Physical Theatres: A Critical Introduction by Murray Simon & Keefe John

Author:Murray, Simon & Keefe, John [Murray, Simon]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: The Arts
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2007-11-13T16:00:00+00:00

Afterwords

We began this chapter with some ‘warnings on writing theatre’ which essentially counselled on the difficulties of capturing through words what a piece of theatre is or was. The ‘how’ of writing theatre is as important as the ‘what’. We wrote of an almost inexhaustible range of strategies, theoretical positions and authorial perspectives which might aspire to articulate a sense of the work in question. And here the word ‘sense’ is an appropriate one, conveying an approximation, a getting close to but never claiming to be at the centre – and indeed doubting that there is ever a true ‘centre’ to be found. ‘Sense’ is also appropriate in that understanding theatre can never be a purely cognitive and intellectual exercise, and indeed is severely diminished when that is the claim or proposition. Rather, the inevitable vocal, visual and physical qualities of theatre demand a response of all the senses if they are to be properly appreciated and ‘understood’.

Writing with the body

What is more important is what one puts into his heart and into his body. There are some authors who, as you say, put fine things into the mouth of the actor, but nothing into his heart or his body…. The actor’s body can only perform when an author gives him material that comes from the heart…. actors write with their bodies. It is one of the laws of theatre.

(Ariane Mnouchkine interviewed by Jean Perret in Jacques Lecoq (2006:131), Theatre of Movement and Gesture, Routledge)

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