(in+* ene(ed0 E'en youth and a+e can supeimpose0 The eal ;uestion "o the old acto is (hethe in an at that so ene(s him he could also* i" he acti'ely (ished* "ind anothe +o(th0 The ;uestion "o the audience* happy and e"eshed by a oyous e'enin+ at the theate* is also the same one0 2s thee a "uthe possibilityG
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
#6/
une=pected souce0 The 1ench lan+ua+e does not contain the (ods ade;uate "o the tanslation o" Sha!espeae* yet stan+ely it is ust in this lan+ua+e that (e "ind thee (ods used e'ey day (hich e"lect the poblems and the possibilities o" the theate e'ent0 Repetition* epesentation* assistance* The (ods (o! ust as (ell in En+lish0 But (e nomally spea! o" a eheasal? re0etition say the 1ench* and thei (od conues up the mechanical side o" the pocess0 and so +ains total "eedom0 No clo(n* no acobat* no dance (ould ;uestion that epetition is the only (ay cetain actions become possible* and anyone (ho e"uses the challen+e o" epetition !no(s that cetain e+ions o" e=pession ae automatically baed to him0 At the same time* epetition is a (od (ith no +lamou* it is a concept (ithout (amth? the immediate association is a deadly one0 Repetition is the piano lessons (e emembe "om childhood* the epeated scales epetition is the touin+ musical comedy epeatin+ automatically* (ith its "i"teenth cast* actions that ha'e lost thei meanin+ and lost thei sa'ou0 Repetition is (hat leads to all that is meanin+less in tadition? the soul8destoyin+ lon+ un* the undestudy eheasals* all that sensiti'e actos dead0 These cabon8copy imitations ae li"eless0 Repetition denies the li'in+0 2t is as thou+h in one (od (e see the essential contadiction in the theate "om0 To e'ol'e*
#6-
THE E3PT) SPACE
somethin+ needs to be pepaed and the pepaation o"ten in'ol'es +oin+ o'e the same +ound a+ain and a+ain0 Once completed* this needs to be seen and may e'o!e a le+itimate demand to be epeated a+ain and a+ain0 2n this epetition* lie the seeds o" decay0 re0resentation@ contains an ans(e0 A epesentation is the occasion (hen somethin+ is epesented* (hen somethin+ "om the past is sho(n a+ain>somethin+ that once (as* no( is0 1o epesentation it is not an imitation o desciption o" a past e'ent* a epesentation denies time0 2t abolishes that di""eence bet(een yesteday and today0 2t ta!es yestedays action and ma!es it li'e a+ain in e'ey one o" its aspects>includin+ its immediacy0 2n othe (ods* a epesentation is (hat it claims to be>a ma!in+ pesent0 until slo(ly (e can be+in to de"ine the actual "actos that ma!e the act o" epesentation so di""icult0 And the moe (e study this the moe (e see that "o a epetition to e'ol'e into a epesentation* somethin+ "uthe is called "o0 The ma!in+ pesent (ill not happen by itsel"* help is needed0 This help is not al(ays thee? yet (ithout this tue aid* the tue ma!in+ pesent (ill not ta!e place0
THE 233E92ATE THEATRE
#4
audience thee is no +oal* no sense0 $assiste G une 0ice) To assist>the (od is simple? it is the !ey0 An acto pepaes* he entes into a pocess that can tun li"eless at any point0 He sets out to captue somethin+* to ma!e it incanate0 2n eheasal* the 'ital element o" assistance comes "om the diecto* (ho is thee to aid by (atchin+0 this audience assists0
#4#
THE E3PT) SPACE
As you ead this boo!* it is aleady mo'in+ out o" date0 2t is "o me an e=ecise* no( "o@en on the pa+e0 But unli!e a boo!* the theate has one special chaacteistic0 2t is al(ays possible to stat a+ain0 2n li"e this is a myth (e ousel'es can ne'e +o bac! on anythin+0 Ne( lea'es ne'e tun* cloc!s ne'e +o bac!* (e can ne'e ha'e a second chance0 2n the theate the slate is (iped clean all the time0 2n e'eyday li"e* Di" is a "iction* in the theate Di" is an e=peiment0 2n e'eyday li"e* Di" is an e'asion* in the theate Di" is the tuth0
