Realism vs. Surrealism
Artaud's work provides a vision that stems from his violent hatred of realism.
He represents the other end of the performance scale from Stanislavski
He wanted to 'transcend' realism in his productions and produce a theatre that 'challenged' his audience forcing then to see new ideas and values
Life and Background
Artaud was born Marseilles into a trust religious family which he found suffocating
He had a troubled childhood, suffering from meningitis and depression the symptoms of which led to him being isolated at school
He was extremely strong willed and reluctant to conform to the conventions of society: as a consequence of this his parents arranged for him to be incarcerated in a sanatorium in 1915.
During this time he was prescribed opium and this was the start of a long-standing addiction to drugs.
Once released, Artaud embarked on a fascinating series of experiences that helped him to formulate his extreme views on both society and theatre.
He was a prolific poet
1942 he became an active and influential member of the surrealist movement
He and the surrealist shared a political viewpoint based around anarchy and free thinking, and a vision of the theatre as a place not for bourgeois entertainment but for emotional discovery
However, the relationship between Artaud and the group was often strained and two years later he was expelled
He acted in many films and celebrated for his non-realist style.
Balinese Influence
1931, Artaud witnessed a performance by Balinese dancers in Paris that acted as a catalyst for the development of the theatre
Balinese dance-drama is religious in nature and involves the acting out of Hindu legends in a stylised way, with the use of deeply unrealistic makeup, symbolic masks and hand gestures
Artaud was struck by the magical quality of the work. The dancers' dependence on gestures, facial expressions and visuals created a physical language that appealed to the unconscious
The focus was not on verbal communication
Artaud argued that it was to offer something that could not be offered by novel or poem, or any other medium
Other Influences
Two other influences affected the development of his ideas:
1. The painting 'The Daughters of Lot' by Leyden. The violent images in the painting had a theatrical quality to them and he considered the impact that such still image could have on stage.
2. Film, in particular the work of Marx Brothers. Artaud was fascinated by the manner in which they juxtaposed images to create humour.
Theatre of Cruelty
Artaud organised his ideas into a manifesto called the 'Theatre of Cruelty'
His aim was to reinvent the theatrical experience, abolishing the traditions of realism and allowing design and performance skills to work together to maximise the sensory experience of the audience
Before we can experiment with practical ideas it is important to understand the essense of Artaud's theatre. It was revolutionary which partly explains by he was unable to achieve a production that did justice to all his aims.
The Auitorium
To break from the restrictions of psychological theatre started with the nature of the performance space.
The stage should be a single, undivided locale, probably a barn or a hanger, which would allow direct communication between the actors and the audience. All decoration needed to be removed from the space so that every area could be used.
The Audience
Would be in the middle on swivel chairs, while a walk way would be built around the edges of the auditorium to enable certain action to take place above the spectators. The show as Artaud called his performance, would fill the space using different areas and levels to engulf the audience and assault their senses.
Sound
Artaud believed traditional theatre was a slave to dialogue, so he tried to redefine the aural experience. He focused on sounds rather than words. Screams were extremely important to him since they represented the most primitive emotion.
Musical instruments were used in experimental ways.
Costume and Design
All costume should be devoid of any contemporary relevance and should be specifically designed for each show. However, he felt it might be appropriate to look at images from the past and designs that might take their influences from certain cultural rituals. Masks and even puppets were encouraged as a way of moving away from realism
Technical Aspects
Technical equipment was limited for Artaud but he saw that the need for more technical equipment was necessary
He thought about subtlety of use of colour to communicate complex images.
The Double
Fascination by the concepts of dreams and reality.
The Plague
Artaud used the metaphor of the plague to relate to his ideas about theatre
'Theatre action is a beneficial as the plague, impelling us to see ourselves as we are, making the masks fall...' (theatre and it's double)
Ritual
He was fascinated by their mystical quality and their ability to generate a heightened level of engagement from those who participated
In terms of Artaud as a theatre maker I feel as though his past influenced his work. I feel that undoubtedly had he not suffered from mental illnesses he might not have been influenced to rebel against society's normal conformaties. I feel as thought his illness helped create theatre of cruelty. We will be focusing a lot on Artaud and using a lot of his exercises to help develop our piece. I definitely agree with the aspect of pushing boundaries that are meant to be broken. We have to ensure that we don't feel restricted as performers and just go with anything that we think we can't do.
No comments:
Post a Comment