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Born in Poland, Jerzy Grotowski began his career as an actor before setting up his own theatre company. Grotowski used his actors to study the way theatres worked, and to experiment with new techniques in acting and staging. During the 1970s, he moved away from mainstream theatre, instead developing his style of transformational theatre and incredibly intense system of acting
Born in Poland, Jerzy Grotowski began his career as an actor before setting up his own theatre company. Grotowski used his actors to study the way theatres worked, and to experiment with new techniques in acting and staging. During the 1970s, he moved away from mainstream theatre, instead developing his style of transformational theatre and incredibly intense system of acting
Grotowski believed that acting was not just a job, but a way of life and that actors should be prepared to sacrifice several years to intense study and training. He made his actors go through rigorous vocal and physical exercises every day. His training was designed to give actors superb vocal and physical skills, and to teach them to break free of limitations such as ignorance, vanity, embarrassment, inhibitions, egotism, selfishness and nervousness.
Grotowski believed that acting was not just a job, but a way of life and that actors should be prepared to sacrifice several years to intense study and training. He made his actors go through rigorous vocal and physical exercises every day. His training was designed to give actors superb vocal and physical skills, and to teach them to break free of limitations such as ignorance, vanity, embarrassment, inhibitions, egotism, selfishness and nervousness.
Adapted from 'Living Drama', Bruce Burton
LOGBOOK
LOGBOOK
1. Consider Grotowski's purpose in making his actors train and work in total silence. Why do you think this was important to his system of acting?
2. Try working for half a lesson (approx 20 mins) where the entire class is completely silent. How does it feel? What do you notice/learn? How does being silent (and surrounded by silence) affect your focus and concentration?
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LOGBOOK
1. What skills would a performer need to use in order to make transformation work? Why?
2. Give three examples of objects or symbols which each of the following items could be transformed into and explain why/how they would be used:
- a table
- a red cloth
- a large bowl
- a cupboard
- a blue cloth
3. How does transformation help fulfil some of the aims of Grotowski's 'Poor Theatre'?
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LOGBOOK
1. Why do you think it is important for actors to be trained physically? Why do you think Grotowski wanted his performers to be able to control every movement, even the smallest detail?
2. In groups of 3-4, develop a short piece which communicates a clear story to the audience using only movement. Reflect on this experience in your logbook.
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LOGBOOK
1. How is Grotowski's demand for truth and belief similar to Stanislavski's? You may wish to consider Stanislavski's Given Circumstances and Emotional Memory. To revise Stanislavski, visit the Year 10 Drama Site.
2. If you were a performer trained by Grotowski, what steps could you take to portray an honest, truthful, believable character?
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LOGBOOK
1. What aspects of the voice did Grotowski believe were important for a performer to develop?
2. How did his actors make their voices "more flexible"?
3. Why do you think Grotowski required his actors to learn to imitate all the sounds in the world?
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