a meaningless universe

Where Do We Go From Here?

As Stanislavski himself strove for a unity of all elements of theatre, he drifted away from the mundaneness of Real Life. He began to conduct experiments in symbolism, pushing further into the meaning of his plays - where as a director he had more control - rather than the events that occur in a dining room.

Stan more interested in rehearsal than in production; attention shifted away from MAT and satellite projects to the “theatre studios”
First started by strictly choreographing the actors’ every gesture (in line with full control of the mise-en-scene)
Later favored an “active analysis”, sequence of dramatic situations are improvised; originated tablework discussion to promote a detailed analysis of the play, which brought greater attention to the concept of inner action
Later, 1908: “…rehearsals are divided into 2 stages: the first stage is one of experiment when the cast helps the director, the second is creating the performance when the director helps the cast”

First Studio, 1912: Founding members. Actors trained in stage technique, voice and speech, movement, dance. They focused on experimentation, improvisation, self-discovery:

Yevgeny Vakhtangov
Michael Chekhov (Anton's nephew)
Richard Boleslavsky (went to America)
Maria Ouspenskaya (went to America)
Vsevold Meierhold

Second Studio, 1916: Pedagogical work; developed techniques for An Actor’s Work. As Stan continued to evolve past Realism, students were continuing to evolve to find the technique.

Other precursors include...

Grand Guignol in Paris, France

Vsevold Meyerhold's work takes us into Futurism and Constructivism (now we're headed into the beginnings of the avant garde and absurd). Enjoyed more of a theatrical, dreamlike aesthetic. As a director, incorporated commedia, didn't hide the theater behind a backdrop. Theatre at its most theatrical; primary is the director, not the actor. Developed Biomechanics, theatre becomes a "meaning factory" (Crash Course Theater #39).

Michael Chekhov, Nephew of Anton. Author of To The Actor. Created the concepts of Psychological Gesture, Centers of Attention, Creative Individuality (pieces of his technique to find empathy). Where Stan focuses on the actor within the character, Chekhov felt "the technique is there so the actor can forget himself... the actor [looks] for something bigger than he". If there's distance between you and the character, you need technique to bridge the gap.

Why So Blue, Panda Bear?

The first half of the 20th century was a period of immense global change, marked by two devastating world wars, major technological advancements, and significant shifts in political and social landscapes.

The development of Absurdist Theatre was a direct response to the profound disillusionment and existential anxieties of the mid-20th century. Key historical events shattered traditional beliefs in progress and rationality:

World War I (1914-1918): The unprecedented scale of death and destruction, and the perceived senselessness of the conflict, eroded faith in established values and human reason.
The Rise of Totalitarian Regimes (1920s-1930s): The emergence of Fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, with their systematic oppression, highlighted the irrationality and cruelty inherent in human systems.
The Great Depression (1929 onwards): This global economic collapse exposed the fragility of societal structures, leading to widespread insecurity and despair.
World War II (1939-1945) and The Holocaust: The atrocities of the war and the systematic genocide underscored a complete breakdown of moral order and humanity's capacity for self-destruction.
The Atomic Bombings (1945): The dawn of the nuclear age introduced the terrifying possibility of global annihilation, intensifying anxieties about the future and life's precariousness.
Existentialist Philosophy: Thinkers like Camus and Sartre explored themes of meaninglessness, alienation, and the search for purpose in an indifferent universe, providing a philosophical framework for the absurd.

These events collectively fostered a deep sense of a world devoid of inherent meaning, setting the stage for theatre that mirrored this fragmented and irrational human condition.

Monty Python was a groundbreaking British surrealist comedy group known for their absurd sketches, subversive humor, and pioneering television show "Monty Python's Flying Circus."

"Existence precedes essence."-Jean-Paul Sartre

Philosophy: Considering the BIGGER picture

Realize that there are questions that...

you know are out there, but you're not ready to ask
you don't know are out there, so you don't even know to ask

Philosophers are those of us that have asked questions so large that in some cases took an entire lifetime to answer.

Philosophy is crucial because it cultivates critical thinking, enabling us to analyze complex ideas, question assumptions, and formulate well-reasoned arguments. It explores fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, ethics, and existence, helping individuals understand themselves and their place in the world. By encouraging intellectual curiosity and ethical reasoning, philosophy equips us to make informed decisions, navigate societal complexities, and contribute to a more just and enlightened society.

Condemned to be Free

The development of Existentialism was a culmination of ideas and reactions to preceding philosophical movements, particularly those that challenged rationalism, objective truth, and traditional metaphysics (first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space). Here are some key philosophical currents that paved the way:

Romanticism (Late 18th - Mid 19th Century): Emphasized individual emotion, experience, intuition, and the subjective over objective reason. Romantics celebrated the unique, often irrational, aspects of human experience, laying groundwork for existentialism's focus on individual subjectivity and passion, rather than universal reason.
Idealism (Late 18th - Mid 19th Century, particularly German Idealism): While seemingly opposed to existentialism's focus on concrete existence, figures like G.W.F. Hegel's concept of spirit evolving through historical struggle and self-consciousness, and Immanuel Kant's emphasis on human freedom and moral autonomy (the individual as a moral agent capable of self-legislation) were crucial. Kant's distinction between the phenomenal (knowable) and noumenal (unknowable) world also highlighted limits of human reason.
Nihilism (19th Century onwards): This philosophical stance, often associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, posits that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Nietzsche's proclamation of "God is dead" directly addressed the collapse of traditional moral and metaphysical frameworks, forcing humanity to confront the void and create its own values. This confrontation with meaninglessness is a central pillar of existential thought.
Phenomenology (Early 20th Century): Developed by Edmund Husserl and later adopted by Martin Heidegger, phenomenology focused on the direct investigation and description of phenomena as they are consciously experienced, without theoretical preconceptions. "Being-in-the-world" provided a methodological framework for existentialists to explore human existence, consciousness, and lived experience, moving away from abstract philosophical systems.

Absurdist theatre is fundamentally tied to Existentialist ideas.

Existentialism stresses individual freedom, choice, and responsibility in a world that may seem meaningless or absurd. It suggests that "existence precedes essence," meaning there is no predetermined human nature, and individuals must create their own meaning through choices and actions.

This freedom can lead to anxiety, as people bear the responsibility for their lives without inherent answers or universal values to guide them. Existentialism promotes authenticity, living according to self-created values, and accepting life's inherent uncertainty. (Googie Gemini)

No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre depicts three damned souls trapped in a single room in Hell, realizing their eternal torment comes from each other's inescapable presence and judgment. It was first performed in May 1944 and published in 1945.

Antonin Artaud

Themes: Futility and Meaninglessness, The Breakdown of Communication, The Absurd as Mirror

Albert Camus, a key figure in absurdism, explored the human struggle to find meaning in an indifferent universe. His works, grapple with themes of futility, revolt, and the search for authentic existence. Camus argued that while life may lack inherent purpose (the "absurd"), one must embrace this reality and rebel against it through conscious action and solidarity, finding joy in the struggle itself rather than succumbing to despair or false hope.

Post-Modernism: Redefining Art with Meaning

Postmodernism, emerging mid-20th century, challenged modernism's belief in universal truths and objective reality. It embraces skepticism, irony, and self-awareness, rejecting grand narratives and blurring distinctions between "high" and "low" culture. Characterized by pastiche, fragmentation, intertextuality, and a playful subversion of conventions, it questioned authorship and embraced multiple interpretations.

koyaanisqatsi_1982.mp4

Pronounced Ko-yanis-CATsi, Director Godrey Reggio

Experimental Film: Rebellion and Creation

Sergei Eisenstein was a revolutionary Soviet filmmaker and theorist, widely regarded as the "father of montage." His groundbreaking work transformed film editing into a powerful artistic and ideological tool. Through films like Battleship Potemkin (1925), Strike (1925), and October (1928), he demonstrated how the "collision" of juxtaposed shots could evoke intense emotional responses and convey complex ideas beyond simple narrative.

Eisenstein meticulously theorized his methods in writings, articulating various types of montage (metric, rhythmic, tonal, overtonal, intellectual). His innovative use of editing, focus on collective protagonists, and blend of spectacle and propaganda profoundly influenced generations of filmmakers worldwide, cementing his legacy as a cinematic pioneer.

Un Chen Andalou, Assistant Directed by Salvador Dali (painter, performer, rebel)

So what happened to Brecht?

Brecht's rejection of realistic theatre as well as his need for social change kept him grounded to terrestrial themes: social injustice, class struggle, war.

His purpose was to teach. Leaving an audience in a state of ambiguity when the play ended would be antithetical to the reason he made art. The host was present - maybe in different forms - and

What happens if we remove the host entirely? Some media communicate without the use of a guide; the allegory becomes so symbolic and the message either becomes so vague (or perhaps there is no truth) that it is deemed experimental. Allegories are/seem unconnected in content and/or style. With no NGH,

the message may be clearly implied, or
the message may be covert/must be hidden, or
the message is deliberately vague, or
maybe there is no message (non-sensical), or
maybe the media serves a different purpose

Dog_Star_Man_1961-64.mp4

Stan Brakhage: Cinematic Collage. Uses non-human form; works with the materials of film (the celluloid). Alters, destroys.

A Few Other Isms to Keep in Mind

Like a laboratory, artists construct new comparisons and explore message - theme - or explore the absence of message/theme - discovering new ways to communicate.

Surrealism: 1920s - 1930s. Rebellion from logic, pretense, altered reality, society. Irrational and non-sensical art. Abandonment of narrative AND causality. Rejects Classical Continuity Rules/Structure. Characteristics include: Emphasis on the visual, asynchronous sound, lack of consideration for the audience, "dream logic" (rejection of causality)
Constructivism was an early 20th-century Russian art movement. Rejecting "art for art's sake," it embraced industrial materials and geometric forms. Artists aimed to serve the new Soviet society, creating practical, utilitarian art—from architecture and graphic design to textiles—to reflect modern industry and social change.
Futurism was an early 20th-century Italian art movement that glorified dynamism, speed, and technology. Rejecting the past, Futurists celebrated modern urban life, machines (cars, airplanes), and even violence. Artists used fragmented forms and "lines of force" to convey motion, aiming to immerse the viewer in the energy and movement of the industrial age.

Solo Performance

As the performance style implies, this technique features one performer onstage, typically sharing personal content in the form of narrative (telling a story), but some allegory in solo performance really goes off the deep end. Performers include Eric Bogosian, John Leguizamo, Laurie Anderson, Danny Hoch.

Spaulding Gray performing Swimming to Cambodia (above)Anna Deavere Smith performing Four American Characters (below)

Dadaist-inspired media by Opera Theatre Oregon

The Viewpoints Method. With the ability to leave Realistic Acting behind, modern practitioners are finding more efficient use of performance and allegory to create another theatrical experience. With its approach closer to dance than realistic acting, the nine viewpoints give the actor tools that acknowledge pretense and find efficiency of expression to the spectators.

Link to Q4 Final Performances List

Guerilla, Absurdist and Performance Art

Removing the guide:

Once a production becomes self-aware and we - performers, audience/spectators - are aware that we're pretending, a lot of doors open for creation. We lose the chains of realism, we don't get locked in the struggle of a protagonist.

Actors' ideal performance is the efficiency of presenting a symbol, as opposed to living a struggle as an audience watches.

Now we're allowed to be theatrical; we're allowed to pretend; we're allowed to live outside presenting real life.

Theatre of the Absurd
Solo performance/stand-up comedy (techniques are related)
Surrealism/Dadaist theatre
Artaud/Theatre of Cruelty
Musical Theatre
Improvisation
Viewpoints
Verbatim

Enhancing the guide: stand-up comedy; solo performance

Samuel Beckett

National Theatre's 5 Truths: Artaud. "This video features two films from the Five Truths installation that focus on an Antonin Artaud influenced approach to the character of Ophelia."

Start with the bare stage. Our theatrical predecessors Bertolt Brecht and Peter Brook preferred to acknowledge the performance space (in fact, Brecht's theatre style developed alongside Constructivism). In this media, function typically upstages form. Instead of developing the aesthetic, we prefer admiring the way it works.

Efficient communication of message. Designers focus on supporting the actions portrayed by the actors in the allegory. Sometimes they create an embedded narrative; sometimes designers support the meta-play with a distancing effect. Some examples of distancing effects include:

Projections, inserts, subtitles for signs, words, headlines, quotes, instructions, titles
Lights/set support explanation, clarity, efficiency
Production equipment like cameras, boom mics, lighting instruments are frequently exposed as part of the spectacle of performance
Tools, utility, unfinished/unpainted/unfinished surfaces
Deliberately fake or "rehearsal grade" props and costumes, as well as staged or deliberate mistakes
Design that incorporates/produces irony (frequently a joke or gag)
High-utility "props" needed by the performer such as water bottles, lecterns, script prompters, note cards
High-allegory design choices (in opposition to high-utility) for deliberate obscurity or vague interpretation
Historical verisimilitude in sets is frequently contrasted with the black background of the acknowledged production stage

Non-Narrative Design

The acknowledgement of performance (and at the same time breaking the illusion of reality) opens many opportunities for expression. Just as actors don't need to follow the strict rules of realistic acting, neither do designers. It's not complete randomness and chaos (unless it is); rather, designers' work helps support the allegory.

SYMBOLS, CONTRAST, COMPOSITION, UNIFIED THEME. As with acting, designers benefit from their sophistication. Knowledge of the community, knowledge of historical/aesthetic periods, and knowledge of art and experience in aesthetic composition creates detailed, efficient work.

Drunk History's design aspects (that's costumes, location, props) are historically accurate when, compared to the actor's conditions, is a high contrast irony.

Historical Verisimilitude. A frequent device used to acknowledge the meta-play is accurate, authentic, specific portrayal of an historic time. Productions that utilize historical verisimilitude are called period pieces and distance an audience from the events of any plot. When you watch a piece that's so far removed from your life, you'll tend to objectify it.

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